The Top 5 Words We Don’t Want to Use Anymore

Hello, and welcome fellow Awsomologists to Awsomology. I’m Sue.

And I’m Ben. And in this episode, we’re counting down the top five marketing words we’re ready to stop using.

Stop. Yes. Words should have meaning. That is a big thing that we talk about. And today, we are talking about those kinds of words that we, a lot of other people, people we love and respect and like hanging around, but have repeated some of these words so often and in so many different ways and use them for so many different meanings that we aren’t really even sure what we mean anymore when we say them.

It’s those kinds of words. Like, when you say one word over and over and over and over again and it stops sounding like a word to you, that’s that’s the kinds of words we’re talking about. Right, Ben?

That’s right. Yep. And so we each have our own list, and we’ll reveal our picks to each other.

And so we’ve done this a little, not a little. We’ve done this totally blind.

So we’ll reveal our picks to each other and to you one at a time starting with number five and ending with number one. This might have been the hardest part of it all for me. It was organizing them from five to one, but here we are.

Yeah. There’s this is not a pass fail.

There’s no way you can Right.

There’s no way you can do this, incorrectly.

Plus, along with revealing all of our top five list, we are going to make sure that we give you suggestions for things you could say instead of these words so we are not just taking these very precious words away from you, these very precious and useful words.

And, admittedly, a lot of them are extremely popular, so we don’t wanna make your life harder.

But, we do want to stop sounding like AI and just using these words. So, Ben, are you ready to start it off with your number five?

So ready. Kick it. So, you’re gonna love this one, and our discussion on this one maybe will be short because of how often we pick on it.

It is synergy.

Synergy is my number five.

Some other words we could use are teamwork. We could just say working together, combined effort.

There’s probably many, many other words that we could use instead of synergy. But, yeah, talk about, like, buzzword of the decade, of the century, maybe. I don’t know.

And I do feel like, I’ve probably even heard it literally framed this way. Someone says synergy, and then very shortly after, they say, and what I mean by that is fill in the blank.

It’s like, well, if you have to define it, let’s just Right.

Use something different. And it’s one of those words, like many of the words we’re probably gonna hear today, that at least I know for sure you and I, Sue, but I’m sure many others almost, like, cringe a little bit when you hear it.

Yeah.

What does it even mean? We know what it we sort of know what it means, but what does it even mean?

And let me tell you. I I about jumped out of my chair. I was so excited when you used the word synergy because I immediately broke the rules. I have two words at number five.

Oh, great.

And, really, synergy was sort of my, my honorary word because I I was trying to stick to these self imposed rules that are only in my head for this, which is I wanted to make sure I had words that I use.

Got it.

And I do say the word synergy, but I can’t really point to a time I said it seriously.

Yeah.

So I don’t think it counts for a word I should stop using if I don’t use it seriously, but it is it was my honorary number five.

Yeah. Awesome. Hey. I’ll take honorable mention. That’s cool.

See? My real number five is the word complex.

And it is my number five purely because I think it’s a really good word. I think these are all good words. But but I in reflecting on doing this exercise of looking at all of these words, When I use the word complex, I don’t think I am using it to mean I do not I don’t think this word means what you think it means. I don’t think I’m using it to mean complex.

I think I’m using it as a filler word. So if somebody asks me a question I used it a lot when I was campaigning. If somebody asks me a question I don’t have an immediate answer to, and it would require some thought and explanation, I will say, you know, the answer to that is complex, which might actually be true, could be a lie. It’s more likely me stalling.

So I think I need to if it’s complex, I think it’s fine. But I think you could also say things like, that’s hard to understand. That’s confusing. That’s a messy answer.

And what I shouldn’t do necessarily is, stall with it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. That’s interesting because as you’re talking, hearing about how you use it does kind of make me feel like, yeah, this word totally belongs on the list. But my first reaction to complex being your, a word to stop using, I was I’m a I was, and I think I still am a bit confused. I almost wanna, like, fight you on a little bit because there I think there’s times that, like, things are just complex.

You know? And, like and I I do feel like that’s not to be a stinker about it here, but I think that’s the simplest way to describe it is to just say, hey. This is complex. Like, you know?

And and it can just be that simple.

So I don’t have an answer for you now right now. I can’t tell you how that thing’s gonna work. I can’t tell you what that’s gonna do for us, because it’s it’s all of the other words that you probably mentioned that you could use instead of complex would be descriptors for why complex is the right word to use in that situation. You know?

But I but I totally hear you and feel you as far as, like, using it as almost like a crutch to not having the answer to maybe not feeling confident about your answer or whatever it might be. So if if it gives you peace of mind to know, like, it removes a little bit of the impostor or the, you know, lack of confidence you might have in the information you’re trying to share by not using it, then it’s probably a good thing to not use it. K. Yeah.

Yes. Yes. And I think we maybe that is the disclaimer that we should that we should inject anytime we are talking about any of the words we’re talking about today. If it’s the right word, it’s the right word.

Right.

Should use we’re not taking these away from you.

Can we just agree, though, synergy? Like, it’s just never the right word.

I don’t know what would be the right word or, certainly something that is synergistic. Yeah. But other than that, probably not.

Yeah.

Yeah.

K. Okay. So really, we’re doing really well. I agreed with you on your first one. You fought me on my first one.

Let’s move on to tank.

Fight. Half fight.

It was not even a full fight.

Yeah. Okay. Can I get my next one?

Let’s do it.

So it’s it’s user centric, but I’m just gonna expand a little bit. I think what I actually dislike about it is more the user part of it. I mean, I don’t know that I necessarily say user centric often, but I would will say things like user focused, or I’ll be talking about something being focused on the user experience.

Mhmm. So user is the word I really don’t like. And paired with centric, sure. I don’t like that either.

So, you know, instead, we could use build build for real people, people first, designed with you in mind. And I think those few examples of other ways we can say it, really, what we’re talking about is humans. Right? Mhmm.

And I think that’s why I don’t like the user thing. It’s writes, in line with, referring to people as a number or in a bucket of a persona or something like that. You know, it’s really easy to forget about the humans behind all of those things when we just talk about them as users or as, you know, people in this segment or, you know, whatever. So so much of our work is important.

It’s important for us to remember that we’re dealing and working with humans, especially some of our, you know, b to b sort of dealings.

It’s easy to be focused on the organization and the leadership and all of that, but all of those things are made up by humans. So Mhmm. When we think of them as users or as leaders or as numbers, it’s easy for us to not do our best work. So Yeah.

Agreed. Agreed. So human centric would be fine?

Yeah. I think so.

Okay. Alright. I like that better anyway.

But Yeah. I think especially if you’re, like, delivering on a promise that hopefully you’ve made yourself to, like, you know, improve people’s lives or, you know, make their work or their lives better or easier or whatever through the work that you do, as long as there’s, like, an authenticity connected to that, like and I suppose this goes with all of this that we’re talking about today. I’m using the different words, but doing it under, like, a facade instead of, like, you know, authentically doing and saying things differently, then, like, who cares? What are we even talking about? You know what I mean?

Right. Right.

Yeah. That’s really interest I have a thousand questions, I think, about that, you know, your view of the word user not being I and here’s why. Let me let me form a coherent sentence.

I think that when people say user centric, they think that that is the same thing as human centric or human focused or, you know, people first. Mhmm.

And maybe to them, is as close as they get to that philosophy.

Right?

Yeah.

But I can definitely see how there is there’s this feeling, there’s an anonymizing sort of feeling or For sure.

You know, of using the word user versus human.

Right. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like if you put just a in front of these words, it helps, like, qualify which one is the right one or tell you which one is the right one.

Right? So, like, if we’re focused on just a user when we’re talking about our experience or something, like, it’s almost easy to forget about the people that those users are. But if you said, you know, just a human or just a person, it’s almost like, well, wait. What do you mean just a like, those are humans.

Those are people. Whereas users, it’s a little bit like, yeah. They’re, you know, they’re just users on our website, users in our app, users in our digital experience, whatever. So, yeah, I don’t know.

Point over.

K.

I don’t know where else to go with that.

Alright. Okay. So my number four, is the word leverage.

Oh. Now here’s the thing here’s the thing about me.

I use the word when I use the word leverage, it is going to be of my personalities, it is not going to be a human centric word that I’m going to use. I won’t I wouldn’t use it, in any of the brand voices, right, for that kind of thing. But for a business to business contact, I would use the word leverage. Now why do I think it’s inappropriate to use it when we’re talking to, quote, unquote, when I’m trying to write for humans versus when I’m doing it, you know, writing a proposal or writing a business email? I don’t I could not answer that question.

I do know that, it sounds good. It sounds smart. Sounds like a thing a business person would say.

But I think you could also, very often, which I do when I am doing copy and content writing, just use the word use.

Yeah. Right.

Like, ninety percent of the time, you could say we’re going to use those insights instead of leveraging those insights.

And using those insights does actually tell people what you’re doing versus leveraging them Mhmm.

Which is it is a word that I think becomes a nonsense word at some point. Like, it is the kind of word that you use when you’re trying to impress people with the word.

Yeah. Right?

Well, it’s number two on my list. So Okay.

So, yeah, we’re definitely on the same page here. I I did have a little internal fight having it on the list, for myself because I definitely do say it or use it.

And I do feel like I use it in the most, like, intentional or authentic way. Let’s talk about two other words. I should stop using intentional and authentic. But but I think, like, leverage, I say those words when I really mean it.

You know? And and that’s the thing about leverage, you know, like, lever being at the beginning, so, like, a force, you know, to move something. I do feel like when you you I give myself, like, a bit of permission to use leverage in a way where it does kinda gross me out a little bit too, but the reason I use it is to, like, communicate the strength that I mean in Mhmm. Those insights or in that talent or, you know, whatever it is that we’re leveraging.

You know? So, like, yeah, like, let’s hey. Let’s use this super talented person on our team to do this thing. Like, should always be using that.

You know, that exists. But, like, in a in a scenario where it’s like, no. This will be game changer for you. This will be, more powerful.

Like, we’re gonna leverage that person’s strength. We’re gonna leverage those insights. So I’m with you generally.

Like Yeah.

It’s probably overused. I probably use it at times that, like, I’m not really trying to communicate any kind of power or strength or convincing message or something.

And I I will keep that hall pass in my back pocket for the times where it’s like I’m I’m trying to communicate that in a stronger way.

There is a there’s a a feeling of movement with it. I totally agree with you, strength and movement, and in the right context.

Like, how many times are gonna say this? Use the word if it’s the Right. Right?

Yeah.

Yeah. But I do think I do think I use that to sound smart sometimes.

Yep. For sure. Okay.

So Number three, we skipped.

Oh, back to my number three.

You gotta come back.

Okay. My number three. Ugh. Disruptive.

Oh.

And maybe all forms of that word, disruptor, disrupting.

Other words, we could use unexpected, bold, shaking things up, mix things up, whatever.

Disruptive being or disruptor being very close to differentiator.

Mhmm.

Maybe both of those words are on the same level for me. And, again, back to another word that I use, too often, but I I really do believe I use in the right way and in the authentic way for myself is authenticity. So, like, you know, we we’ve had plenty of conversations with people that are trying to do something that they’ve seen someone else do or something that feels a little cookie cutter or whatever. And a great question for us to ask is, like, what’s your differentiator?

You know? How is this, you know, disrupting something, whether it’s a process or procedure or, your member experience, your customer experience, whatever it is, in a way that, you know, is actually, like, setting you aside as something different or Mhmm. Making your products, your services, your industry different. Right?

Like, credit unions being a disruptor once upon a time.

But I think that it’s easy for us to using credit unions as an example. You know? We were a disruptor in the financial services industry a long, long time ago. There are still some credit unions doing great things that feel disruptive and are different, and there’s a lot that aren’t. And just because you’re a credit union doesn’t mean that you’re that disruptor that we once were. You know? So, you know, we I’m I’m definitely looking at this word through the credit union lens, but I think it applies to so many businesses and organizations and people.

It’s easy to use this word in a way that is inauthentic. You know? You’re not really disrupting anything. You’re not really doing anything that’s unexpected or bold. It’s just, you know, an iteration of an idea that you saw your major competitor doing or, you know, whatever.

Yeah.

I I’m not gonna give a hall pass to every word. I promise.

Seems that way.

But I do think, though, disruptive differentiator, etcetera, words like that, if it is disruptive to you and your organization, if it is really different, like, truly authentically different to you, your you as a person, your team, your organization, even though it’s been done somewhere else, then, like, I feel like it’s the right word to use to describe what you’re trying to do. And I think it also is kind of in the same category as leverage in that, like, we can say, you know, we’re gonna do something different, unexpected, bold. Mhmm. There are probably better words to use, but when you wanna put strength or power behind that, I do feel like disruption or differentiation, disruptive.

Like, it’s a bit stronger. It helps convey the message of, like, how significant the changes or the thing that you’re doing is. You know? So, like, boy, broken record.

If it’s the right word, use it for sure.

Right. I feel like the word disruptive really had a moment, and everybody wanted to be everybody said they wanted to. Let me correct edit myself as I’m talking. Everybody said that they wanted to be disruptive and that that was the that was the thing to go for.

But you really do stop being disruptive if the way that you’re being disruptive is by seeing how somebody else is disruptive and then doing the exact same thing because you have reliable results that you can Mhmm. You know, show to your board ahead of time, ahead of being disruptive.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Words are important. We don’t need to be too precious about them, and disruption can happen for you even for this in the short term if you’re just hacking someone else’s idea or whatever. But there’s gonna be a time when it’s not disruptive anymore because everyone else catches up.

So Right. It’s I mean, I think if it stops being scary, a little bit scary, a little bit chaotic, stops being predictable, or, I mean, if it starts being predict predictable, then it might be a little it might be change. It might be change management moment for you. But yeah.

Yep.

But don’t but don’t tell people you’re being disruptive. That’s all. That’s all we’re asking.

Yeah.

It’s pretty simple.

Yeah.

K. We’re on number three. Right?

Sure are.

My number three is strategic.

And, specifically, for me, I think there there’s a right place to use I mean, obviously, strategic planning, that is a place you can use the word strategic.

But if you are not if you are not using strategic to mean to, in any way, connect to the fact that you had thought about strategy, then strategic is not your word. Right? You there has to be a goal. There has to be a plan. There has to be strategy behind it or the intention to build those things in.

And you can’t, like, maybe, like, a lot of these things, maybe the same sort of in the same space as disruptive. If you take an insight from somewhere else and just decide it’s part of this other plan, well, that’s a copy and paste. That’s not necessarily a strategic decision Mhmm. Because you haven’t looked at the strategy for the space you’re in. I don’t know. Over explaining. Here’s the point.

I think that you could say well thought out.

I think that you could say that it’s goal focused. I think that you could say it is with a plan, but it might not necessarily be strategic if you have no damn strategy.

Yeah. Love it.

Not too much to add. No.

That’s a good one. K. Well, leverage was my number two, so you’re gonna go into yours then?

Yeah. I guess so. I guess so. And I this one, it makes me sad. I don’t I really don’t wanna give it up, but it probably is the right thing for me to do. Robust. Oh.

I like the word robust. I think the word robust is evocative, but I think maybe marketers and me in particular, I think maybe we overuse it. I think you could say it is full featured.

I think you could say it is a strong offering or anything like that. But the word, to me, I associate robust with a really hearty stew. It’s like it like, it’s meaty. Robust needs to be meaty and weighty. You know what I mean?

Sure.

That’s what comes to mind for me.

And, you can have I think maybe we applied robust in places where there’s just a whole lot of stuff.

So it’s not particularly meaty or weighty or useful or strategic or any of those things.

It’s just, you know, we have thrown a whole bunch of stuff at the wall, and we’re calling it a robust campaign.

Yeah. Right? It where it’s maybe it’s a junk drawer instead of a nice meaty stew.

Yeah. Does that make sense to you?

It does. Yeah. And I would say it’s a word that’s maybe on it’s not on my list. It’s not my number one spoiler alert, but could be. And I feel like robust to me is what complex is to you.

And that it’s a word that I use to kind of bundle in things that maybe I don’t know enough about or, so it’s less about, like, the complexity or the depth of an offering or a product or something like that.

But I know that the time that I’ve used it is, talking about when we get assistance for more technical web development and things like that, stuff that we don’t have the time, the capacity, the expertise on our team to do. We’ve got people in place to help us with some of those more robust sort of aspects of one’s website, you know, database management, things like that, all stuff that just yeah. I I don’t being totally honest, I don’t do every day. I don’t know what I’m talking about, so we rely on people for that.

But so it’s kind of like a catch all sort of word for me.

Okay.

And, like, speaking of that one example about website stuff, like, I could probably just use the word technical, to be a little bit more clear about what I’m talking about.

So, yeah, robot. That’s that’s an interesting one.

Yeah. Yeah. I I sort of associate it with if we were to tell a client that we were gonna create a robust campaign, for example, it should be thoughtful.

Yeah.

Not just we’re gonna take the we’ll give you the ten things we know how to do Yeah. And call that a campaign. That’s not a robust campaign. That’s just throwing everything at the wall.

Yeah. You know? So Yeah. That okay.

I like it, but it is a good word.

It is a great word.

Yeah. It does make me hungry for a nice Yeah.

Smells good too. Yep. Mhmm.

Yeah. K. We’ve made it to number one already. How exciting how exciting for us?

This one breaks my heart a little bit.

But Are you crying?

People can’t see you on the camera, but you’re crying, aren’t you?

I’m fine. I’m fine.

It is optimized. Oh.

Other words, we could use fine tune, get better results, improve. And that last one, improve, I think, is why I, have this word at the top of my list because I feel like optimize, optimizing something, is basically unachievable.

As soon as you optimize as soon as you optimize something, something and I’m speaking mostly of, you know, technical things, optimizing a website, or maybe even maybe even, like, a marketing campaign or something, a budget, let’s say.

As soon as you optimize something, like, something in the world changes and means it’s not optimized anymore. It can be better. You know? So, now there are times that it’s just the right word to use that, either because it’s industry jargon and you’re talking to someone else in that industry and they know what it means when you say search engine optimization or, you know, any other time that you would use a form of optimize.

But, you know, talking about a system or a process or a workflow, like, yeah, we can optimize it based on how we work now, who’s on the team, what technology we have available to us and stuff. And it can be optimized from where we are today. It can be fine tuned, can be improved. But is it optimized in the sense that it’s the best it could ever be?

No. And it likely never will be because the world changes and technology changes and all that. So, the main reason why this is at the top of my list is I think the maybe the psychology behind it of, like, it never being done. Like like, you can never master this thing.

So you should use a different word because what you’re doing, it’s maybe optimizing it from current state, but it’s not, you know, infinitely optimized. Right? So let’s fine tune it, and then we’ll fine tune it again next time. And I might just be splitting hair.

It’s a year.

But I don’t think so.

Because as you’re talking, what I’m thinking about is that, you know, optimize the being the associate the word it associates with is optimal Mhmm. Which is the peak of something. Right? And I think that the we build an inherent sort of I don’t wanna get what the laziness is not the right word.

But you when you say something is opt let’s it’s optimized for search, The and you say that to a client, then chances are five years from now, when somebody comes along and says, yeah, did you did you all you know, have you had somebody look at this website? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. They they optimized it for search.

And to them, like, that’s that’s it. That is the optum the the optimal result.

And so it discourages there’s something about it that could discourage iteration.

Mhmm. We’ve achieved optimal. We’re done now. We paid a guy Yeah. To do the thing, and it’s optimal. And don’t try and sell me something else.

Yeah. Yeah.

K. Optimized. Out. K. Here’s another one. My number one is innovative.

I thought this may be on your list.

What on earth does the word innovative even mean? What does it mean? I know what it means. Mhmm. But, not everything can be innovative.

Yeah.

Not it it can be new.

It can be a clever solution for something. It can be a fresh approach for something.

But does that necessarily mean I think, know, this is one of those things. I I just interrupted myself mid thought. This is one of those things that I there are two I see two sides to it.

Number one, we when we talk about anything in on the tech side, we want to make sure we, the larger we, want to make sure that the word innovative is in there. So it’s an innovative new app, and it’s an innovative, you know, way to approach your strategic synergy.

But not again, not everything technological. Not everything in tech is innovative.

Some of it is copying and pasting other people’s ideas. Yep.

And things that are not tech that are, that are practical can also be innovative.

Yeah. So we I think we overuse it in tech Yeah. Related things. We underuse the concept that we could be innovating in the real world with practical things that are happening around us.

Mhmm.

And that a news for example, a newspaper ad could be innovative.

Yes. Newspapers have been around for a really long time, but we could innovate there.

I don’t want to.

But we could. So yeah. I so innovative.

I’m still gonna use it. This is the thing. Yeah. I’ve I’ve given you this list of five plus a bonus six word. You’re still gonna hear these words from me.

Yeah. Yeah.

But now that I have had these thoughts about these things, I want to be cautious about them. Mhmm. Words shouldn’t be placeholders. They shouldn’t be a a shallow sort of yeah, just a shallow representation of a thought that you expect other people just to understand because you said the word innovate.

Right.

It should mean something.

Mhmm.

You know?

This is a great time for me to reference, the Ed Failing quote, Ed Failing being the credit union pioneer who said innovation is, the constant replacing of the best there is with something still better.

So because I am a Ed Fialline fan, and I love that quote, full permission to use innovative, because I do feel like in many, many cases, you know, iteration, innovation might be used interchangeably if let’s talk about another word. Know interchangeably. I don’t wanna use that ever again. But but, yeah, you know, this is a world where it’s, like, really tough to invent things now.

Like, a lot has been invented. And so, like, if innovation if your definition of that is invention, then, yeah, like, probably stop using it because that’s really tough. You know? But if it’s to iterate on something, that’s to make something that already exists that’s good a little bit better.

That is innovative. That can be innovative. And your newspaper ad example is kind of funny because, yeah, you know, you sure. You don’t want to.

We don’t want to. We don’t have to too often. But, hey, if that’s where your audience is, like, yeah, get innovative there. You know?

So it’s okay.

Yeah. That’s that’s the place to innovate.

Right.

Something that has been around for, three hundred years.

Mhmm.

Yeah. Innovate there.

You know?

Yeah.

For sure. Okay. I’m gonna can I throw you a curveball?

Sure.

So we’ve we have our we have made it through our list of marketing terms. These, by no means, are all of the words we should stop using. These are just marketing terms, that we want to stop using that we’re just and I think if we’re really specific, for me, it is I’m tired of saying it.

It’s not that I’m gonna stop using it. I just have said it so much that it’s nonsense to me now.

So what is I’m putting you on the spot so that I have time to come up with my answer. What is a nonmarketing word that you think you should stop using?

Just any word in your life.

Is it a swear word? That look on your face.

Yes. Well, that is definitely the case.

Oh, man. That is tough.

Maybe, I mean, I think this is I I use this in the marketing world too, but in certainly outside of it, efficiency efficient, some version of that.

I think that sometimes I do use it as, like, a placeholder. What I’m really trying to say is, like, let’s just let’s do things better, or or I could use a more specific word like that process needs to be quicker, or we need to spend less money there or, you know, whatever. And with using efficiency, it’s kinda like, well, what what are you talking about? Like, what which aspect of this thing should be more efficient?

Is it the way we spend? Is it the way we do things? Is it something else? You know?

So Yeah.

Yeah. I think I I’m sure that y’all have heard me say that word in times when I probably could be a little more specific or use better words, and I know I use it at home too. So Yeah.

Mhmm.

Yeah. Oh, that’s inter yeah. I like it. I like it. I think the word my feeling when I hear somebody say we need to make a process more efficient is probably like my brain immediately goes to, I don’t know how you think I’m going to do this any faster.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, immediately, oh, you’re spending too much money because I’m doing this thing.

I don’t know what you think is gonna happen. You know? And this is after listen. I don’t always brag on my bona fides, but I am a lean six sigma grade belt.

And even I, as a green belt, don’t like the word I should say.

Yeah.

That’s a good one. Yeah.

I do, feel like using different words probably helps say this, more accurately, but efficiency definitely doesn’t always need to mean faster and cheaper.

You know? Like Mhmm.

Because, really, I mean, the there’s probably a hundred definitions of efficiency, and I suppose it depends on what you’re talking about. But efficiency is kind of just like the result of a formula. Right? Like, input times or minus output or you know what? Right?

So, like Yeah. It’s really about eliminating waste in the process.

Is higher and your input is a tad higher, but the end result is you’re putting out more than you ever did, then you’re a bit more efficient. Right? It doesn’t always have to mean subtraction.

Yeah. But Yeah.

Anyway, maybe that’s another episode.

K.

I don’t know if I can talk about the word efficiency for an hour. I think that’s Okay. Maybe. Maybe. Forget. As as I’ve I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I am Lean Six Sigma certified.

Oh, I didn’t know that.

Yeah. I could get out my no. Actually, I think it’s hang I think my certificate’s hanging in my office, come to think of it. So just so you’d stop on by. Check it out sometime.

Yeah. Okay. Have you had enough time?

Yes. I have. I I and I will say I am going to I’m gonna tell you about a word that I have just tried entirely to eliminate from my vocabulary, and it is the word stupid.

Oh.

I now and when I say it, that is exactly how I say it.

Stupid. Stupid.

I it was something as a younger person.

I think I called other people.

And, the fur the first step for me trying to eliminate this entirely, pretty much entirely, from my vocabulary was to teach myself never to call someone this to their face, like, in anger.

Right?

And it just I so I had an experience several years ago working with a coworker, not somebody on our team, who whenever they disagreed with something that was happening, they would say, well, that’s stupid.

And I it just really got me reflecting on how nothing of a phrase that is.

You can you can disagree with it.

You can not like the policy or the decision.

But what is it? Like, give me context. Tell me what you think should be happening.

Or Yeah.

You know, tell me why you’re upset about it. Don’t just say that’s stupid. Yeah.

And expect me to agree with you.

Yeah. So, yeah, that is that is a that’s a word I I really try not to use.

And this is coming from someone, certainly not on this podcast, but in real life and sometimes at work, who curses like a sailor. And to me, it is much worse to call someone stupid than, than swear at them, I guess, is the bottom line there.

Because I that is a word that’s a word I think actually has some power.

Mhmm.

And to me, curse words are just they’re however you receive them.

Right.

And if you don’t let them bother you.

Yeah. Because they’re all just made up like all words.

Then they you don’t have to let them have power over you, but I think that’s a powerful word.

Yeah. For sure.

Yeah. Especially calling another person that, for sure. But even a, like you say, a process or something, there’s just it’s just like a really great example of a word where there’s a dozen other words that would be way more effective to use in the scenario. So you’re actually communicating the problem you have with it even if the problem is it upsets you.

You know? Right. This may be especially that. If all it if the reason you call it stupid is because you get cranky every time you have to do it or something, Well, there’s a lot more to talk about than just you being cranky about the process and how it makes you feel.

But Yeah.

Yeah. It’s a really it’s a really dismissive way, I think, in that context. It’s just it’s really dismissive. Mhmm.

And it takes it pushes any of the responsibility off of you as the person saying it. They’re like, that’s just stupid so I don’t have to deal with it. I you know? Yeah.

Yeah.

Awesome. Well, this was fun.

It was fun.

Thanks for thanks for indulging me. I love doing I love top ten lists. I love top five lists. Yeah.

You know, it’s probably because I grew up watching David Letterman.

Right. Yeah.

And not only do I love doing these kinds of lists, Ben, but, we love creating osmology is the thing I like to remind people here at the end. And we are always excited to have people join us and listen to our opinions. And we always invite. If you listen to our opinions and you disagree with us or you agree with us, please share that on our social media.

Check out our blog. You can find all of these episodes wherever you, listen to your favorite podcasts, and you can find them on our blog at exclamation qso dot com slash blog.

Thanks, friends, for tuning in. Be awesome, and we’ll see you next time.

The Awsomology podcast is a production of Exclamation Services. Executive producers are myself, Ben Bauer, and my friend, Suzanne Campbell.

Thanks to Kylie Ganther for our show artwork, Scott Saager for booking our guest, and Alex Westerhausen for social media support.