Action Item

Action Item annoying business term

(Action Item is an annoying business phrase and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

Action Item

As is typical with many of the annoying phrases managers love to over-utter, action item suffers from both the extra, unnecessary word and the desire to make something routine sound more important.

In this case, to almost sound like a superhero.

Often, when the something is really, really, really important, it will be promoted to major action item.

We’re talking about a task here; but, of course, “task” lacks the excitement and forward progress implications you get with action item. Too bad, we say.

We’re well beyond the time to strike these clichés and/or cool-sounding phrases from our business vocabulary when a simple, single word will suffice. We are in the age of texting and chat; and no one is impressed by your use of action item when you could just say task.

Replacement phrases: Task; To do

See also: Deliverables

The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon.

From TheManager