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Ever caught yourself “giving it 110%” or “thinking outside the box?” If so, you very well could be making your co-workers cringe.
New research suggests that seven in 10 American workers are guilty of using many of the most annoying and cringeworthy phrases at the office – with “give 110 percent” being the leading offender.
The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Jive Communications, looked at the communication behaviors of 2,000 American workers and compiled the 40 most cringeworthy office phrases. And if you have ever “hammered it out,” or “thought outside the box,” then you probably had many a co-worker roll their eyes after having a conversation with you.
Jive Communications
Have you ever been at the office and stumbled into a conversation between two co-workers? Then you’ve probably heard some utterly cringeworthy phrases like “let’s ballpark this” and “run this up the flagpole.”
What about “synergy?” Ranked at number 13 on the list, this is a phrase that many people at the office say they can’t stand.
And while we’ve all gone “back to the drawing board,” 27 percent of American workers can’t help but shut down and stop listening when anyone feels the need to use such cringe-inspiring phrases at the office.
We’ve all been there. Whether we were the ones cringing and rolling our eyes or actually using these phrases and that’s because, according to 72 percent of American workers, these annoying words and phrases are mostly just used out of habit.
Jive Communications
However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t token office jokesters who use cringe-worthy phrases at work to test their coworkers. In fact, 29 percent of workers use these phrases for this exact reason and 22 percent use them for assimilation purposes.
John Pope, Senior Vice President, Jive stated, “We’ve all been guilty of using these phrases, whether out of habit or not. While many of these phrases are helpful in conveying a message, I think this study will open a lot of people’s eyes. It will help many of us think twice about overusing phrases in the office, as well as the best way to communicate with or motivate those we work with.’”
With over a quarter of workers finding amusement and enjoyment from uttering some of the most annoying phrases that cause their co-workers to tune them out, it doesn’t seem like this trend is going to be ending any time soon.
That being said, while many people at the office are cringing on a daily basis, six in 10 Americans can’t even understand some of the annoying phrases they hear.
As a result, while you may not understand when someone says “blue-sky thinking” or “learning the ropes,” you might just have to get used to hearing these phrases more often than not.
And these days, people are causing even more cringeworthy moments by taking online phrases and bringing them into the real world, with six in 10 American workers using online phrases in real life. In fact, have you ever said “OMG”? If so, you are just like 68 percent of American workers who have taken their online jargon into the real world.
Pope added, “These phrases definitely aren’t going anywhere any time soon. There’s a reason they’re so well-known and exercised within office spaces. However, overuse has diluted the meaning of many phrases. If you’re constantly told to give a project 110 percent, over time it will lose its power and effect. Our goal should be to use such jargon sparingly, and when the moment calls for it.”
Jive Communications
The Top 40 Most Cringeworthy Phrases Used At The Office
Give 110%
Think outside the box
Hammer it out
Heavy lifting
Throw them under the bus
Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched
Pushing the envelope
Let the cat out of the bag
Let’s circle back
Win-win situation
Blue-sky thinking
Boil the ocean
Synergy
Low-hanging fruit
Take it to the next level
Barking up the wrong tree
Going forward
Let’s ballpark this
Run this up the flagpole
Back to square one
There’s no I in team
Back to the drawing board
Paradigm shift
Elephant in the room
Raise the bar
Drill down
Best thing since sliced bread
Deep dive
Skin in the game
Reach out
Touch base
Play hardball
Don’t reinvent the wheel
Kept in the loop
The bottom line
Down the road
I’ll loop you in
Hit the nail on the head
ASAP
Team player
[SWNS Digital]
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