In this article, Laurent Boghossian, Comedian, Keynote Speaker and Leadership expert, explores ideas such as corporate jargon, “soft skills,” HR communication, and the importance of precise language when addressing human behavior

When Corporate Jargon Becomes Meaningless

Yes, I’m French. And no, I do not reject English words in French. Many have naturally become part of everyday language. My concern is different: some corporate expressions gradually become concepts whose meaning is no longer clearly understood.

The term “soft skills” is a good example. Widely used in Human Resources, it supposedly refers to interpersonal and behavioral abilities. Yet the expression can create a vague conceptual bubble: everyone uses it, but few people necessarily agree on what it actually means.

What Do We Really Mean by Soft Skills?

Behind “soft skills” lie much more concrete realities: interpersonal skills, behavior, empathy, compassion, self-awareness, self-assertion and human connection.

Using precise words matters because language shapes the way we understand people and situations. Saying “empathy” or “compassion” immediately conveys a more tangible meaning than using a broad corporate label.

The same applies to self-assertion. It is not necessarily “soft”: expressing oneself authentically can require confidence, courage and firmness.

Why Precise Language Matters in HR

Defending precise French terminology is not about linguistic purism. It is about preserving the substance behind professional concepts.

When corporate language becomes too abstract, it can distance managers and HR professionals from the real issues they are trying to address: human behavior, empathy, relationships and authenticity.

This may even explain why some HR processes fail to deliver their intended results: they focus on standardized concepts while losing sight of the human reality behind them.

The Human Meaning Behind Management Vocabulary

The central message is simple: words matter because they carry meaning. Replacing precise human concepts with fashionable corporate terminology can make professional communication smoother—but potentially less meaningful.

For managers and HR leaders, the challenge is therefore not simply to use the right vocabulary, but to ensure that the words they use genuinely reflect the human realities they want to understand and transform.

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Key takeaways

• Corporate jargon can become so familiar that professionals forget to question what its most fashionable terms actually mean.
• “Soft skills” often hides concrete human abilities such as empathy, interpersonal relationships, behavior and self-assertion.
• Precise language helps managers and HR professionals identify the specific human behaviors they genuinely want to develop.
• Self-assertion is not necessarily “soft”: authenticity may require confidence, courage and the ability to be firm.
• HR processes become more meaningful when professional terminology remains connected to real human behaviors and relationships.

5 questions every manager should regularly ask themselves

• What do soft skills really mean in the workplace?
• Why precise language matters in management?
• How to improve HR communication?
• Why corporate jargon can undermine HR processes?
• How to talk about human behavior at work?

This summary was generated by artificial intelligence by Laurent Boghossian himself, updated and reviewed by Laurent Boghossian himself, based on audio recordings made by Laurent Boghossian himself.

“Artificial intelligence at the service of humanity. Not the other way around.“