Words conjure up emotions. Emotions, in turn, build and generate feelings. And feelings drive actions and affect our overall perspective. Corporate lexicon is creating a parallel universe where phrases appear impersonal and robotic but are secretly condescending and passive-aggressive.
It doesn't matter if you're being hired or let go; you'll be met with fake smiles and empty words like 'circle back,' 'synergy,' 'performance,' 'adding for transparency', and 'boiling the ocean' (whatever that means).
Let's double-click on this corporate jargon and try to decipher what the words mean in this specific case this employee is talking about. For example, 'To put a pin on it' would be 'I am parking this idea in the infinite void of things that will never happen again,' and the translation for the infamous email opening that goes: "Per my last email..." would be: "Can you not read, or do you just choose to ignore what I already told you? Because I'm going to use it against you and expose your pathetic inefficiency"
Another terrible, terrible vice is using the expression 'just checking in before I do x ' when you're not planning to check in or wait for approval before doing anything; you only want an excuse to shift responsibility if anything goes wrong.
This pervasive jargon is so performative it drains our social battery and makes the work environment so dry it's boring to imagine.
I understand the intention behind installing rigid work language barriers is to keep our personal matters aside, but I don't really know if this is the best way to go.
The corporate environment has developed an allergy to humanity. Holding space for genuine expression makes people feel better and consequently perform better. I really don't think the key to excellent output is to become as psychopathic as you can, truly. People seem to be going crazy these days! Nobody is thriving in corporate. Everyone is burnt out. We have to do something asap.
Moving to the countryside, perhaps?