Brigitte's Banter: Recent Episodes
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I did a deep dive and leaned in on business buzzwords and phrases. I decided to drill down on why we can’t just, you know, talk to each other like humans.
Putting this post on your radar may help you to move the needle, going forward, or realize, at the end of the day, that all these business buzzwords can be annoying. I understand professions have and use jargon. Some are necessary. But, I think we may be going down a rabbit hole of word salad nonsense if we begin communicating in jargon speak to each other’s human faces. Let’s stop. Full stop. Hard stop.
A Wall Street Journal article from February 2021, found these buzzwords to be some of the most annoying: agile, digital transformation, innovation, actionable insights, and AI. Many business buzzwords, according to the article, are overhyped and overused.
A 2019, article, “The Ultimate List of 119 Most Hated Business Buzzwords,” on TrustRadius included others such as; reach out, touch base, disrupter, customer journey, take it offline, synergy, pain point, put a pin in it, advertainment, boil the ocean, hard stop, full stop and feedback loop. There were others on this list that sounded a wee bit misogynistic. Thankfully, those buzzy words and phrases have been deemed as no longer viable, by whoever does the deeming.
Another article refers to “circle back” as the most used and “most annoying work phrase ever.” In fact, Los Angeles Magazine claimed it as being “soul-sucking.” Referring to when a supervisor or someone tells you she or he will circle back, one CEO said: “It usually means we just had a meeting where nothing was accomplished, and we need to ‘circle back’ to have another pointless meeting.”
Bandwidth Faux Pas
During an online interview a couple of years ago, I was presented with the old standbys: “Tell me about yourself,” and “Tell me about your proudest moment,” and “Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict with a co-worker.”
I answered beautifully, brilliantly. I thought to myself, I’m nailing this!
Then came, “What’s your bandwidth?”
With all the celebrating in my head about how I was nailing the interview, I blurted out something like my home office having the capability to do the job. After all, I’ve worked remotely for years and I could transmit a large amount of data over my internet connection at any given time. Right after that came out of my mouth, I knew he was asking about how much time I had in order to do the tasks he was asking me do. I completely forgot about the bandwidth thing in terms of my time. Slipped my mind. My mind did a quick reboot, and I tried to recoup the lost data.
Alas, it was unrecoverable, and I could see from the look on his face on the screen that allowed me to view him because of my actual bandwidth, he viewed me as an out-of-date Mac. Or, maybe I just wasn’t suited for the job, and I wasn’t looped in.
It’s me, not you.
If you want to know how much time someone has to get a job done– to give it her or his all, to exceed deadlines and to use expertise and experience, just ask. Like this: How much time can you devote to this job? Or this project or whatever the case is. Does using that sentence take so much more time that you have to whittle it down to three words: What’s your bandwidth?
An executive interviewed for the Wall Street Journal article I referenced earlier said this about people who may have an “unhealthy dependence,” (his words, not mine) on jargon:
“I’ve started trying to challenge myself that if I’m using a tech buzzword that I would have to explain to my 80+ year-old mother (which is all of them), then I need to use more approachable, descriptive and inclusive language.”
Agreed. If this is the new normal, (another over-used, despised phrase), I’m not sure I can give it 110 percent. I won’t circle back despite the fact I have the bandwidth to do so, and can hit the ground running in any fast-paced environment. I’m a Ninja-like thought leader who brings a lot to the table, and thinking outside the box is my middle name. Obviously, though, I need to take a refresher course on business buzzwords, and keep efforting, as I’ve been adulting for some time now.
“Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.” – William Zinsser.
Do you have words or phrases that drive you crazy? Do tell, or perhaps use Pig Latin with emojis after checking with ChatGPT in order to express yourself in “human-like” text. Sheesh.
Do you ever think that the world has gone off its axis a bit? It feels that way sometimes, doesn’t it – that odd “off” feeling that we, as a collective body, feel these days.
I asked myself that question one day after listening to the news, the discourse, the general hub-bub, never-ending, seemingly no solution arguments that thrum in the background – if we let it and if we decide to turn on that box that keeps us informed or misinformed.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
It’s a catch-22 – listen or bury your head in the sand? I don’t care what “side” you resonate with, and I sincerely don’t understand how we got to a place where we feel as if we have to pick a side. I won’t and I don’t. We are all humans just trying to figure things out, and the best thing we can do is to be kind and empathetic to each other.
That’s all I have to say about that.
Research about that spinning off the axis thing
According to a 2021 article from India Times, the earth “tilted dangerously” about 84 million years ago scientists have found, and it may happen again.
“Dear old world, you are lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” — Lucy Maud Montgomery
According to these really smart people who study this on a daily basis, Earth will keep on tilting on its axis “from time to time.” The last time it did that, it was like Jurassic Park on Mother Earth, vegan/vegetarian big boys and girls and some scary carnivores roaming while the Earth tilted a full 12 degrees. This has been recorded according to the article. Who recorded it? I’m not disputing it. I just wonder, how did they find that? Writings or cave-people graphics sketched somewhere on a cave wall?
I’m showing my ignorance and I’m guessing they have all sorts of equipment which determined what happened 84 million years ago, and possibly the Earth did indeed tilt 12 degrees, which I guess is a lot for our beautiful blue orb. There is most likely a measuring tool one uses to track such things, and how one does that is on my research more list.
This is a Triceratops, and they preferred plants when dining in or dining out. About 65 million years later, people came along. Some vertebrate paleontologists (the scientists who study dinosaurs) think birds are direct descendants of one line of the dinosaurs that preferred meat. So, birds may very well be descendants from giant meat eaters. Who knew?
Fast forward to now where, from what I’ve heard, scientists are trying to bring back some of those Jurassic inhabitants via cloning (not the same Earth-tilt-watching scientists, but some geneticists in a lab somewhere who want to clone wooly mammoths and “long-lost species” and bring them back because their theory is that those giant furry elephants could be our “climate saviors”), and since the Earth-tilt-watching scientists believe we are facing the biggest challenge because the Earth has been stable for the last 100 million years, we have to do something.
So…what do we do?
Since scientists say that the Earth is in a back-and-forth dance and that if and when it tilts, it “snaps back into its old position quickly.” They’ve even come up with a term for that happening: “cosmic yo-yo.” If I ever have a band, that’s what I’m naming it.
A dream of mine, heading up a band named the Cosmic Yo-yos.A June 2023 New York Times article suggested the Earth began going “off-kilter” around the turn of the millennium. No one knows why, but as we humans love to pontificate about such things, it could be because of polar ice sheets melting and that melting could influence the Earth’s rotation. Add that, the writer suggests, to all of us using water to pump out to fields for crops to grow and for us to use in our households — this is a factor in the aforementioned off-kiltering. As I write this, my washing machine is getting a load of laundry clean and spiffy.
I do, however, conserve because that’s the way I was raised. Growing up in the country, I was taught to respect the land, nature, and all the wondrous things in it and about it.
I grew up around beautiful bovines that mooed and grazed throughout the days. Lots of wide open green, fields and gardens with food grown, picked, cleaned and eaten.There is much citing of data in the NYT article, such as “groundwater overuse,” and the amount of space left underground that water can or cannot hold. In addition, we have “Earth wobbles,” as well as the cosmic yo-yo which adds up to our axis wandering and wobbling, in minute increments. Though we can’t feel it, these studies suggest this is happening.
I’m clumsily summing up these two well-written articles, but the bottom line is the Earth may tilt again, and our axis may be wandering. And, it’s a possibility that the shifts in groundwater may or may not be a factor, along with other thousands of variables in how our planet does what it does.
Creeks will rise, floods will happen, and storms will come. We can do the best we can to preserve the astounding beauty that is Mother Earth. And to those suffering from some of the inexplicable incidences that occur on our planet, my attempt at a light-hearted spin on the changes in temps, latitudes and attitudes is not meant to show disrespect for what you are experiencing.
“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” — Albert Einstein
Nature will right itself. It always has and it always will.
Be happy, get outside if you can and enjoy the miracle that is Earth. It is there, every day, for us to do just that.
Happy Monday, everyone.
These days I find myself thinking of subjects – good vibey, positive, healing thoughts – instead of ones that make me anxious, worried or make me want to stick a fork in my eye. I’m kidding, really, I would not stick a fork in my eye. Nor would I want anyone, anywhere, at any time to stick … Continue reading →
As I sit here at my computer trying to come up with a subject or theme for what once was a weekly thing for me, the words that kept coming to mind were reemergence, resurgence, comeback, rebirth. Those types of words that signify new starts and beginnings. The terms “reemergence” and “resurgence” bring to mind … Continue reading →
I can’t tell you how many posts I’ve started and either deleted them or they’re hanging out on my desktop gathering cyber dust. Perhaps it’s the holiday season that has me writing again. Or the sheer gratitude of being alive and healthy. Or the weather. I do love me some crisp, cool weather! I may … Continue reading →
I started thinking about buses one day. I’m not sure why, but then I started thinking about that Who song which led me to exploring the history of the bus. Yeah, that’s how my mind works and boy, it’s exciting inside my head some days, as obvious from my thinking about buses. A Brief History … Continue reading →
I like the word, “dharma.” If I had a female child, (to me it sounds feminine, most likely because I loved that show Dharma & Greg), I’d consider naming her that. I very well may name my next canine child that. I like the idea of yelling it in my yard or in a park … Continue reading →
I read a book a few months ago that’s not relevant now (in the sense, it’s not on the New York Times bestseller list) and I didn’t think I’d like it. I looked at the cover and thought: No. I was wrong. You literally cannot judge a book by its cover. The book is Saving … Continue reading →
I really don’t like to get online and complain. I prefer to complain to the people I know. You know, one of those good old bitch sessions where you know that those you’re bitching to will most likely agree with you.
After all, we all want validation for our feelings, right?
I can remember a time when one didn’t get validation for anything and if you were unhappy with something you could either, A) Suck it up; B) Shut up; C) Take action and be labeled a troublemaker, bitchy, irrational, emotional and one of my all-time favorites, “it’s a woman thing,” or D) Seethe internally and do nothing.
Maybe that’s where all our anger and animosity is coming from, the seething thing. But, as always, the pendulum swings from the absolute and farthest point of nonsense to the other side of nonsense when change is afoot. Eventually, it settles to a nice happy midpoint where, for the love of God, is where we all really want it to be.
Heard, understood, protected and valuable.
I’m seriously getting off-topic here but stay with me because I’m leading up to something. I am a woman and I do have to talk it out, you know?
Life Experience and Education
I really never expected that opportunities would begin to dwindle when I reached my 50s. I thought 50s were the new 30s, (whatever that means) but I am finding that’s just some tagline generated from somewhere. Most likely to sell a magazine, product or thing to that demographic. Put a determined-looking, flawless-skinned, older woman dressed in a power suit and sky-high heels on the cover of a magazine or inside the pages of one with a “Five Things to Increase Your Potential as an Older Woman in Today’s Workforce” article and BAM problem solved. Right?
Illustration & copy by me, Brigitte with the help of Pages.
I mean what intelligent woman couldn’t apply those fluff-written tips to score big? This one, that’s who and I consider myself to be pretty damn smart. Instead I end up feeling lacking, much like I do when I look at some Instagram feeds and think to myself, who are all the wildly successful and gorgeous people and how the heck are they all doing this?
What every working woman wants to wear to work every day. Heels.
Does life experience and education account for anything anymore and if not, then we all need to reassess things. Because if I knew I was going to run into this, I wouldn’t have wasted all that time, energy and serious money (that took me years to pay off) for a degree.
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Truth-Telling
In our 20s, our youthful beauty is power. And if you’re a 20-something woman reading this, you ARE beautiful, trust me on this please. Most women in those beauty magazines you may be reading don’t look like that in real life. My instagram, website and Linked In page photo has a filter on it—yep, I did it—and so do most people. It’s just too tempting not to smooth out lines and whiten teeth.
Unfortunately looks matter, especially for women. More so than ever. And yes, I’m sure men face this as well, but I don’t believe they do to the extent women do. I love men, I’m married to one and he’s incredibly sensitive and a particularly awesome human being.
Rent a movie from the 80s or 90s and you’ll see what real people looked like at a certain age. That was attainable. Women had sprayed, stiff hair like the rest of us normal humans and men had chest hair and other hair all over their bodies. Now everyone’s hairless and perfect. What the hell? I don’t think people even know how humans are supposed to look as they age anymore.
That hair was stiff and sprayed. There was plenty more under that suit. His suit.
The amount of information we are bombarded with is astronomical and it lends itself to shorter attention spans, shortened ways of communicating and enormous consequences on how we treat one another and relate to each other, socially and globally. We are becoming desensitized and everything seems to be fodder for late-night comedy. I don’t give a crap if I sound old-fashioned, but seriously can we please get back to a sense of decency and social decorum?
To Be Old-er or Not to Be Old-er
I hesitated in writing this post. What if I offended someone? What if a potential employer viewed this and interpreted this the wrong way? What if I seemed emotional, too heart-on-my-sleeve sappy sentimental longing for the old days and ways kind of person? And then, I thought well, I guess I do long for some of the “old ways,” but only the ones that empower people and that includes those that for whatever reason, in our society, are deemed unimportant once reaching a preconceived “use by” date. I mean, do I have a “Best if used by 45” bar code on me somewhere??!”
Then I thought would I even want to be around or work for someone who didn’t appreciate me or honor all my wonderfulness and intelligence despite my being a 50-something?
Hell to the no.
It’s not that I can’t still get some fairly decent writing gigs, I do. But I’ve encountered ageism on interviews and yeah, it makes me seethe. That can’t be good for my health.
Maybe this will change during all this upheaval that we’re experiencing. Maybe I’ll start a movement.
Or maybe I’ll just go to some European beach where 50 somethings are appreciated for their mind, body and spirit, shake my fist at a glorious sunset while sipping a nice Sancere and exclaim, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Me, metaphorically, raging.
So, how’s it going for you these days?
There’s been a lot of upheaval in the news lately.
Hurricanes, fires, mudslides, snowstorms, blizzards, floods. So much. So many images of people suffering. It’s difficult to watch and difficult to process. I wish these people love, healing and hope. Through the suffering, we witness people helping people, reaching out to make sure that their fellow human being can find their way back to some kind of normal.
We can do it! ~ Rosie the Riveter.
“Let’s not turn women into snowflakes.” Condoleezza Rice
There’s other changes as well. Attitudes in the way in which women are treated and have been treated in the past. Women, as all human beings, should be respected. They should never be subjected to feeling as if their opinions don’t matter, face pay inequality or, for God’s sake, never, ever be in a position where they feel as if they have to put out to get in. Ever. I think most of us believe in this very clear aspect of how people should be treated. With decency and respect. I went through that climate in its past heyday. It wasn’t good then and it’s not good now. I do believe that everyone, including male human beings, are innocent until proven guilty. I so hope that statement is taken as a common sense one.
Then we have to listen to those in charge argue about this or that and they do so nonstop. We hear about it relentlessly, so much so, some people say they don’t watch the news anymore.
We are in a perpetual state of he said, he said, she said, he said she said. One person states: “I was there and I heard this!” Another says: “I was there and I did not hear that!”
Who are we to believe? How do we come up with a conclusion if facts from one individual differ from the facts of another? If both say I was there! Believe me!
How do we process this?
This Woman’s View
I’ve lived through several episodes of upheaval having lived on this good Earth for a while. I base my opinions on facts I receive from reputable sources, from what I perceive, see, hear and filter through the lens of my beliefs and core values. That’s what we all do.
Facts are facts. They don’t waver or change. Truth is truth and it always wins. Unlike lies or illusions, facts and truths stay strong. They don’t change to accommodate us.
I am a person of common sense. One who believes that everyone, and I mean everyone, is entitled to their opinion and their unalienable right to believe how they choose to believe. I don’t believe in censorship even if it means someone’s opinion may hurt me or cause me to be uncomfortable. I have the right to walk away, not listen to them and still hold hard and fast to my core beliefs, my values. So does everyone else. Even the ones that I think to myself, how the hell can you think this way? They do because they do and they, like me, are entitled to their opinion. I don’t get to dictate how a person believes and/or feels just as they don’t get to tell me how to believe or feel. That’s what our country is based upon. Freedom.
When I demand “they” believe as I do, when I am intolerant of their views, when I shut down, or yell or name call, or become so dug in to my opinions, I am doing exactly what they are accusing me of doing. I become “them.” When I’m so incensed with my way, I lose sight of the fact that we all are just human beings trying to find our way.
We live in country where each of us can state our opinions, practice a religion or not, pursue happiness, love who we choose to love and enjoy other freedoms.
It appears that what we have lost is kindness and empathy. We have to weigh our words carefully. If we don’t speak the way the climate dictates, we can suffer the consequences of a world-wide platform of bullying. The “us” and “them” sentiment continues to widen. Snarky and mean isn’t working. It isn’t. It’s widening the divide.
We seem to have forgotten how to be nice to each other.
I don’t like this climate. It saddens me. This climate doesn’t rest solely on the shoulders of one person, “this side” or “that side.” We are all part of the problem. All of us.
My parents taught me to respect others, to have a sense of decorum. To be polite, nice. I can stand strong in my beliefs with a calm commitment. I can choose to listen, to empathize.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If we give into this climate—name-calling, shaming—this new normal, we are headed for a place where up is down and down is up. That would be a scary place indeed. I believe we don’t have to because I believe that most of us want the same things.
Aren’t we supposed to work together to find a common-good plan in order for us to co-exist and help one another? We are all humans who love, live and die. I’m not a solution expert and I’m not suggesting that a few words in a blog post can change everything. But I really believe it begins with kindness and understanding. That’s a good start to anything.
It seems that we forget our differences when we are put into positions where we have to pull together and help others find their way.
Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing anyway and all the time?
As always, if you choose to comment, please do so with respect. This isn’t about name-calling or identifying who said what. It’s not a place for political discussions. It’s a place where I listen to you and you listen to me, (you just did – thank you!) her, or him and we empathize with a heavy emphasis on decency.
I respect and appreciate your opinions.
And yes, I love Dr. Seuss.
UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
–Dr. Seuss, The Lorax