Stop Using These Phrases Today

Pragmatic Live Chat

I think elevator music exists for a reason, but isn’t really what you should strive for” – Kirsten Butzow

What do the phrases “thinking outside the box,” “give 110%,” and “new normal” have in common?

Answer: They. Mean. Nothing.We’ve overused these phrases so much that they, at best, mean nothing and, at worst, harm your messaging.

In this episode, our host, Rebecca Kalogeris, interviews Kirsten Butzow, Senior Vice President at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, about the problems these phrases cause and why we should stop using them.

They discuss:

  1. What to say instead of common corporate jargon
  2. Why corporate speak drifts out to the marketplace
  3. Why you shouldn’t work 110%

Want to Improve Your Efficiency as a Product Manager? Enroll in Foundations
Our battle-tested framework helps product professionals learn how to listen to the market, prioritize projects and drive results. Take your first step to becoming truly market-driven by enrolling today.

Author

  • Pragmatic Editorial Team

    The Pragmatic Editorial Team comprises a diverse team of writers, researchers, and subject matter experts. We are trained to share Pragmatic Institute’s insights and useful information to guide product, data, and design professionals on their career development journeys. Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Since 1993, we’ve issued over 250,000 product management and product marketing certifications to professionals at companies around the globe. For questions or inquiries, please contact [email protected].

    View all posts

Most Recent

Podcast

Building AI-Powered Products at Scale with Mario Rodriguez, CPO of GitHub

In this episode, Mario Rodriguez, Chief Product Officer at GitHub, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to explore how to prioritize products for massive user bases, integrate AI deeply into workflows, and prevent team burnout in fast-paced development cycles....
Podcast

Making Market Research Practical and Impactful with Ana Laskey, founder of Ground Control Research

In this episode, Anastassia (Ana) Laskey, founder of Ground Control Research, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to explore how to make market research actionable in fast-moving organizations, without sacrificing depth or impact. Key Takeaways: Just-Right Research– Not every project needs...

OTHER PodcastS

Podcast

Building AI-Powered Products at Scale with Mario Rodriguez, CPO of GitHub

In this episode, Mario Rodriguez, Chief Product Officer at GitHub, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to explore how to prioritize products for massive user bases, integrate AI deeply into workflows, and prevent team burnout in fast-paced development cycles....
Podcast

Making Market Research Practical and Impactful with Ana Laskey, founder of Ground Control Research

In this episode, Anastassia (Ana) Laskey, founder of Ground Control Research, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to explore how to make market research actionable in fast-moving organizations, without sacrificing depth or impact. Key Takeaways: Just-Right Research– Not every project needs...

Sign up to stay up to date on the latest industry best practices.

Sign up to received invites to upcoming webinars, updates on our recent podcast episodes and the latest on industry best practices.