Management-speak annoys us intensely here at Silver Moor. Far from making things clearer, it confuses and irritates employees. Management consultants are often blamed (usually with justification) for introducing these phrases. As a management consultancy practice (we ‘operate in the management consultancy space’) our clients are often very pleased (and surprised) by our plain speaking. This is because we see the effects of poor communication in high-risk industries when we investigate serious incidents and accidents.
The video on the right, produced by education charity Teach First, gives a great insight into how confusing management-speak can be. They asked primary age students to identify and translate some of the worst phrases used by management in workplaces.
The Plain English Campaign has a lot of free resources to help. We use these principles both in our work (for example writing operational procedures) and in our training – to help you improve your own skills.
Try our three ‘management speak’ games to see how you and your managers fare. 
Keep your communication short, keep it clear, keep it free from management-speak and jargon.

We got great feedback for our new accident investigator training materials this week. One delegate said "This was really well-paced training, encouraging all to be actively involved through group exercises and realistic case studies." Our Investigator Handbook and materials for event and causal factor charting were particularly well-received.
All our accident investigation training is tailored to suit your industry; we will work with you to create relevant case studies and where possible we will use your accident reporting documentation (accident reports and investigation report templates or forms) during the training. 
See our accident investigation training and accident investigation consultancy pages for more information, or contact us to discuss how we might work with you.

Our popular accident investigator training has been enhanced by some new resources: an Investigators Handbook, new case studies and practical resources for delegates to use during the training.
The Investigator's Handbook provides practical tools and techniques that can be applied at all stages of an investigation. This will help investigators move beyond 'human error' and be able to identify the problems with systems within which the humans have to operate.
All our accident investigation training is tailored to suit your industry; we will work with you to create relevant case studies and where possible we will use your accident reporting documentation (accident reports and investigation report templates or forms) during the training. 
See our accident investigation training pages for more information, or contact us to discuss how we might work with you.

For several years we have been supporting Working Knowledge, a social enterprise committed to creating chances for young people to open doors into employment. During the one-day events the students are asked to develop a strategy to grow a business. They experience a series of facilitated workshops that help them develop a range of employability skills and an understanding of key business skills. These workshops are supported by 'Businesss Volunteer': local business leaders and entrepreneurs who act as mentors and advisers to the students.
Similar exercises are also run for college staff, and it was one of these events that our Managing Partner (John Baker) supported last month at Weston College.
If you'd like to find out more about Working Knowledge, or would like to become a Business Volunteer, take a look at their website.