Can you speak consultant?

Five killer phrases guaranteed to impress honchos everywhere

These days, I spend a lot of time on the road, working with corporations and other organizations on their communications “challenges.”

I’d say “problems,” but that wouldn’t make me a very good consultant, would it?

Much stands in the way of clear and effective communication in every organization: confusing initiatives that no one really understands, political turf battles that block progress and sometimes just plain inertia.

One of the biggest obstacles is the language everyone uses to turn simple concepts into mind-bending string theory.

Call it consultant-speak. Whether you’re an outsider like me or one of those internal communicators who insist on referring to your co-workers as “clients,” consultant-speak is spreading through organizations like an oil spill, and everyone’s getting stuck in the muck.

I’m a novice at consultant-speak, even though I’m the president of Ragan Consulting. All those years as a writer and editor have blocked my development as a true master of mumble mouth.