The culture of the Agile community is based in part on an ethos of responding to change and growing to meet new challenges with innovative ideas and structures.  However, this fast paced environment can lend itself to a proliferation of jargon and buzzwords, unfamiliar and meaningless to those who aren't in the know.  In fact , it's this use of language that tends to create such strong divisions between people in corporate settings, creating stumbling blocks for those trying to move quickly.

By identifying the difference between language that doesn't drive value and the words that do, understanding that people can become divided through this type of speech, and ultimately settling on a more simple, direct, and honest conversational style, you can turn a confusing conundrum into an opportunity for cohesion and community.

Within the Agile and technology communities, it can be easy to assume that the language we use every day is common knowledge and shared throughout our professional spaces. Certainly when we interact with other professionals and hear them using the same terms, this just reinforces our assumptions. Especially when we leave the boundaries of technically specific language and enter the realm of jargon or “buzzwords” it can be easy to find validation through other people’s language preferences.

However, using this type of language can not only create divisions within our teams, it can obfuscate meaning, delay action, and create misunderstandings that can inhibit a team's ability to deliver. By examining the differences between jargon and technical language, we will look at how this use of language can create in- and out- groups and break down trust within an organization.

By committing to using broadly understood language and being direct in the way we interact with each other, we can improve our ability to perform at a high level in the fast paced technology space.