Synergy. Cross-pollination. Win-win. Value add. In our DNA. Touch base. What do these words have in common? Well, aside from all of them making me go blind with rage every time I hear someone say them, they are business buzzwords that people — really fucking self-important people — LOVE to say. You’ve probably heard a lot of them. Hell, you’ve probably said a lot of them. I know I have.
Although I hate these words with a burning passion, they are kind of a necessary evil of business. It is almost impossible to avoid saying them in a corporate setting. But much respect if you can.
Here is a full list (by state) in case you can’t read the image above.
- Alabama — Value add
- Alaska — Corporate values
- Arkansas— Driven results
- Arizona—Build synergy
- California — Tee Up
- Colorado — Change driver
- Connecticut — Leverage expertise
- Delaware — Exhibits good judgement
- Florida — Win-win outcome
- Georgia — Hit your numbers
- Hawaii — Magic Happens
- Iowa — Exit strategy
- Idaho — Achieve alignment
- Illinois — Be action-oriented
- Indiana — Fire in the belly
- Kansas — Identify opportunity
- Kentucky — Possess strength
- Louisiana — Synergize
- Massachusetts — Thought leaders
- Maryland — Corporate alignment
- Maine — Goes the extra mile
- Michigan— Eye of the tiger
- Minnesota — Face time
- Mississippi — Bring to the table
- Missouri — Company value
- Montana — Strategic initiative
- Nebraska — Overachiever
- Nevada — Increase productivity
- New Hampshire — Manage escalation
- New Jersey — In our DNA
- New Mexico — Close the loop
- New York — Herd cats
- North Carolina — Good practice
- North Dakota- Drives change
- Ohio — Out of the park
- Oklahoma — Bleeding edge
- Oregon — Revolutioneering
- Pennsylvania — Message alignment
- Rhode Island — Push the envelope
- South Carolina — Buy in
- South Dakota — Reach out to you
- Tennessee — Touch base
- Texas — Statement of duties
- Utah — Learnings
- Vermont — KPIs
- Virginia — Not intimidated
- Washington — Through the roof
- Washington DC — Shift the paradigm
- West Virginia — Off the floor
- Wisconsin — Blaze the trail
- Wyoming — Strategic communications
[H/T Textio]