The real meaning of these 7 vague words everyone uses at work

When it comes to effective communication, vagueness is your enemy. And vague words are far too common in the workplace, from using empty corporate jargon to disguise ignorance to giving unclear feedback or guidelines. 

“Foggy language often crops up when there is a lack of understanding or an absence of results,” said Natalie Grant, communications expert and co-founder of digital parenting magazine We The Parents. “Hazy communication also muddies the waters of personal and corporate responsibility, i.e., precisely who is responsible for exactly what.”

It’s one way in which the academic world and corporate world are actually more alike than not.

“Both academia and the corporate workplace are famous for using crazy jargon,” Miriam Bowers-Abott, a communications professor at Mount Carmel College of Nursing, in Ohio. “For example, we like to mention ‘silos’ and ‘paradigms’ — phrases that are empty and useless without explanation. … Using unnecessarily large, convoluted words makes it harder for your audience to understand you.  If our goal is truly to communicate honestly with others, then we need to choose a vocabulary that is direct and clear.” 

And it’s not only a matter of polishing your public speaking skills. There are big payoffs to ditching vague words in favor of precise language at work. According to Grant, businesses are more productive when a leader is crystal clear about the state of things and contributors are able to clearly define their next steps.

“Getting there is rewarding for everyone, but obscure and foggy communication needs to be stamped out from the get-go,” she said.

Unsure where to start? Here are seven vague words that don’t describe the thing they usually refer to in work conversations. Pay attention to how you use them and start being more specific when you speak and write.

About 

“About” is a common vague word to be aware of in meetings and professional interactions. Saying you have “about 10” leads is not the same as confirming you have five active conversations with potential customers and two pending ones.

“You manage what you measure. To do it well, get precise,” Grant said.

Impact 

Are you a fan of saying things like “making an impact?” Beware, as it may not always convey what you’re trying to say.

“Some leaders try to use impressive jargon and catchphrases where everything is ‘strategic’ or ‘innovative’ or ‘making a difference/impact,’ but if the employees or other stakeholders don’t understand it, it’s ineffective and people walk away with no clue what is going on or what they are supposed to do,” said Amanda Ponzar, chief communications and strategy officer at the nonprofit CHC: Creating Healthier Communities.

She recommended using metrics and concrete examples to describe the kind of effect you want to have instead.

“At CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, we refreshed our brand with better examples showing how we’re creating healthier communities,” she said. “We encourage lots of questions at all-hands meetings and other meetings, as well as team chats, emails, etc. If someone says, ‘We’re making a difference,’ most of us will ask how we’ll measure that impact and request examples of what the person means by that.”

Underperforming 

Add “underperforming” to the list of vague words that don’t usually describe what they refer to. The implications of using it can be disastrous.

“I think something like ‘underperforming’ is a dangerously vague term,” Bowers-Abott said. “It might be helpful to avoid hurting an individual’s feelings, but when it’s something related to institutional performance and survival, it’s important to be clear.”

Next level 

Raise your hand if you’ve been in a meeting where someone said they want to take an initiative to the “next level.” Again, this kind of phrasing prevents you from achieving intentional, measurable goals and ultimately slows down success.

“It does not really mean anything unless you specify what ‘next level’ is,” Ankita Goyal, content strategist at the online-advertising company Intentwise. “It is important to communicate clearly and have measurable goals.”

ASAP 

You might say you need something “ASAP” when making a request. The only problem is, your version of ASAP might not be your teammate’s version of ASAP.

“This phrase is so often used in place of an actual deadline or timeframe,” said Jeanine Duval, co-founder and editor-in-chief at the tarot website Edelwyn. “It is always better to give specific dates and times, no matter what task needs to be completed.”

Dilemma

Before presenting your boss or team with a dilemma, know that the word actually refers to a difficult choice between two things — not just the idea of facing a difficult situation, communications specialist Kimberlyn Williams said.

Professional 

“The one vague word that bugs me the most is ‘professional,’” said growth strategist Jack Killion. “I have no idea what that means, and it is particularly annoying when people describe themselves, on resumes, etc., as ‘professional.’ Very few who describe themselves that way measure up to my sense of how the word should be applied.”

So it might be a better idea to describe specific attributes instead of using “professional” as a blanket word to convey a certain level of proficiency or expertise.