Business Jargon

[Origisaurus]

In Forbes

"Take It To The Next Level"  Is that anything like "Kick it up a notch"?   Bam!  I love Emeril!

[TRexx]

Have you ever played "Bullsh*t Bingo? It's a great game for office meetings.   Each attendee has a card with a grid of squares. Each square contains a one of those phrases.  When a phrase is mentioned, you check it off. First person to complete a row jumps up and shouts "Bullsh*t!" and wins the prize.

[Carrie Cobol]

My favorite one lately is "ask" used as a noun.  You sound SO retarded when you use it that way.  For example, instead of "who requested this deliverable?" they will say "what was the ask for this deliverable?".  Why oh why do business people like to sound brain-damaged when they should be sounding intelligent and professional?

[DG9]

You sure they're not saying "what ass requested this deliverable?" 

[The Gorn]

they will say "what was the ask for this deliverable?".  Why oh why do business people like to sound brain-damaged when they should be sounding intelligent and professional?

God, that does sound stupid.

[TRexx]

My favorite one lately is "ask" used as a noun.  You sound SO retarded when you use it that way.  For example, instead of "who requested this deliverable?" they will say "what was the ask for this deliverable?".  Why oh why do business people like to sound brain-damaged when they should be sounding intelligent and professional?

Because they think speaking like that makes them sound intelligent and professional.

My favorite is "value add".  What is wrong with saying "Where is the added value?'  or "What value does that step add to the process?"

[Carrie Cobol]

This was discussed a while back on a forum full of executive types and the general assumption was that this kind of thing starts with some c-suite moron, and then the butt-kissers emulate him.  And then others use the expression to fit in and it goes from there.

[David Randolph]

"Take It To The Next Level" 

Actually, this is a poker playing sales man who just got the absolute best quote you can give him and he is pushing for you to take a loss on the project. It is part of the poker game.

[Carrie Cobol]

Re:  the ask

I'm currently reading a book titled " Writing for a Good Cause" about how to craft proposals for nonprofit agencies.  This expression is used in the book, but I think it's given me a glimmer of where it came from.  "The ask" seems to be the act of asking for money.  The book explains that many amateur proposal writers craft a long, loving piece and then forget the most important part-asking for an amount of money.