20 Polite But Still Savage Ways To Tell Off Your Coworkers Or Boss Without Getting Fired

"My proficiency in corporate talk comes from experience," the content creator told Bored Panda. "I've been in the corporate world, including retail and tech industries, for about 11 years."

"Like many others, when I first started working, I was usually the one that was bullied, the one that wasn't treated with respect, the one that was being underpaid, and the one that was simply being exploited, no matter how hard I worked," he revealed.

But there's only so much one can take. "I quickly got tired of being passed up for promotions and raises that I knew I deserved and was determined to find a new path. This is when I started studying higher-ups and executives at these companies to understand what they were doing differently."

This was when Professor Corporate began to think that a substantial portion of them weren't in their positions because of their skills or experience. "Frankly many of them were not that great at all. But what they were good at was optics. They knew how to look and talk the part. This realization is what made me focus on improving how I communicated because it is all a part of the game that is Corporate America."

Last year, the e-learning platform Preply polled over 1,000 working Americans about their feelings on corporate jargon, and the results clearly showed that they would prefer less of it, especially in job postings.

Respondents to the survey found "like a family" to be the most annoying phrase — with 38% of votes — followed closely by "fast-paced environment" — 37%.

Just over a quarter of respondents reported that they encounter corporate jargon multiple times a day through various means of communication, mostly in emails, then in-person meetings, and instant messaging, but significantly less on phone or video calls, the survey indicated.

Professor Corporate believes that being well-versed in corporate talk gives an employee an advantage over those who are not. "If hard work was all it took to be successful in corporate, we would have vastly different c-suites and board rooms," he said. "Working hard is the myth middle management will preach to you to keep you running on their hamster wheel."

"Is it an important factor? Absolutely. But there is a lot more to it. Whether we like it or not, speaking a certain way commands a level of respect that will impact how people interact with you, what opportunities are presented to you and even how much money you will end up making."

According to the content creator, "we all wish we could work in environments where we can be extremely blunt and direct, but I think we all have stories of where this has backfired quickly. Those environments are just too rare to expect to be the norm."

"Corporate talk enables you to convey your points in a way that is more socially acceptable without repercussion (or at least less likely). You can either complain about it and get nowhere or play the game better than the ones using it you take advantage of you. I choose the latter," he explained.

The US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) divides languages into 4 groups of difficulty for speakers.

FSI research indicates that, on average, it takes an English speaker 24 to 30 weeks (600-750 class hours) to achieve proficiency in Category I languages (those that are similar to English, for example, Danish, Swedish, and Romanian) and 88 weeks (or 2200 class hours) in Category 4 (Arabic, Japanese, Korean).

Professor Corporate said learning corporate speak can feel daunting but it's easier than most realize. "Confidence comes from exposure, experience, and repetition."

"I was in the fortunate position to be surrounded by people who spoke like this and observing how and why they used certain words was something I used to mirror."

It's important to set yourself up for success. "The main way to learn is to start slowly. You don't need to completely change your vocabulary overnight," Professor Corporate highlighted. "Start by implementing a few new words or phrases in your day-to-day work day and it will become natural over time."

"Another tip is to start with written communication. Practice in your emails (and even text messages if you want to annoy people). But otherwise, there aren't many resources I've found to be too helpful personally, which was a driving force of why I created my account and why I created the community we've built called the Corporate Clapback Academy."

For everyone interested, Professor Corporate will be soon offering more formal training, including eBooks and personalized consultations. Anyone interested can sign up for updates here.

In both the content creator Kayla Avery's and Professor Corporate's discussions, there is an emphasis on using language strategically to navigate the intricacies of office dynamics. Mastering corporate-speak not only allows employees to effectively communicate without stepping on toes but can also be a potent tool for maintaining professionalism.

For more on the transformative power of using the right words at work, consider delving into how insults can be strategically masked as respectful phrases.