On Jargon

As I was clearing out some old piles of paper I came across an article in the Autumn 2005 edition of the now defunct MBA Business magazine. The title is "Start Making Sense" and it's about the jargon we all tend to use:

Read the packaging on any of Ronseal's products, be it Quick Drying Patio Paint or 5-Minute Fence Finish, and you'll find a very reassuring company motto: "Does exactly what it says on the tin".

If only all business communication was so straightforward.

I suppose the obvious thing to say is just: "Amen!"
Still, that's not a particularly new thought, so why I am writing about it in my new blog?

In part, to remind myself that I'm not writing academic papers any more. A certain kind of jargon is a useful shorthand when communicating with people who "know what you mean" but that isn't always appropriate on a blog.

And yet, in part, I have to say that the world will never be so simple. In the magazine article they note how often jargon is a substitute for real thought and knowledge and how many people and companies use it to avoid making tangible commitments. Still, even if we magically made everyone honest and diligent, I cannot see jargon disappearing completely.

I want to blog about communications, particularly internal communications and culture, so there's bound to be some fancy words used now and then. If you want to be precise about things that everyone has a bit of an idea about, then you need to use less common words sometimes, just to pinpoint what you really mean. And to state another obvious point, jargon is in part a cultural badge. Using the right words lets people know you are "one of them." Every subculture tends to create a shared language and that's part of how jargon comes about.

To aid communication we should try to follow these simple rules:

1) Avoid jargon where possible.

2) If you have to use it, be aware that you are excluding some audiences as well as including some. Ask yourself who those people are and if you mean to treat them in that way.

3) If you are going to use it, be sure you're willing and able to translate into plain English if required.

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