I want to explore some of the words and phrases that I hear launched around the corporate workplace like so many verbal scuds, whose meanings are either entirely defined in this space or have a special, corporate meaning. Also, I want to vent because I hate them. I hate them with a passion I am barely able to control.
The first word that came to mind, mostly because I just heard it, is escalate. According to Merrian-Webster
to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
The corporate definition is a bit different, if not in essential, absolute terms, then in the practical useage. Here's how I commonly hear the term used:
Anonymous Mid-Manager: Do we need to escalate this?
And here's what they mean:
Anonymous Mid-Manager: Do we need to get your boss, supervisor, or someone with more real power than you to look at this?
So I guess I would say the corporate definition of the word is:
to demand the attention of a higher corporate power than currently present to address
Such higher power could be a manager, supervisor, corporate officer, or Sauron. The Great Corporate Eye is ever watchful.
I hate these sort of "neutral" catch-phrases, phrases that have their primary meanings bled from them to replace words that are perfectly sensible but might actually relate what's really going on. So instead of, "do we need to contact your supervisor?" which is direct, to the point, and accurate, we get "do we need to escalate this?" which is vague, meaningless outside the corporate cubicle confines, and floats, vague and blob-like, in the ether like a wet fart. There's nothing good about a wet fart.
|