Buzzword/Buzzkill: Strategy
There are a lot of buzzwords floating around these days. People feel that repeating these words over and over again will somehow make them sound, appear and become important. Repeating these words over and over will give them an air of superiority. They will hold power over the room, the department or the company just by saying specific words at specific times. The sad part is that this is true.
The truth lies not in the power of the word itself, in its delivery or in the person saying it. The truth lies in the belief that if a person can say words that sound smart, that person must be smart. There is no relevance to the person’s own abilities or actions. Just saying the word makes them appear smart therefore they must be smart.
The detrimental effects these buzzwords are having on corporate culture are devastating. Using buzzwords in conversation, memos and presentations makes individuals with little to no skills in their work stand out as persons of interest. They are marked as go getters, movers, shakers, thinkers, doers all because they used a specific buzzword that is in vogue.
One of the biggest culprits is the word “Strategy”. Seems harmless enough. A strategy is a plan of action to achieve a long term goal. However, the word is oft repeated and misquoted in daily dealings in the corporate world. People lob the word around with wanton abandon in an effort to sound more than they are.
Combine strategy with a few trailing words and the situation is further exacerbated. We get ‘strategic vision’, strategic decision’, ‘strategic meeting’ and so forth. In reality the strategic vision does not go beyond 5 pm on Friday, the strategic decision is to wear the red tie instead of the blue one and the strategic meeting was to decide to hold another strategic meeting next week.
Oft times the word strategy is used to define a vague notion about the direction the company should take. This allows the person suggesting the strategy just enough time to fire up his resume’ and switch to another company as the current company is scrambling to understand what the proposed strategy is.
At other times it is used only to appear smart in front of bosses. While the real workers are busy making a reality out of the strategy, the opportunist gets by using the word in e-mails and memos, appearing to be well read and forward thinking in the myopic eyes of the powers that be. Hence the workers are left behind as the schemers move into more ‘strategic’ positions.
The overall effect of course is short lived as the strategy is not strategic at all. It is hardly a plan, often less than a thought. Strategy involves intelligence, foresight, analysis, comprehension, planning, design, effort and above all work. These are qualities that are present in very few.
So when the reality of a half baked, half planned and non existent strategy come to light, the results are poorly received by the implementers of the strategy. Since the plans did not culminate into the ideals that were proposed, people are disappointed, disengaged and less than happy. Many will begin to question the company and its leadership. Others will begin to question their place in the organization. The effects will be detrimental to the morale of the employees and to the future of the company.
The word ‘strategy’ therefore needs to be used only strategically. Use it where you want to present ideas that are bigger than what you already are. However, question the use of the word and question people who overuse the word.
It may be vital to the survival of your organization.