I hate buzzwords, although the occasional game of buzzword bingo never does any harm. I’m a techie / geek so I hate over selling, I want to be clear about what I am doing. And if you start to use buzzwords, it’s not long before you start to use “management speak”… 😉.

What are the problems with buzzwords?

• They often mask a lack of understanding, which can be critical to getting a realistic balance
• Embodies half-formed ideas that have no relation to technology
• Just putting a label on something doesn’t mean it actually is that
• I can never keep up with the latest ones!

Are there any benefits? Unfortunately there are some.

If everyone else is using a unique term, even if significantly vague or inaccurate, then that can be very powerful. It can provide instant context, short cut conversations, and it can encapsulate an idea that has been forming across the group or wider team. A good example might be the term “DevOps”: it instantly focuses the conversation on people, rather than tech, plugging gaps in operational weaknesses; but there are many interpretations of exactly what DevOps is.

As an architect, I often use very specific words for very specific situations. It regularly happens that there are literally no other words that conveys all the nuances or layers you are looking for. A good example is the word “synergy”. I still really hate using it, but sometimes it is the right word for the scenario, conveying:

• The systems complement each other
• The whole is more than the sum of the parts
• You can deliver the wider vision faster

Using just three syllables, one word, you’ve conveyed a massive amount of information.