Management-speak gets ‘thumbs down’ from employees
 More than half of employees working in the health sector have given management jargon the thumbs down.
In a poll by YouGov for Investors in People, 58 per cent of staff said phrases like ‘thinking outside the box’ and ‘heads up’ cause problems in the workplace.
The research suggests that jargon can create a barrier between managers and their teams. Demonstrating the potential ‘desk divide’, nearly half of senior managers in the health sector think jargon is harmless, whilst 45% think that it creates misunderstanding about roles and responsibilities.
Over a third of employees say jargon results in mistrust in the workplace and makes people feel inadequate.
Commenting on the findings, Nicola Clark, Director at Investors in People (UK), said: “The research gives bosses an invaluable insight into the impact of management jargon on the health sector. Whilst it can be a useful shorthand at times, managers need to be more alert to when and how they use it.
“Cutting jargon out of everyday communication is clearly a challenge, with almost half of all employees that use jargon admitting to using it without thinking. However, as our research shows, if used inappropriately, jargon can be an obstacle to understanding, which ultimately can impact on an individual’s performance and an organisation’s productivity.
“Health sector bosses need to lead by example, ditch needless jargon, and concentrate on communicating clearly with their employees.”
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