I used to think corporate jargon was a vocabulary problem. Teach people plainer words, and the memos would improve. Over time, I came to see it differently. Jargon is usually a confidence problem.
Why smart people write “leverage synergies”
People reach for abstract language when:
- They aren’t sure what they mean yet. “Optimize our go-to-market motion” can sound like a plan without anyone deciding anything.
- They’re delivering bad news. “Rightsizing” is easier to type than “eliminating 400 jobs.”
- They want to sound like they belong. In many organizations, jargon is a badge of membership.
Each of these is about safety, not words. That’s why style guides rarely fix the problem.
What actually helps
Ask “meaning what?” When a phrase like “drive alignment” appears, ask what someone would actually do differently on Monday. Write that instead.
Model it from the top. When a senior leader writes “We’re cutting the budget for this project by 30 percent, and here’s why,” it gives everyone else permission to be direct.
Treat plain speech as respect. Clear language tells people you trust them with the truth. Euphemism tells them you don’t.
A few swaps worth making
- “Leverage” → use
- “Going forward” → (delete it)
- “Bandwidth” → time
- “Learnings” → lessons
- “Strategic realignment” → reorganization
None of these is a rule. All of them are a test: does the word make the meaning clearer, or does it make the writer safer?
If you want to see how much jargon is in your next draft, paste it into the Message Clarity Score. It highlights the culprits and suggests plainer alternatives.