buzzwords part two
This is something the touchy-feely whale-loving tree-hugging ohming peps would go out of their way to use; the word organic.
The past couple of years it seems that every Tom Dick Harry and Susan added this word to their vocabulary regardless the content of their speech.
To me, organic has always been associated with farming, fruits, vegetables, feces — basically things to do with biology and the development of. Dictionary.com also defines it as ‘fundamental’, which we understand as being ‘elementary’, ‘core’, ‘foundation’, ‘essential’ etc.
Hence it is rather bewildering to hear someone referring to a movie project as having ‘come together organically’. Or an executive in the meeting board pitching his marketing ideas as an ‘organic process’.
I think of shrubs.
It is no longer cool to use the word ‘natural’ even though it is more appropriate to the context. In today’s business world of Starbucks-sipping gym-going younger hipper execs, you are not worth your designer salt if you cannot boom out words that make you look impressive and important, but ultimately meaning nothing to the old fogeys. Like ‘operationalise’ instead of ‘implement’, ‘pushback’ instead of ‘negative feedback’, ‘dialogue’ instead of ‘business meeting’ and ‘value-added’ instead of ‘extra features’.
My ex-editor would have slapped my head and asked, “what the hell are you talking about?”
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The organics of the business… Sheesh. It’s so wrong. Unless you work for some Cameron Highlands type of company.
Even then, that’d be the worst. intended. pun. ever.
Suanie:
the faeces of the business sounds just about right
I drink Organic beer.
hmmm girl, your post reminds me of foreign ads on herbal essense shampoos – the organic experience (with the model going “yes yes yes” etc). tapi it’s in an entirely diff context… hehehehe
me no use designer salt.
si yau is teh best.
Oh come on Suanie, come up with some actionable scenario that’s proactive enough to transends across the aisle that our adhocracy can use to stop the cyberslackers. I want something totally organic and customer-centric that’s going to reach critical mass in ohno-time. I’m talking a complete paradigm shift that’s in your face and makes people want to get busy!!!
Suanie:
haha! btw I found a new word — calendarise. You don’t jot down your daily plans on a calendar anymore — you calendarise them.
Ahhh… posts like this make me feel nostalgic.
It used to be you took someone “to the parking lot” and “hold him by the collar” to settle a dispute.
Nowadays you have to engage in “dialogue”; whilst “diplomacy by other means” is only “operationalised” as a last resort. Even then it’s usually frowned upon.
Suanie:
that reminds me of the godfather — ‘we negotiate with them, if they refuse our terms we shoot them
I am abhored at the fact that you negate the use of such rationalised words.
In other words, what’s happening again?
Suanie:
everything goes down the drain when ‘rationalised words’ come into play
What we need to do is synergise the channel partners whilst defining a new paradigm in vertical marketing.
Understand?
Suanie:
what we need to do is to increase the affliates whilst defining a new concept in marketing to targetted industries???!?!??!?!!
I… feel… faint…
Suanie:
need designer smelling salt?
organic movie = shitty movie
that’s the direct translation.
Suanie:
that was the entire LOTR trilogy btw
I speak for myself when I say “Huh?”
Bombastic words is teh no.
Suanie:
first rule of copywriting
or second, or third, I dunno… but it’s just not done
JulianME – Eschew Obsfucation!
Suanie – I spent the morning at a client calandarising things.
[And they're asking me to take a permantent position in their organisation as well ... a management position! Blah! Why am I so darn popular with my clients!!! Waaaah! hee hee!]
Heh. I learned a new word yesterday: repurpose, meaning to take the same crap and use it again somewhere else in a different context. The only good thing about corporate speak is that words fall out of vogue fairly quickly. Would that be voguery?
Suanie:
haha hey I love your blog
Over here, ‘organic’ is mainly used to refer to produce that’s not been grown with any chemicals or pesticides – and it’s a lot more expensive.
Gimme those pesticides anyday.
Suanie:
it’s the same back home also what.. you know the siu bak choy? the organic costs RM2.90 per 3 small bundles, you can get it in the market RM1 for a very very very large bundle
Dabido, it sounds as if you mildly swore at me.
Suanie: meh, the big words are only used in terma & syarat to con ppl one.
I guess that’s a fashionable, in-trend, politically right, word right now. And yep, I am among those guys who got sucked in. Its mostly organic for me now. I don’t want to have cancer mah.
Suanie:
where is the connection!!!