What are your opinions on entrepreneurial and tech Jargon in the work place?https://sifted.eu/articles/startup-jargon/

jennyli91·Jul 24, 2020

Posted in:Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Society & Culture Tech

Have any of you faced this type of exclusivity when it comes to communicating? This article (in the link) is super timely and I've honestly been thinking about it for a long time! Both outside of work and inside of work.I've joined the tech world probably about 11 months ago (I was previously in the hospitality sector, but have always loved tech throughout my career) however I have noticed the use of tech words being quite prominent and different to how we normally speak. It's definitely interesting to me - I haven't felt like I was 'beneath' anyone or excluded if I didn't use those words but I've seen words like "bandwith" or "circling back" come up so much, but the article is so interesting as it says that it suggests it deliberately excludes people.I'm an open minded person so I was I thinking, 'oh cool new words to try use'. I think it comes from me being brought up and raised in New Zealand - we have jargon that other people in the world don't understand. I also speak two languages so I'm aware that words come and go. I'm also very conscious about speaking when it comes to adapting to the environment for example - I wouldn't try and use complex words when I speak to my parents because they are not fluent in English like me. I possibly have a bilingual mind? I've also moved to Australia probably about 6 years ago and also noticed that jargon is so different too but again, I'm really opened to it.To be honest, I'm not even sure where the lines are drawn now even on a personal level. I've noticed how Gen Z would use words like "we ship it" or "glow-up" in comments and Tik Tok Videos and honestly I do have to look up the dictionary to see what it means. I come up from a different Generation! Haha.What are your thoughts about jargon used in the work place? Have any of you felt excluded? Would love to hear some insights.

stephaniecn·Jul 24, 2020

The first time I heard someone in tech say "I want to double click on what you just said" I literally died and eye rolled and thought to myself no wonder there is a whole TV show about Silicon Valley. It's wild in these tech streets, lol.The longer you are in tech the more made up jargon you will hear tbh. Haha.

Aileen·Jul 24, 2020

I’ve never heard that expression. What does it mean? Go into a deeper explanation? Thanks.

stephaniecn·Jul 24, 2020

It means something along the lines of "I want to drill deeper into that" or "I want to highlight what you just said."

Aileen·Jul 26, 2020

Many thanks. It’s an interesting turn of phrase.

MiniFury·Jul 27, 2020

NOOOOOOOOOOOO. That's just too much.

teresaman·Jul 25, 2020

Hahaha this is an ongoing joke between my friend and I on how overused and ridiculously sounding this is, and now he tries to be conscious of not using it whenever he works with founders.

jennyli91·Aug 11, 2020

What an odd sentence! This definitely made me laugh. I can't say I've heard that

MaryQueenie·Jul 24, 2020

Thanks for sharing!!!!

Aileen·Jul 24, 2020

Interesting read. However, working in tech for decades - on a specialised platform in banking - we couldn’t get by without our jargon and acronyms. Some of them are so ingrained that they’re almost words that have a meaning and the original 3 words are no longer accurate. That said, we do make a point of explaining these things to newer people - and try to explain to recruiters etc - which is something I’ve found with the vast majority of people I’ve met in the industry. We have laughed and rolled our eyes at the business language jargon that comes and goes (on the same hymn sheet, hoisting up the pole to see who salutes, creating new words like actioning/solutioning, reaching out) though eventually some of it ends up in common use. I’ve never seen the jargon as an issue - definitely not a bullying thing. It’s never caused me an issue as if I don’t understand some technical jargon I ask - sometimes the explanation is quick, others have taken a one on one presentation as it’s complex - I just assumed the business jargon was the same thing, but for a different cohort and purpose. Having been badly bullied when I was younger, maybe I’ve grown a thinker skin, or I see that most people in the workplace, where I am anyway, are doing their best and mean well.

jennyli91·Aug 11, 2020

Thank you for your insight! Love that you still explain it to newer people. It's helpful to explain it earlier on and I'm all for adopting new jargon because you're right, it eventually ends up being used more broadly! I think that certain people will also have a perception of Jargon and unfortunately, there are those that take it negatively and see it as bullying especially if there's no context or education around the use of new words. I can see both sides to this but I've never considered it bullying or anything either.

jen·Jul 24, 2020

Tech is definitely a language of its own, just like with many industries/communities/cultures. my $0.02 – I don't think the issue is "is jargon 'good or bad'" or "should jargon exist / should we get rid of it." Jargon serves *some* value and not being eliminated any time soon. The more productive question is *how* jargon is used in your circles. If you don't understand something, hopefully there's a shared culture around asking questions and not fearing you'll look stupid (this is "psychological safety"). Or even better yet, leaders / moderators of an organization have invested in onboarding, training, documentation to bring people up to speed. On the other hand, jargon can be used as a tool for exclusivity, dysfunctional culture, and even abuse (all language, really). So for me, it comes down to this. Language reveals 1) the interpersonal dynamics of a group, and 2) how we engage with each other. Jargon is just one lens of examining that :)

teresaman·Jul 25, 2020

This reminds me of another article I've read, in particular:Garbage language can also smooth the edges of difficult interactions or help people save necessary face. “Let me do a deep dive and circle back” can often mean “I have no clue, but I’ll do some research and get back to you.” In many organizations, particularly client-facing ones, it’s hard for junior team members to admit they don’t know something; the above idiom is a socially acceptable cop-out that lets everyone move on with their day. “Let’s put a pin in this discussion” is a very polite way for someone leading a meeting to say “this conversation isn’t productive” or “shut the fuck up, John” without ruffling too many feathers or being overtly rude. We accept these social niceties in every other aspect of our lives—no one balks at an insincere “we should totally hang out sometime” or “I’ll have to check my calendar and get back to you.” Why is it such a problem if we show compassion this way in a business setting?