The woolliest words in business
Innovation. Sustainability. Purpose. Yuck
FIRE-FIGHTING FOAM starves the flames of oxygen. A handful of overused words have the same deadening effect on people’s ability to think. These are words like “innovation”, “collaboration”, “flexibility”, “purpose” and “sustainability”. They coat consultants’ websites, blanket candidates’ CVs and spray from managers’ mouths. They are anodyne to the point of being useless.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “The woolliest words in business”
From the May 14th 2022 edition
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