My experience with workplace jargon comes from generational differences. I am 40, almost 41,
and I was a manager to individuals in their 20s. During meetings or social discussions, I often found
that this younger generation had different jargon than I was familiar with. They would say words
like “bougie”, meaning fancy, or “spill the tea”, meaning share the gossip or information. If I did not
understand what they were saying, I often waited for the conversation to complete the story or info
so I could fill in the blanks. Other times, I have asked directly, “What does this word mean?” They
would giggle but define it for me.
I often felt like I was decoding the language by trying to fill in the blank and nod at the person to
encourage them to continue so that I could figure it out (Wien claw, 2021). A contributing factor
was having short daily meetings and one longer weekly meeting to keep everyone updated on the
goals. I think, ultimately, frequent meetings help bond us as a team and familiarize us with each
other’s communication styles, jargon, and goals (Cardon, 2021).
I was in a situation where a co-worker, Kim, had asked for my help on a journal entry that was not
calculating properly. Most of our journal entries were done using excel templates with work papers
containing varying degrees of complex formulas. This journal entry was more complex and used
formulas that were extremely hard to follow. a All our accountants in the finance department had
varying degrees of knowledge in Excel. a While I had more knowledge than Kim, I did not have the
extensive technical knowledge of the two accountants, Frank, and Adam, who originally created the
template and workpapers. a Frank and Adam both could have probably worked in an IT department
with their advanced knowledge of Excel and accounting programs. a Neither Frank or Adam worked
on the closing team anymore. They were moved to the business analyst positions in the finance
department.
While I was able to assist Kim in correcting some of the errors that were calculating in her
workpapers, there was still an issue. Kim and I initiated a meeting with Frank to go over where the
remaining issue was. a It was an in-person meeting with the three of us. a Frank’s MVS (motivational
value system) is a mix of green and red. a He is a very analytical, but also assertive person. Kim is
also very assertive, but can get stuck going off on tangents and you sometimes must keep her on
track. I fit more into the blue MVS as I am always willing to help people out, but it can get to the
point of being taken advantage of. a At the start of our meeting, Kim explained where the calculation
error was occurring and I went into where I had made corrections, but was getting stuck. a Frank
proceeded to explain the formula using jargon that neither Kim nor I could understand. a I am sure
Kim’s glazed look did not help, but when I asked further questions to clarify, Frank’s response to me
was, “I thought you were good at Excel.” a The meeting ended with no solution to the calculation
error. a Kim and I were both extremely frustrated with Frank’s use of jargon and his attitude came off
as arrogant and condescending. a The differing personality types affected the conversation as well as
Kim’s assertiveness came off as combative due to the lack of understanding. a With the two of their
overpowering personalities, I mainly stayed in the background. a Kim and I finally had to go to Adam,
the other creator of the template, who was able to explain the process in a way that we could
understand and assist us with correcting the issue.
As I read the article, this line stuck out to me: "Everyone comes to a situation with their own
unique perspective, including assumptions and expectations. This perspective helps determine how
an individual will react to what the other person says or does." (Wienclaw, 2021) It was a great
reminder of how people can have vastly different communication styles in the workplace. Honestly,
I wish I took this class last year because it would have been very helpful! I took a new position
within the same company last year, but my old supervisor's communication style is a night and day
difference with my current supervisor. My old supervisor was very direct with her feedback, and
would give a bullet-point list of things to change and none of it was up for discussion. I trusted her
feedback though because she has been in her role for over 20 years and was highly competent,
which is one aspect of credibility. (Cardon, page 7) My current supervisor is much more
conversational and less direct, and when I ask for feedback, he often turns it into around and asks
what I think, which we joke about as well. One barrier to communication for me was dealing with
the lack of specific feedback which I had come to expect, and it has been an adjustment in figuring
out how to ask for specific feedback and being challenged to make judgments for myself.
Something that has helped me is active listening, including listening to body language. According to
Wien claw, "Active listening skills include receiving and processing all the signals that the sender
receives. This means that the receiver needs to postpone evaluation of what the sender is saying
until all the information has been received. To further this process, the receiver should avoid
interrupting, postpone evaluating what the sender says until they are finished, and maintain
interest." Key to this process is postponing evaluation and not allowing "emotional hijacking," or
letting emotions get the better of your thought process. (Cardon, page 33) When my supervisor
gives me ambiguous feedback, I must be patient and ask clarifying questions instead of becoming
frustrated or moving on without a clear answer, which has been better for my professional growth
than being handed a list of things to work on. There are benefits and drawbacks to both.
References
Cardon, Peter. W. (2020.) Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World.
Fourth Edition. University of Southern California. McGraw-Hill Education.
Wien claw, R. A. (2021). Communications in the Workplace. Salem Press Encyclopaedia.
Cardon, P. (2021). Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Cardon, P. W. (2021). Business communication: Developing leaders for a networked world (4th ed.).
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Wien claw, R. A. (2021). Communications in the Workplace. Salem Press Encyclopaedia.
