Jargon Monoxide

“Let’s ideate on this for a bit and see if we can’t generate a unique value add.”

“Sure, but let’s circle back once we can drill down to identify actionable insights."

Are these two humans having a conversation, or do they sound more like some undiscovered alien species conversing?

If you work in an office today, you’ve probably heard all sorts of eye-rolling jargon.

Jargon is a gatekeeper of sorts. If you speak this language, you can be a part of the club. If you don’t, you’re an outsider whose views should not be respected.

This is a double-edged sword! Sometimes it’s really good to keep out people who don’t have any business in your field, and there’s often a world of difference between a casual observer and an expert. Keeping out people who don’t know what they’re doing means you can talk freely about the things you need to.

The other edge of the sword is that jargon can also inhibit real conversations, by way of muddying otherwise clear waters. Let’s use a quick example; tell me which of these is more clear:

Our go-to-market strategy should leverage omnichannel engagement, utilizing data-driven analytics to optimize customer journey touchpoints and maximize conversion rates

or

Let’s market across several platforms, and make sure we’re on track by measuring

?

Then again, neither sentence really seems to say much of anything!

Jargon can also keep people from engaging in the first place due to intimidation. Many people will just stay silent for fear of seeming foolish, and that’s no good if you want to get more minds involved to think about something.

The phrase “jargon monoxide” does a nice job of encapsulating this view. Carbon monoxide is a well known toxic gas, so you can immediately get a sense of the dangerous nature of the overuse of jargon.

Jargon monoxide exists anywhere status exists. It is a gatekeeper in kitchens, in physics, and in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, among others.

This is very different from naming things! Sometimes, you need to be able to identify something so both of the people in a conversation are on the same page. What you don’t want to do is show off that you know a bunch of fancy words that don’t really tell you anything more.

Jargon monoxide is everywhere out there, but why do people do this so much? I think a part of it is that you tend to feel special whenever you know something other people don’t know. Some folks have a tendency to hold this knowledge over the heads of other people, presumably elevating their own status as keepers of the sacred knowledge.

Jargon isn’t knowledge, though, as Feynman points out in the video I discussed here:

What are some of your favorite examples of jargon? Have you ever felt like you were on the other side of a gatekeeper gusing jargon monoxide? Give me some specifics!