Why Some Clichés, Excuses, And Responses Used By Business Leaders Are So Irritating?

Well, here it is, there are some business clichés used by senior executives that are just plain annoying and irritating. I’m saying please just raise your hand, if you have heard one of the clichés from some top executives in your business.

I’ve made a list of the top business clichés, excuses, and responses i have heard over the years — top corporate leaders use to avoid understanding employees and customers.

1) Failure is not an option = This one is often used by senior executives, CEOs, and managing directors who gets frustrated and wants to shut down questions. But the truth is that Failure is always a possibility. Just because you say it isn’t doesn’t make it so.

2) It is what it is = you hear it all the time, really means, “I’m too lazy to try to make it different, so for gosh sakes stop talking about it.

3) It’s our cash cow/protect/milk the cash cow = really means, if that business goes south, we’re all out of a job

4) I want your feedback.

5) We don’t really have consensus around this yet.

6) Customers just expect too much these days. Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile.

7) Our founders wouldn’t have done this.

8) We don’t have enough boots on the ground = really means, I don’t want to be fired for this disastrous product launch, so I say I don’t have enough resources.

9) This will take too much time away from what we do best.

10) We’ve got bigger fish to fry.

11) It was a perfect storm = means, i really screwed up but i am going to blame a bunch of factors .

12) We need to wrap our heads around this = really means, Gosh, I never thought of that. We need to discuss that….

13) This is where the rubber meets the road = really means, Don’t screw up

14) We need to work smarter, not harder = irritating and annoying for many reasons. 1st, you imply I’m stupid. 2nd, whatever I’m doing should take a lot less effort and time – so stop talking and start helping.

15) I’m going to sound like a broken record here = really means, i want to clearly point out to you idiots that I’ve made this point several times before

16) Let’s not reinvent the wheel = really means, your wheel might turn out to be a better wheel, which means my wheel wasn’t so great. And we can’t have that.