Fun Jargon to share over Thanksgiving Dinner

Clearly, both politics and religion are off the table for your family gathering.

So, what’s safe?

I’ve collected some new-ish business terms that you can brandish to impress or confuse friends and family at your Thanksgiving gatherings.

Waterfall? No not this kind.

Waterfall Project Management has nothing to do with your pipes or the great outdoors. It’s a traditional managerial process that relies on scheduled check-ins and detailed reports, both of which allow the project leader to weigh in. The structure is rigid. Decisions cascade down from upper management, like a waterfall. A waterfall orientation can crush an agile team.

Job Crafting not Craftsman Style

Job Crafting: actively finding ways to make your job work better for you.

Andy Molinsky’s article offers great advice on how to craft a job that is more fulfilling:

“See if parts of your job are ‘craft-able’. There has been considerable research on the idea of job crafting, where you tweak certain aspects of your job to gain a greater sense of meaning and satisfaction.”

Shadow Board not Dark Shadows

We rushed home from school to watch this Gothic Soap Opera!

Shadow Board:

I’m a boomer so when I hear “Shadow” I think of Dark Shadows, a vampire daytime soap opera.

But, a Shadow Board is a new way for Boomers in charge to connect with younger employees and stay current.

“A lot of companies struggle with two apparently unrelated problems: disengaged younger workers and a weak response to changing market conditions. A few companies have tackled both problems at the same time by creating a “shadow board” — a group of non-executive employees that works with senior executives on strategic initiatives.”