Why Business People Speak Like Idiots..., Chelsea Hardaway
Why Business People Speak Like Idiots..., Chelsea Hardaway
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Why Business People Speak Like Idiots
A Bullfighter's Guide

Author: Chelsea Hardaway, Jon Warshawsky, Brian Fugere

Narrator: Alan Sklar

Unabridged: 4 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/15/2005


Synopsis

"This is just the kind of synergistic, customer-centric, upsell-driven, out-of-the-box, customizable, strategically tactical, best-of-breed thought leadership that will help our clients track to true north. Let's fly this up the flagpole and see where the pushback is."

It's Monday. Time to hit the pause button on your personality and get ready for the next meeting because, for the next five days, we'll be speaking the language of business. And, from bloated jargon and monotonous memos to syrupy slogans and deadly dull presentations, the official language of business is bull. The second we get to work, we join the masses who trade the wit and warmth of their voices for a corporate stamp of approval and the comfort of conformity.

This is not because of some evil corporate conspiracy. It's actually the result of four traps — obscurity, anonymity, hard sell, and tedium — that transform us from funny, honest, and engaging weekend people to boring business stiffs.

But for you, this epidemic of bull and boredom is a real opportunity. All those human beings who trudged to work Monday morning want something better. They don't want disclaimers, nonpromises, sugar-coated news, or canned speeches. They want someone to capture their imagination, stir their enthusiasm, and tell them the truth. And once you learn to recognize and rise above the four traps, you can be that voice they're looking for.

Grab your cape and sharpen your sword. It's time to fight the bull!

If you think you smell something at work, there's probably good reason — bull has become the official language of business. Every day, we get bombarded by an endless stream of filtered, antiseptic, jargon-filled corporate speak, all of which makes it harder to get heard, harder to be authentic, and definitely harder to have fun.

But it doesn't have to be that way. The team that brought you the Clio Award-winning Bullfighter software is back with an entertaining, bare-knuckled guide to talking straight.

This is a book for all those who want to climb the corporate ladder, but refuse to check their personality at the door.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kristen on February 02, 2015

This is in the top 3 best business books I have ever read! If you work in a corporate business setting, and you care at all whether the emails, voice-messages, presentations, and memos you spend most of your work hours preparing get any attention AT ALL from the audiences you send them to, you need......more

Goodreads review by Joseph on June 05, 2020

The author starts this book by talking about the jargon and catch phrases that we have all heard from senior management. The major point is that people either use these meaning less phrases (such as mind share) to sound smarter than they are or to hide a bad message. I have seen it both ways in my d......more

Goodreads review by Bookish on November 30, 2013

Not too long a headhunter sent me this job ad. I’m paraphrasing and shortening a bit of it so your brain doesn’t explode (and to protect the not so innocent). My comments and translation of the ad copy are in italics. Job Title: On-line Newsletter Operations Professional (On-line Newsletter Writer) Pr......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on May 09, 2021

This is a quick little read that will brighten your day and give you a laugh. For all of us who have maybe taken ourselves too seriously more than once. The glossary at the end really killed me.......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on August 12, 2018

Cathartic and a good challenge to rethink why and how you communicate in a business setting. Don't agree with all their points, but it's definitely a good book if you're interested in changing up your approach at work, or need examples to encourage your client to approach their comms differently.......more