I really enjoy spreading horrible buzzwords around the office. If you don’t know what I mean by buzzword then please look at the TonyRocks.com Corporate Buzzword (and phrase) Generator and you’ll get the picture. You’ve probably even participated in the viral act of spreading crappy buzzwords and didn’t realize it.
The basic concept is this…you are in a meeting and one person decides to use a word that is rarely heard, just to describe a simple topic, idea, or action. You think to yourself, Gee, that is a cool word. Then at your next meeting you decided to speak up and utilize your newfound gem of a word, perfect for describing something mediocre for purposes to dignify. I think we owe alot of this crap to the Dot.com era of companies. They all seemed to be interested in e-business and synergizing multi-tiered stuff and junk.
So Tony, what words have you’ve heard that are rarely used, but once mention are spread like wildfire? Here are a few that I’ve heard distributed through the office over the past year:
- Fruition
- Synergy
- This code is “baked”
- Leverage
- Irrespective
- Copasetic
- Touch Base
Yes, there are quite a few more, but I need to stop before I throw up.
Now lets get back to the Spreading Buzzwords Game. I’ve put together simple instructions/rules to help you pass the time until the holiday is here.
This game works best when you get about 4 of your closest work buddies, each pick a buzzword or phrase (use my tool if you need some ideas), and then release the words into the workplace.
Each time your word or phrase is used in passing, meetings or whatever, give yourself a point. At the “end of the day” (one of my favorite phrases) tally up the scorecard and see who wins.
Extra Two Point Bonus: If you really want to have some fun, just insert a buzz phrase, but use it incorrectly and see if anyone notices. If you another person uses that phrase later in the day, give yourself 2 points!
Not only is this a fun and entertaining game, it is a great experiment to see how fast word travels.