Survey: Top 5 phrases that signal inauthenticity
If a CEO utters one of these phrases, business bloggers thinks he or she is full of it.
In the study, bloggers named the top five phrases that make them feel as if a CEO is trying to manipulate them. Here they are (with explanations from the study):
1. This deal is a win/win.
Whether it’s true or not, bloggers believe that few business deals, if any, are really win-win—particularly in the current economic climate. “What’s really win-win these days?” A survey respondent asked.
2. Thinking/working/planning outside the box.
The phrase is viewed as classic corporate-speak. “I hear someone say they are thinking ‘outside the box,’ and I take that as a really good sign that they aren’t,” said one of the respondents.
3. We’re not here to talk about the past.
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