Buzzwords are important at teachers’ meetings. Do you remember when everything had to be ‘communicative’, ‘learner-centred’ and based on ‘needs analysis’? Of course, all these ideas are very important, but these expressions were used by teachers, testers and publishers, often without understanding what they meant. Buzzwords are like the latest PDA or cell phone. They are a badge which indicates that you are up-to-date in your thinking. Buzzwords are most frequently used in business meetings.

Business meetings are times when we communicate with our business colleagues and reach important decisions about our work. Business meetings are also a time when we use language to try to impress our colleagues and make them think we are modern and up-to-date.

Vocabulary is an important way to impress your colleagues. If you use the latest, most fashionable ‘buzzwords’, you will appear to be very ‘on the ball’.

Below there is a list of current buzzwords heard frequently at business meetings.

Let’s look at what these words and phrases mean and how they are used.

synergy = additional energy that is produced by two or more people combining their energy and ideas ~ We should have some great synergy when the South American offices come on board. [The opposite of synergy is disergy which is the result of two businesses merging and creating more bureaucracy making the both businesses less efficient.]

revisit = review, consider again ~ Next month we’ll revisit the budget deficit.

value-added = The value which is added to a product by a manufacturer or distributor. improved or more expensive ~ We put it in a nice box to make it value-added.

result-driven = a style of working which focuses more on results than the actual work ~ Ryan air is a results driven company, - who cares about the quality, look at the bottom line!

mindset = a way of thinking ~ When you start using email, you have to change your mindset and communicate in a new way.

strategic fit = there is a good strategic fit when all parts of a company work in the same way towards the same goals ~ Let’s all go on a team building weekend to improve our strategic fit.

robust = strong and able to overcome difficulties ~ If we buy a supermarket chain we’ll have a regular income and the business will be more robust.

proactive = the opposite of reactive. If you are proactive you make things happen rather than reacting to things which happen to you. ~ They reduced their prices as a proactive means to increase turnover.

empower = to give people power or enable them to do things ~ We spent $50,000 last year on training to empower our workforce.

client-focused = businesses say they are client-focused when they think about their clients’ (or customers’) needs as well their own profits (compare with results-driven) ~ A clothing manufacturer needs to look at market trends, a tailor must be client-focused.

joined-up thinking = a plan in which all the elements work together to produce a better result (compare synergy and strategic fit) ~ Re-training unemployed car workers as child-care assistants was not a good example of joined-up thinking.

win-win = in a win-win situation both partners benefit ~ It’s a win-win situation. She is intelligent and he has lots of money.

knowledge base = special knowledge gained by experience and years of work ~ A new company needs to buy-in a knowledge base of experienced professionals.

ball parkfigure = an educated estimate ~ If you don’t know your exact sales volume in Australia, give me a ball park figure.

best practice = after identifying the procedures of successful sections of your business as ‘best practice’, you try to apply the procedures in other areas ~ Let’s examine ‘best practice’ in cinema management.

out of the loop = I don’t know about this. I haven’t been informed. ~ I’m out of the loop on European integration.

think outside the box = think in a creative, innovative or unexpected way ~ Apple computers were really thinking outside the box when they came up with the iPOD and the iTUNES website.

quality driven = motivated by a desire to achieve the best quality [compare with result-driven] ~ Rolls-Royce was a quality driven business which failed to generate enough profit.

game plan = plan but suggesting a plan which is the result of some extensive thinking ~ What’s your game plan for the new expansion?

bottom line = the last line in a spreadsheet showing the profit or loss. ~ Yes, you’ve spent a lot of money on buying your competitor, but what’s the bottom line?

fast track = to do something in an unusually quick way ~ I’m going to fast track your visa application.

touch base = make contact with your head office when you are travelling ~ I’m going on a three week tour of Laos and Vietnam but I’ll touch base every Tuesday and Thursday.

leverage = use, exploit, take advantage of ~ How can we leverage our excellent distribution systems?

Business Buzzwords Game

When attending a business meeting or seminar, take a copy of the chart below and use it as a Bingo card. Cross out each word on the chart as you hear someone using the word. The winner is the first player to make a line of five words

horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

[Note to teachers: you can use variations on this game to revise vocabulary which has been taught during the course. Students should be encouraged to use all the new vocabulary they can. Observers can play this game whilst listening. Click here to download a photocopiable version of the game]

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