Many people working in large companies speak business-buzzwords as a second language. Business language is full of pretty meaningless words. I Don’t Understand What Anyone Is Saying Anymore article tells that the language of internet business models has made the problem even worse. There are several strains of this epidemic: We have forgotten how to use the real names of real things, acronymitis, and Meaningless Expressions (like “Our goal is to exceed the customer’s expectation”). This would all be funny if it weren’t true. Observe it, deconstruct it, and appreciate just how ridiculous most business conversation has become.
Check out this brilliant Web Economy Bullshit Generator page. It generates random bullshit text based on the often used words in business language. And most of the material it generates look something you would expect from IT executives and their speechwriters (those are randomly generated with Web Economy Bullshit Generator):
“scale viral web services”
“integrate holistic mindshare”
“transform back-end solutions”
“incentivize revolutionary portals”
“synergize out-of-the-box platforms”
“enhance world-class schemas”
“aggregate revolutionary paradigms”
“enable cross-media relationships”
How to talk like a CIO article tries to tell how do CIOs talk, and what do they talk about, and why they do it like they do it. It sometimes makes sense to analyze the speaking and comportment styles of the people who’ve already climbed the corporate ladder if you want to do the same.
The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article tells that the stupid business talk is longer solely the province of consultants, investors and business-school types, this annoying gobbledygook has mesmerized the rank and file around the globe. The next time you feel the need to reach out, touch base, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or join a tiger team, by all means do it. Just don’t say you’re doing it. If you have to ask why, chances are you’ve fallen under the poisonous spell of business jargon. Jargon masks real meaning. The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article has a cache of expressions to assiduously avoid (if you look out you will see those used way too many times in business documents and press releases).
Is Innovation the Most Abused Word In Business? article tells that most of what is called innovation today is mere distraction, according to a paper by economist Robert Gordon. Innovation is the most abused word in tech. The iPad is about as innovative as the toaster. You can still read books without an iPad, and you can still toast bread without a toaster. True innovation radically alters the way we interact with the world. But in tech, every little thing is called “innovative.” If you were to believe business grads then “innovation” includes their “ideas” along the lines of “a website like *only better*” or “that thing which everyone is already doing but which I think is my neat new idea” Whether or not the word “innovation” has become the most abused word in the business context, that remains to be seen. “Innovation” itself has already been abused by the patent trolls.
Using stories to catch ‘smart-talk’ article tells that smart-talk is information without understanding, theory without practice – ‘all mouth and no trousers’, as the old aphorism puts it. It’s all too common amongst would-be ‘experts’ – and likewise amongst ‘rising stars’ in management and elsewhere. He looks the part; he knows all the right buzzwords; he can quote chapter-and-verse from all the best-known pundits and practitioners. But is it all just empty ‘smart-talk’? Even if unintentional on their part, people who indulge in smart-talk can be genuinely dangerous. They’ll seem plausible enough at first, but in reality they’ll often know just enough to get everyone into real trouble, but not enough to get out of it again. Smart-talk is the bane of most business – and probably of most communities too. So what can we do to catch it?
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Tomi Engdahl says:
6 Phrases Weak People Always Use When They Are Planning to Fail
https://www.inc.com/john-brandon/6-phrases-weak-people-always-use-when-they-are-planning-to-fail.html
Listen for voice inflection and a lack of confidence, sure. But these phrases reveal everything you need to know about someone who is planning to let you down.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 Ways Leaders Act Like Rebels (That’ll Make You Successful, Too)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/averyblank/2018/06/05/5-ways-leaders-act-like-rebels-thatll-make-you-successful-too/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#58dd3207155a
1. Identify your differences and personal talents.
2. Be curious
3. Say “yes,” not “no.”
4. Don’t tether yourself to what you have learned.
5. Focus on what can be done, not what cannot be done.
Tomi Engdahl says:
9 Stress-Relieving Reminders To Help You Take Your Next Career Steps
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarayoungwang/2018/08/20/9-stress-relieving-reminders-to-help-you-take-your-next-career-steps/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#6d616c6f7269
1. Trust your intuition
2. Focus on your goals, but also the enjoyment of today
3. Be kind to yourself about “mistakes”
4. Take steps that build a life and career that works for you
5. You don’t have to take an opportunity just because it’s presented
6. Don’t worry so much about the “How”
7. Nobody has it all figured out
8. Find inspiration and guidance by connecting with others
9. Your past doesn’t have to dictate your future
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is it possible to design a workspace that promotes collaboration without adding distractions?
How can we stay focused in an era of open offices?
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/staying-focused-in-open-offices?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ts-conversion&utm_content=rtg
Over the past year, I’ve been fascinated by the debates about open office layouts, and equally intrigued by the tips for staying mindful amid a deluge of distractions. Managers tell us we need to collaborate. Professors tell us we need to find focus. How do we balance the need for both?
Even an office with a door wouldn’t be an oasis from virtual interruptions. Now that new tech tools have made us endlessly accessible, the way we feel about communicating with co-workers has changed.
“There was this interesting pattern where people were saying ‘I enjoy being in the office, but I’m unable to work on things that require focus.’”—Jennifer Brook
“We saw a lot of people express this idea that the optimal time in office is two to three days a week and the optimal time to work from home was two to three days a week,” says Brook. “So there was this interesting pattern where people were saying ‘I really do enjoy being in the office, but I’m unable to work on things that require focus.’”
And research shows the distractions in open offices are often to blame. One reason is that when people in your office are talking, they’re often talking about things that you’re interested in hearing. As author David Barkus puts it in Harvard Business Review:
“The quiet chatter of colleagues and the gentle thrum of the HVAC should help us focus. The problem may be that, in our offices, we can’t stop ourselves from getting drawn into others’ conversations or from being interrupted while we’re trying to focus.”
To prevent these interruptions, people use external signaling—such as headphones—so they can do the heads-down work at their desk. But this causes frustration when co-workers want to interact. Consequently, team managers often play a gatekeeping role.
Tomi Engdahl says:
No Longer Hanging In, Europe May Have (Been) Broken Down
https://www.alhambrapartners.com/2019/09/23/no-longer-hanging-in-europe-may-have-been-broken-down/
Draghi had said that in 2017 Europe was absolutely booming and so there was no reason to suspect it wouldn’t just keep going into 2018 and 2019. When Europe’s economy instead hit a wall right at the very start of last year, in January 2018, he dismissed the slowdown as nothing more than transitioning from awesome to good. Nothing to get worried about, no real risks.
For the Continent as a whole, GDP reached its lowest point (so far) in the third quarter…of 2018. It hasn’t sprung back to life, either, rather GDP suggests something like the smallest amount of growth. Not a pickup, but hardly recessionary.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turn Strangers Into Friends With 8 Great Questions From Harvard
https://www.forbes.com/sites/remyblumenfeld/2019/08/18/8-top-networking-questions-from-harvard-business-review/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#6d616c6f7269
“So, what do you do?” “Where do you live?” “How do you know [Name of Host]?” are some of my least favorite kind of questions, because they don’t elicit interesting answers. If you want to get to know someone, you’ll have to do a lot better than this.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How WeWork spiraled from a $47 billion valuation to talk of bankruptcy in just 6 weeks
https://www.businessinsider.com/weworks-nightmare-ipo
Just six weeks ago, co-working giant WeWork was the nation’s most valuable tech start-up.
Then it filed its S-1 registration for an initial public offering, disclosing a bevy of conflicts of interest and mismanagement by its magnetic and eccentric co-founder, Adam Neumann.
Investors, reporters, and analysts, chastened after seeing Theranos revealed as a massive fraud and watching Uber fail to live up to the hype, didn’t let another visionary founder pull the wool over their eyes.
Based on reporting from Business Insider and other news outlets, this is the story of the six weeks that almost ended WeWork.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Adam Neumann… is an untalented and abusive monster who lies to get what he wants.”
WeWork illustrates everything that’s wrong with the economy and with our capitalist system — and shows just how far that system has gone off the rails
https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-is-a-prime-example-of-counterfeit-capitalism-2019-9?utm_content=buffer86062&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-bi&r=US&IR=T
Today I’m going to discuss the increasingly common tendency of capital markets to finance loss-making companies, which is an important trend I call “Counterfeit Capitalism.” The most hilarious example is WeWork, because it’s just such an obvious example of self-dealing couched in New Age management consulting speak. Its CEO, Adam Neumann, was just forced to step down. Both Neumann’s rise, and his fall, have important lessons if we want to correct serious errors in our political economy philosophy as a society.
WeWork describes itself as offering the ‘”space-as-a-service” membership model that offers the benefits of a collaborative culture, the flexibility to scale workspace up and down as needed and the power of a worldwide community, all for a lower cost.” In other words, the company sublets office space.
The old business model, in case it’s not obvious from this McKinsey-ified chart, had been to make stupid graphics to show investors in hopes that they give ex-CEO Adam Neumann more money. The new business model will be to beg investors to give money to the new co-CEOs, who will radically change the company by wearing suits to investor presentations instead of ill-fitting t-shirts.
This isn’t to say WeWork is a total waste. As Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway note, the spaces themselves are nicely done, and there is probably a small market opportunity in serving smaller enterprises that need office space. But there’s no justification for WeWork as it currently exists. The company is losing an enormous amount of money and has no path to profitability at scale.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WeWork proves that (venture) capitalism works
https://tcrn.ch/2mPVQ3g
What’s the lesson of WeWork?
It’s easy to point to WeWork’s potentially 75%+ valuation drop, its looming layoffs, the firing of its CEO, and the seeming compression of a whole heck of a lot of investors and employee equity as a sordid disaster tale of capitalism, and venture capitalism in particular. VCs — none more so than Masayoshi Son at SoftBank — constantly overbought, oversold, and overcommitted to a company that had pretty much no business fundamentals whatsoever.
So what’s the lesson of WeWork for venture capital? In a word, nothing.
Venture capitalism is about investing in bold bets with huge, outsized returns. It’s meant to be risk-adjusted, both at the valuation scale but also at a portfolio scale. VCs should be buying equity at the right price to take into account every individual startup’s risk profile while also constructing a portfolio that selects each of those risks for the best overall return.
And WeWork isn’t even dead yet — it still has cash, and it will rebuild. Will it be the largest startup turnaround in history? Possibly. Could it go straight to bankruptcy? Sure. Will the Vision Fund make money? Well, it really depends on that preference stack and a thousand other variables to be determined in the coming weeks, months, and years.
WeWork could be profitable today. It could shutter its most recently opened locations, condense down to a handful of locations in major cities, and roll around in its positive cash flow. Of course the Vision Fund understands this. But why lock in small gains today when there is so much more potential lurking out there?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shirking from home: why bosses still insist on pointless presenteeism
https://www.theguardian.com/money/shortcuts/2019/sep/24/working-from-home-shirking-bosses-pointless-presenteeism?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1569340471
According to a survey, flexible working is still discouraged by suspicious managers. Maybe the answer is to shirk at work instead
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘I Basically Just Made It Up’: Confessions of a Social Constructionist
https://quillette.com/2019/09/17/i-basically-just-made-it-up-confessions-of-a-social-constructionist/
Tomi Engdahl says:
6 Ways To Stop Overthinking Everything
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2016/02/12/6-ways-to-stop-overthinking-everything/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Reduce 3 Types Of Stress And Feel Better Now
https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2019/10/01/how-to-reduce-3-types-of-stress-and-feel-better-now/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Studying STEM Isn’t The Career Boost We Think
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2019/09/29/studying-stem-isnt-the-career-boost-we-think/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Train Your Brain To Go Positive Instead Of Negative
https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2016/12/21/how-to-train-your-brain-to-go-positive-instead-of-negative/
Tomi Engdahl says:
22 Microhabits That Will Completely Change Your Life In A Year
https://www.forbes.com/sites/briannawiest/2018/09/18/22-microhabits-that-will-completely-change-your-life-in-2-years/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why ‘do the best you can’ is terrible advice
You set the stage for the people you manage. When you instruct them to perform at “just OK” levels, you’ll get “just OK” results.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90409451/why-do-the-best-you-can-is-terrible-advice
Tomi Engdahl says:
These scientists studied 500+ logos. Here’s what they discovered about good branding
An effective identity probably doesn’t look the way you think it looks.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90404542/these-scientists-studied-400-logos-heres-what-they-discovered-about-good-design?partner=forbes
McDonald’s is the more successful company by a mile, and its golden arches are recognizable from blocks away. If history is the judge, it’s got to be McDonald’s. But counterintuitively, it’s probably Burger King that has the better logo—at least it is through the lens of a new paper published in the Journal of Marketing Research. Why? Because Burger King is a descriptive logo. It literally puts a hamburger on its sign along with the word “burger.” And while that approach is anything but sophisticated, their science suggests that it is highly effective.
YOUR LOGO SHOULD JUST SHOW WHAT YOUR COMPANY DOES
According to the research, people respond more positively—meaning they consider brands more authentic and worthy of their money—when they have descriptive logos rather than abstract, “nondescriptive” ones like the McDonald’s arches, or even the Nike swoosh.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://tyopaikat.oikotie.fi/tyontekijalle/artikkelit/sydan-karsii-stressista
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ten Things Never, Ever To Do — Unless You’re Getting Paid
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/06/12/ten-things-never-ever-to-do-unless-youre-getting-paid/
Tomi Engdahl says:
15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2016/01/20/15-surprising-things-productive-people-do-differently/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The 6 Financial Habits Of Mentally Strong People That You Can (And Should) Adopt Now
https://www.forbes.com/sites/winniesun/2017/01/30/the-6-financial-habits-of-mentally-strong-people-that-you-can-and-should-adopt-now/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Be Highly Successful And Unstoppable
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2018/05/23/how-to-be-highly-successful-and-unstoppable/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kamu peer support – Psychologically safe goal setting
Jul 9, 2019, 2:08 PM
https://www.nitor.com/en/news-and-blogs/kamu-peer-support-psychologically-safe-goal-setting
When an organization aims to maintain a hierarchy-free environment and operate completely without middle management, progressive solutions are in order to effectively support the well-being and competence development of the employees. We created the Kamu support system to meet that need at Nitor
Tomi Engdahl says:
4 signs your company views you as a high-potential employee
Research finds that high-performing employees exert 21% more effort than their non-HIPO peers.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90408596/4-signs-your-company-views-you-as-a-high-potential-employee
In the world of talent management, high-performing employees, or HIPOs, are the holy grail. Smart, agile, and talented, Gartner research finds that HIPOs, who are smart, agile, and talented, exert 21% more effort than their non-HIPO peers and have a 75% chance of succeeding at roles that are critical to business performance and the future leadership pipeline.
Tomi Engdahl says:
6 Outdated Mindsets That Undermine Your Success
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2017/03/09/6-outdated-mindsets-that-undermine-your-success/
Some vestiges of the past have no place in today’s employment landscape. Yet I talk to many people in companies all over the world and am surprised to see that many employees – even millennials – hold on to antiquated mindsets that were made irrelevant to the workplace decades ago.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Perfectionism Holding You Back? Try Imperfectionism Instead
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahart/2019/10/01/is-perfectionism-holding-you-back-try-imperfectionism-instead/
Perfectionism is on the rise. Much has been written about the perils of holding yourself and others to unrealistic and unreasonable standards. Perfectionism has been linked to depression and anxiety in individuals and can be destructive to relationships. And though some argue that striving for perfection can be positive, if you live or work with a perfectionist you know that, more often than not, it leads to frustration and feelings of inadequacy.
But what if, like Seinfeld’s George Costanza, you do the opposite?
Church urges us to share our gifts—imperfect though they are—rather than hold them tight. In freely giving our ideas and ourselves, we make a contribution in service of moving an idea, an action or a conversation forward. Imperfectionism promotes collaboration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Tell If Someone Is Lying: 10 Tells and Clues (Ranked in Ascending Order of Reliability)
Some of the things we’ve been taught are wrong; others are telltale signs. Combine them all for best results.
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying-10-tells-and-clues.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Art of Creating a Ritual for What Matters Most
https://zenhabits.net/the-art-of-creating-a-ritual-for-what-matters-most/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Which Tech Leaders Do Tech Professionals Admire? Elon Musk Heads the List
https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/at-work/tech-careers/which-tech-leaders-do-tech-professionals-admire-elon-musk-heads-the-list
Tomi Engdahl says:
12 Reasons You’re Not As Happy As You Should Be
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/10/25/12-reasons-youre-not-as-happy-as-you-should-be/
Happiness is synthetic—you either create it, or you don’t. Happiness that lasts is earned through your habits. Supremely happy people have honed habits that maintain their happiness day in, day out.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.netprofile.fi/yritystarinasi-ei-ole-satu-vaan-kasvun-moottori
Tomi Engdahl says:
4 Tools For Lowering Anxiety In Any Situation So You Can Perform Better
https://www.hackster.io/news/new-smartphone-camera-lens-design-is-just-microns-thick-c1fca61c8277
Whether it’s in response to an upcoming presentation, interview, round of layoffs, new position, or networking meeting, anxiety is an emotion we encounter repeatedly throughout our careers (and…lives). It’s not a comfortable experience, and it’s not meant to be.
1. Make space for the anxiety and hear what it has to say
2. Say something supportive (!!!) to yourself
3. Gain certainty where you can
4. Look at what’s in your control, and let go of the desire to have control and certainty where it’s impossible
Tomi Engdahl says:
Burnout is a pandemic. Why don’t we talk more about it?
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/burnout-mental-health-pandemic
Stress – from the Latin “stringere”, to squeeze tight, touch or injure – is not bad, per se. Positive stress and adrenaline in the right circumstances can make us stronger, happier and healthier. Yet, in certain work environments, chronic stress provokes anxiety, detachment and fatigue that can lead to burnout.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly every fifth child or teenager and every fourth adult will be affected by burnout at some point in his or her active life.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What To Do With A Millennial Employee That’s Bored At Work
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kaytiezimmerman/2016/11/13/what-to-do-with-a-millennial-employee-that-is-bored-at-work/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#68d344eb3014
Tomi Engdahl says:
Resilientti organisaatio tekee tolkkua arjen kaaoksesta
https://www.nitor.com/fi/uutiset-ja-blogi/resilientti-organisaatio-tekee-tolkkua-arjen-kaaoksesta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ten Signs Your Talent Is Being Wasted
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/05/29/ten-signs-your-talent-is-being-wasted/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#2acd2be351a5
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Job Seekers Break These Ten Resume-Writing Rules
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/05/19/smart-job-seekers-break-these-ten-resume-writing-rules/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#25dce8695e81
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Smart People Make Stupid Decisions
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2017/03/11/why-smart-people-make-stupid-decisions/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Psychology Says You Can Actually Sell Anything, So Long as You Use These 4 ‘Hidden’ Switches
https://www.inc.com/peter-yang/psychology-says-you-can-actually-sell-anything-so-long-as-you-use-these-4-hidden-switches.html
Mastering the art of persuasion is a necessity when it comes to setting up a successful business. Here’s how to tap into the human psyche and turn potential customers to actual ones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What To Do When You Sense Danger In Your Career
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucekasanoff/2017/03/07/what-to-do-when-you-sense-danger-in-your-career/
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Signs Your Boss Is a Great Manager (and You Shouldn’t Leave Your Job)
For starters, how is your boss’s listening skills?
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/10-habits-that-make-great-managers-unforgettable.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
52 Ways to be the Most Liked Person at Work
In reality, there are probably many ways you could step up your game when you’re on the clock.
https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/52-little-ways-to-elevate-yourself-at-work-and-make-a-big-impression-while-doing-it.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
8 Bad Mistakes That Make Good Employees Leave
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/09/07/8-bad-mistakes-that-make-good-employees-leave/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Want to Be a Great Leader? The Smartest Ones Start by Doing These 4 Rare Things
If you want your employees to respect you and give you exceptional performance, adopt these four behaviors of the best leaders.
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/want-to-be-a-great-leader-smartest-ones-start-by-doing-these-4-rare-things.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidcarlin/2019/09/30/learn-napoleons-secret-to-success-stop-multitasking/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Simplify Your Career: 6 Things You Don’t Need To Do
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinebeaton/2016/09/22/how-to-simplify-your-career/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Four Critical Signs You’re About To Lose A Great Employee
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2016/06/29/four-critical-signs-youre-about-to-lose-a-great-employee/
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Reasons Your Top Talent Will Leave You
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/12/13/10-reasons-your-top-talent-will-leave-you/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/10/18/7-things-wildly-successful-people-do-before-730-am/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie/#30dd9b6f69e3