• Move the Needle
  • Thread The Needle
  • Disengaged Stakeholders
  • At the End of the Day
  • Bottom Line
  • Ship It
  • Cutting Edge/Bleeding Edge Technology
  • Customer Centric
  • Innovation
  • Disruptive
  • Permission/Forgiveness Rule

In 2016 I bought Sarah Cooper’s book “100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings” because it seemed so real and true to what I was hearing in my workplaces. I mean, to write a total outright comic about it is pretty great, right? And it is funny, except that, in some workplaces, it’s all too real.

Now that conference rooms have switched to zoom rooms, I think the conversations in meetings have become a little bit more personal. Less jargon-y. At least at my level and on the UX team, which is, comfortably sandwiched in middle management, mid-stream of all workflows.

The best part about looking honestly at these phrases, is that it gives me pause – recalling my StubHub days. Back when Lean In had just come out, circa 2013 or so. I was definitely guilty of doing some of the very things that Sarah Cooper makes fun of:

  • Using Sports Metaphors
  • Giving Good High Fives (key is to look at the elbow!)
  • Talking about Cars (and backstage RocknRoll stories)
  • Never Make Statements That Sounds Like Questions. Even Questions.
  • Compliment their socks (or their college t-shirt)
  • When You’re Asked to do Something because “they need more women” Laugh It Off. (I wish I had done this, instead, I feel prey to their needy requests for me to “mentor” others; which was sort of a code for apply some peer pressure!)
  • Prank Early, Prank Often.
  • Quote The Big Lebowski. (or, Breakfast Club, Caddy Shack)

Luckily, I’ve learned from my past experiences and don’t give it too much thought anymore. It’s healthier to laugh it off.