From a News Release announcing further staff reductions at an organization struggling for survival:
The streamlining emphasizes the formation of high-performance teams working in a fluid structure rather than departments, a strategic approach that better takes advantage of the core strengths of each staff member to apply his or her skills and talents across projects. An increased level of responsibility, accountability, and empowerment driving the decision-making process will give team members more direct ownership of projects, therefore speeding up projects to completion, resulting in more expedient implementation for our customers.
This is a classic example of corporate mumbo jumbo and the following translation is offered as a public service:
The handful of people remaining who actually know what they’re doing will be held accountable for the mistakes of everyone else. We really don’t have a plan. Anyone can do anything with any project at anytime.
Seriously now – the people who wrote this would have described the Hindenberg crash as a “minor mishap, involving fire.”
The leadership may have a solid plan for succeeding with fewer people, and it just might work. If they do, you wouldn’t know it from reading their release. What they wrote is either an attempt to spin straw into gold or indication they really don’t have a clue how to proceed with the “streamlined” team that remains.
Big words and long sentences are often used to hide something. Avoid them. Always.
Excellent insight, for anything we write or say.