Business Cliches to Avoid Like the Plague

Seven over-used phrases that should never pass your lips

By Diann Daniel

December 01, 2006 — CSO —

Gretchen Hirsch's book Talking Your Way to the Top: Business English That Works (Prometheus Books, 2006) contains lots of ideas on how to win friends and influence people with your English. It also includes words and phrases to avoid. Here are seven clichés Hirsch says should never pass your lips, along with our interpretation of what they really mean.

• Bottom line
  A way to sound authoritative when you can't be bothered to figure out the details.


• Continuous improvement
  A mythical goal that subtly reminds employees that their jobs are never safe.


• Exceeded our expectations
  Used to laud a project's or employee's value and impress your boss (and cover up the fact that you never outlined clear expectations to begin with).


• New and improved
  These words are actually contradictory. Is it new? Or is it old but improved? But you used three words instead of one. Who can argue with that?


• No-brainer
  A bully tactic. Anyone who doesn't agree clearly has no brain.


• On the same page
  A way to give your boss the impression that you are 100 percent behind his new idea.


• Team player
  Anyone who ­disagrees with you is not one.


• You go, girl
  Bottom line: Never, ever use this. It's a no-brainer.

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