What all of us need to remain on guard against are the people (notice I didn’t say professionals) that always seem to speak at the 30,000 foot level…A high-level overview is fine as a summary, but certainly nothing beyond that. Vocabulary should be a tool for communicating expertise and not masking a lack thereof…Let’s define what I call the black-art practices of confusion:

1. Job security by confusion: Have you ever had an employee in a particular business unit or practice area paint the picture that things are soooo complex that only they can solve your problem? Nothing is too complex to be explained or understood, and no single individual is invaluable…

2. Sales by confusion: Have you ever been party to a sales presentation that was so sophisticated and technical that you arrived at the conclusion that surely “these guys really know their stuff” and ended-up purchasing something that wasn’t at all what you thought it would be? Remember, if someone can’t tell explain the benefits to you in plain English the benefits probably don’t exist.

3. Intimidation by confusion: We’ve probably all had someone attempt to steamroll us at some point in our careers…multi-syllable techno jargon used in circular conversational patterns with an authoritative posture doesn’t mean someone knows what they’re talking about, rather it usually means they are attempting to dazzle you with feigned brilliance in an attempt to intimidate.