Jargon can be a useful tool to communicate with employees or customers. But it should be used carefully, and your target audience must know what you're talking about.
2. • Having a shorthand for a specific task
or within a specific field can be
helpful, time saving, and even life-
saving.
• In an operating room, it’s far quicker
to tell a surgeon to get a “four-by-
four” rather than to say, “Get me that
gauze and make sure it’s four inches
by four inches square.”
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3. • For another example, sailing is
another activity that is loaded with
useful jargon.
• There's "port" (left side when facing
forward) and "starboard" (right side
when facing forward), and when it’s
time to “tack,” that means to brace,
duck an oncoming sail if needed,
“cleat a line,” and then move to the
other side of the boat to help
distribute weight.
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4. • Although sailing jargon may at first
seem confusing, it's a useful way to
communicate what needs to be done
to operate the sailboat.
• Jargon shouldn’t be intimidating — it
has its place, whether in sailing or
creating surveys — but your target
audience must know what you're
talking about.
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5. • Jargon is a tool, and when treated
that way, can be an effective,
efficient, and even fun way to get a
job done.
• But as with any tool, it needs to be
used properly.
• When creating surveys or
communicating with customers and
employees, it’s crucial to avoid
unnecessary jargon that will only
confuse or irritate your audience.
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