I just picked up The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit, which is hilarious and absolutely on point. Taking a cue from Ambrose Bierce's classic The Devil's Dictionary, it offers witty and point-on definitions of corporate buzzwords and standards (e.g., "'Merger:' Source of major freakout mode amongst employees.").
Of course, I read through the more noxious entries with some distress, thinking of how often I have sputtered out hackneyed phrases like "paradigm shift" or "putting a stake in the ground." I am proud to say I have not used "productize", which does not merit entry in the dictionary but should have a special place in corporate-speak hell.
Speaking of which, I was in a meeting this morning discussing exchanges of confidential information where the phrase "drop our shorts" was used. I have to say I like that better than "open the kimono," but all the same I'd rather just talk about "skeletons in the closet."
No comments:
Post a Comment