3 min read
What jargon is and why it exists
Jargon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s a noun that refers to specialised, technical words or expressions used by a particular profession, group or trade, often difficult for outsiders to understand, serving as a specialised shorthand but potentially creating confusion.
I did a little further digging and found that it originates from the French word jargoun, meaning chittering or twittering, initially referring to the unintelligible sounds of bird song or general gibberish.
Why it’s a problem
None of this points towards jargon being in any way conducive to transparent communication, yet we remain stubbornly attached to it. Having worked in a number of different industries, I’ve found the energy sector in particular clings to jargon like a child’s comfort blanket.
As part of Aspect’s communication team, my role is to help clients communicate clearly and consistently, ensuring that people outside an organisation understand the message just as well as those inside it. That clarity is what prevents misinterpretation, confusion and mixed messages.
Over the past year, however, I’ve realised I’ve started to let this slip myself. I’m not talking about genuinely technical language, like the kind that’s essential when an engineer is talking to another engineer. That sort of jargon has a purpose.
What I mean are the phrases that have become so familiar and overused in some sections of the industry that we as communication professionals are at risk of not questioning whether they actually add meaning at all.
These are phrases that sound too polished and professional – in other words corporate speak rather than natural language. The things straight off a messaging deck. I’m embarrassed to admit that many of them have quietly worked their way into what I write for clients.
Resetting our language in 2026
So, my new year resolution, if it’s not too late given that we are well into 2026, is to reset my language. Below are some of the phrases I hope we can leave behind in 2025 and how we might replace them with clearer, more human alternatives.
- 2025: Data-driven decisions
2026: Using information to help us decide what we need to do - 2025: Interoperable data architecture
2026: Different computer systems that can talk to one another - 2025: Delivering integrated solutions
2026: Bringing services together - 2025: Driving innovation across the value chain
2026: Working with partners to find better ways of doing things - 2025: Harnessing the power of digital transformation
2026: Delivering digital tools to work more quickly (or any other benefit) - 2025: Unlocking new value
2026: Finding ways to save time (or any other benefit) - 2025: Promoting value at every stage
2026: Saving money at more stages than generation/extraction - 2025: Hard to abate sectors
2026: Industries that are expensive and technically difficult to remove carbon emissions from
Clarity builds trust
Clear communication is not about dumbing things down. On the contrary, the ability to explain things concisely and simply is an artform. Tabloid newspapers are an excellent example of this. Their reporters cover the same, often complex, stories as their broadsheet counterparts, but they need to tell that story in 300 words or less and using language that an older child could understand. It really isn’t as easy as it seems.
At Aspect, we believe the messages that have the most impact are the ones that are understood the first time they are read. If we can communicate with clarity, we build trust faster and likely bring more people along with us.
If this means we have to retire a few well-coined corporate buzzwords, then it’s a trade worth making.
