On the same page
In agreement about something, which is rare in corporate settings because everyone has their own agenda and interpretation of what 'agreement' means.
Corporate Buzzword Dictionary
Decode business jargon with satirical definitions and related terms. Browse 1,157 entries — page 19 of 29.
On-demand everything
A business model that provides products or services immediately when requested, like instant gratification as a service.
One throat to choke
A violent metaphor meaning you are the only place your client needs to go for answers, usually said by people who have never actually choked anyone.
One-on-one
A regular meeting between two people, usually manager and employee.
One-pager
A document that's supposed to fit on one page but will inevitably become a 47-slide PowerPoint presentation.
One-throat to choke
Having a single person responsible for everything, which is great until that person quits.
Open loop
A process that's not complete, which is usually a euphemism for 'we forgot to finish this.'
Open the floodgates
Allowing overwhelming activity to begin.
Open the kimono
A culturally inappropriate metaphor for sharing secrets or proprietary information, usually said by people who have never worn a kimono.
Open the kimono
A creepy way of saying 'let me show you our internal processes.' Somehow this phrase survived the #MeToo era.
Operational excellence
Being really good at operations, which is great until you realize operations are boring.
Operationalize
The process of putting a strategy or idea into practice through systematic implementation and execution.
Operationalize
To turn a concept into reality, which sounds simple but usually involves months of meetings.
Optics
A corporate euphemism for "how it looks" that makes basic appearance sound like sophisticated public relations, usually used when people want to sound smart about obvious things.
Optics check
Making sure something looks good to outsiders, which usually means hiding the truth.
Optimize
An overused term that means "improve" but sounds more technical and sophisticated, usually used when you can't actually optimize anything.
Optionality
Having multiple choices or paths.
Order of magnitude
The scale or size of something.
Out of pocket
Unavailable or unreachable; sometimes refers to paying personally.
Out of pocket
Not available, usually because you're doing something more important than attending this meeting.
Out of scope
Something that's not your problem, which you'll discover after you've already started working on it.
Outside the box
A tired phrase that ironically alerts people that you have no creativity, since truly creative people don't need to announce their creativity.
Outside the box
Thinking creatively, which is great until you realize the box exists for a reason.
Over the wall
To hand something off to another team, which is great until you realize they don't know what to do with it.
Owned attention
Customer attention that you control directly through your own channels, rather than paying for it through advertising.
Ownership mindset
A corporate euphemism for "blame yourself" that makes taking responsibility sound like a sophisticated leadership philosophy, usually used when management wants to avoid taking responsibility for their own failures.
PIP (performance improvement plan)
A corporate euphemism for 'you're about to be fired,' disguised as a helpful development opportunity.
POC
Point of contact.
POV
Point of view or opinion.
Pain point
Business jargon for 'problem,' used to make customer complaints sound more sophisticated and marketable.
Pain point
A problem that customers have, which you'll solve by creating a different problem.
Paradigm shift
A fundamental change in thinking or approach, which in corporate terms usually means the same old ideas with new buzzwords and a different PowerPoint template.
Paradigm shift
A fundamental change in thinking that's usually just the same old ideas with new buzzwords.
Peel the onion
To slowly reveal layers of complexity while pretending this was the plan all along, not just poor initial planning.
Pencil in
Tentatively schedule something.
Per my last email
A passive-aggressive way of saying 'I already told you this and you clearly didn't read it, so here it is again.' The corporate equivalent of 'as I said before.'
Personalized Alignment
Executives use Personalized Alignment to inspire confidence, while the rest of the team quietly Googles it.
Personalized Experience
Personalized Experience is a shiny phrase that tends to generate more steering committees than real outcomes.
Personalized Initiative
Executives use Personalized Initiative to inspire confidence, while the rest of the team quietly Googles it.
Personalized Integration
No meeting is complete until someone suggests Personalized Integration as the next big move.