Some words just need a timeout

There are words out there that have become empty shells of their former selves; inappropriately used and hackneyed shorthand for not much at all. So that got me thinking, maybe they need a timeout, a holiday or just a bit of well-earned long service leave.

I’m not talking “buzz” phrases here, or those annoying phrases that have permeated the speech patterns of nearly everyone – “like”, “you know”, “so” – but words with a long and proud history that have been hijacked and overused to the point of being pointless.

You know them when you see them and my own list grows daily, here are 10 to get us started:

• Brand: Of course, and for all the reasons mentioned in this blog over past years.
• Trust: If you have to say it…
• Authentic: Up there with trust for, if you have to say it…
• Wealth: Why not just say lots of money, it’s what people really mean.
• Community: With thanks to Web 2.0, THE most overused word so far this century.
• Manifesto: Karl Marx has a lot to answer for.
• Sustainability: Green-washed until threadbare.
• Leadership: As opposed to actually doing the work of – leading.
• Profit: The most popular excuse for a multitude of sins.
• Entrepreneur: Everyone’s favourite title for doing your own thing.
• Conversation: We no longer sell to customers, we have a conversation with them. Enough said!

What do you think? Are there some I’ve missed that are guaranteed to make you “roll your eyes”? Don’t hold back, add your own in the comments below…

See you next week.

Michel Hogan is an independent brand adviser and advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations make promises they can keep and keep the promises they make, with a strong sustainable brand as the result. She also publishes the brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment. You can follow Michel on Twitter @michelhogan