How to avoid jargon in strategic leadership

Editor's Note

Leaders communicating corporate strategies may be inadvertently using language that is too abstract and lacks the clarity needed for teams to transform strategy into action. Take for example words such as “innovation,” “excellence,” and “agility.” These words can be open to interpretation, or “semantic latitude,” as described by the author of a November 10 story in Harvard Business Review.

Take the statement, “We’re building an agile organization.” This could be perceived as agile as in flexible, agile as in faster decision-making, or agile as in adopting a specific process methodology, per the article. When many employees bring their own interpretations to vague jargon, strategic execution can veer off course. To prevent this ambiguity, the author suggested several important strategies, including:

*Clearly defining what strategic phrases mean
*Providing context
*Identifying actions that align with strategic language

For example, leaders can provide concrete examples of what the phrases look like in action, the author suggested. For example, when discussing innovation, leaders can describe to staff  how they can show innovation by questioning whether a process serves customers or the company and identifying ways to simplify and improve the experience.