Meaningless words and phrases

“Agile working” is certainly one that irritates me too. It had its origins in hot desking, which included a ban on “nesting”. (Nesting is making your desk feel like yours by putting a picture of your kids, that helpful list of key phone numbers and the cartoon that completely captures your feelings alongside your coffee mug.)

After the ban on nesting came the notion that 7 desks (later 6 or even 5) is enough for 10 people (ignoring that everyone is told to be in the office on a Monday for team meetings or whatever). The next step is smaller desks for everyone and no separate offices for even the most senior people, except the CEO and the HR Director who gave priority access to meeting rooms. If there is a canteen then this becomes the main meeting facility, which means you can give up meeting rooms too.

Then all remaining desktop PCs are banished and replaced by tablets or notebooks. Desks are entirely transitional and it’s only yours while you sit at it. Finally the realisation that you don’t even need desks any more. Truly agile people work standing up, perched on a stool, on a sofa in an informal seating area, in “pods” that have an attempt at sone sound insulation and of course at home.

The world of agile office work is so removed from what offices were at the beginning of the working life of anyone over 40 that their past self would hardly believe what happened…

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It seems to me that more than 90% of Internet content is made up of meaningless words and phrases (this forum being a splendid exception, of course).

David

Thats (actually) very Brittish. My Project Manager from Oxford always says ‘it is what it is’ when he is reluctant to change anything and let the things crash.

Frankly, to be frank with you …

“To be honest…” so we should assume that everything else may have been a lie?

“Literally” as in “I literally died when I heard about it.”

Best

David

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I think I read that the misuse of the word “literally” is so widespread that it is becoming accepted that it doesn’t actually have to mean literally, but can be used as a term of exaggeration! Weird.

Yes, at home, where there is no office cost to the employer (such employees note: check clauses in rent, mortgage and home insurance agreements, and remember to bill your employer for heating, lighting, power and rent of space). Where if you have a home/family there is blurring of that and work time, and if someone doesn’t there can be mental health issues from lack of regular human contact…

Only yesterday someone told me they had literally died when they heard some news - I was unsure whether to call Ghostbusters, contact the Church to unvestigate a miracle, or seek medical attention for myself.

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“With respect” …

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Brexit means Brexit !

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I’m, going on a journey, to find my narrative, whilst myself currates my life.

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Canon

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The master at work

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“With respect…” I so love this one LOL!

Possibly, could, may, might etc.

Tying up loose ends.

An idiom that relies on context, outside of such is meaningless - like all others.

Listen, I’m not gonna lie, I can’t, like, even think of any.

When I worked, long ago(!), I used to have to attend operational planning meetings chaired by Chief Officers at which I was the lowest ranking officer present (Chief Inspector). To relieve the boredom I would occasionally play Bullshit Bingo and count the various ‘in’ corporate phrases the higher ranks would try to work into their contributions. You could always tell who had most recently returned from their MBA summer school, or the latest Management Development course!

What I think gets to me more is the use of ‘filler’ in everyday language. Words which perform no useful purpose other than to seek to impress or provide thinking time. I was once told by a professional interviewer that it was far more impactive to take 5 seconds of silence before responding to a question than trotting out the usual meaningless “that’s a really good question” line used by so many politicians.

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I agree Timmo. The problem is that a 5 second pause doesn’t suit a soundbite culture.

Fix it already ! (Apple/Naim/whoever)