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Heads Up, Blue Sky
Thinking Can Alienate Staff

  Management jargon can alienate staff and leave bosses looking untrustworthy and weak, according to a survey commissioned by Investors in People. Managers who spoke of “singing from the same hymn sheet” could find themselves singing solo, the survey said. Workers said such phrases as “blue sky thinking”, “the helicopter view” and “heads up” could lead to alienation and low morale in the office.

  The survey, carried out by YouGov to mark the 15th anniversary of Investors in People, a government-backed training initiative, found 37 percent of the 2,900 questioned believed jargon led to mistrust and encouraged a feeling of inadequacy. Bosses seemed oblivious to the dangers, with more than half (55 percent) believing it to be harmless. That could explain why workers perceived it to be on the rise, with nearly 40 percent believing it was increasingly creeping into office banter. Nearly 40 percent of workers surveyed believed jargon betrayed a lack of confidence, while one in five thought those who used it were untrustworthy or trying to cover something up.

  Nicola Clark, director at Investors in People, said: ”Whilst jargon can be useful shorthand at times, managers need to be more alert to when and how they use it. Cutting jargon out of everyday communication is clearly a challenge. However, as our research shows, if used inappropriately, jargon can be an obstacle to understanding, which ultimately can impact on an individual’s performance and an organization’s productivity.”

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Americans’ Circle of Close Friends Shrinking

  Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, separated by work, commuting and the single life, researchers reported. Nearly a quarter of people surveyed said the had “zero” close friends with whom to discuss personal matters, while more than 50 percent named two or fewer confidants, most often immediate family members.

  “This is a big social change, and it indicates something that’s not good for our society,” said Duke University Professor Lynn Smith-Lovin, lead author on the study. Smith-Lovin’s group used data from a national survey of 1,500 American adults that has been ongoing since 1972. she said it indicated people had a surprising drop in the number of close friends since 1985. At that time, Americans most commonly said they had three close friends whom they had known for a long time, saw often, and with whom they shared a number of interests. They were almost as likely to name four or five friends, and the relationships often sprang from their neighborhoods or communities. Ties to a close network of friends create a social safety net that is good for society, and for the individual. Research has linked social support and civic participation to a long life, Smith-Lovin said.

  People were not asked why they had fewer intimate ties, but Smith-Lovin said that part of the cause could be that Americans are working more, marrying later, having fewer children, and commuting longer distances. “It’s one thing to know someone and exchange emails with them. It’s another thing to say, ‘Will you give me a ride out of town with all of my possessions and pets? And can I stay with you for a couple or three months?’” Smith-Lovin said.