A recent study found that the more someone uses jargon, the more insecure they are. Younger, often less experienced, people try to compensate by using excessive industry jargon. Jargon can be anything from industry slang, acronyms or longer and unnecessarily complicated language. Excessive jargon usage can occur on site, as well as, in e-mails, presentation and meetings. Sometimes jargon is appropriate but often times it is a way that people try to impress others.
An article discussing concerns about jargon states that even if it is used properly, "it can act as a barrier. It can be alienating for people unfamiliar with a concept, idea or industry." Thinking about this a little deeper, it starts to make sense intuitively to me why inexperienced people would use jargon in an attempt to look more experienced and/or knowledgeable. Jargon is what made them feel lost, confused and maybe even a little insecure. In their minds, understanding then using the same jargon that made them feel pretty inadequate when they were the newbie might make them feel accomplished a few months or years down the road.
I'm not a tech guy and I'm not getting any younger but one word that tingles my spidey senses for jargon is workflow. It's most often used in the tech world and anytime I hear it, I brace for a jargon filled discussion or explanation that often overcomplicates a simple but already functioning process. I don't know when process changed to workflow but it seems like it gave people a green light to wax philosophical on complex and varied topics. If we're to that point on a jobsite or in a trailer, we're probably losing sight of the safety, quality and profit bottom line. The best bet with jargon is to keep it simple and efficient - just like we try to do in the field. Less is more. Don't overcomplicate things while trying to look smart. Results look way better than a complicated idea or process at the end of the project. It's impossible to jargon our way out of an unsafe and unprofitable job.
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