Part of what makes so many presentations boring, I think, is the reliance on corporatespeak weasel words, like "optimize" and "resonate" and "gain traction" and, well, you get the point. To combat the weasel-word syndrome, every potential speaker should be given a copy of Watson's Dictionary of Weasel Words, Contemporary Cliches, Cant & Management Jargon, or at the least be pointed to the Weasel Words site. One of my favorites from that site:
- For your convenience: 'Heard on a Virgin flight from Brisbane to Sydney: "for your convenience, the cabin will be pressurised". How about, "so you don't die, the cabin will be pressurised" or just, "the cabin will be pressurised"? [from Michael Hewitt]
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