(Hammer it Out is an annoying business term 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.)

Hammer it Out

You’re close to a deal… there are a couple of points where you and the other side still disagree, but the overall structure is there. What’s your next step?

Well, if your annoying manager is involved, he’ll tell you exactly what to do next. He’ll say, “Hammer it out.” Ugh, so annoying.

He tells you this in a self-satisfying way because he believes hammer it out is more than a saying, it’s a solution. In his mind, hearing it should hit you like epiphany; hearing it should make you feel honored to be working for such genius; hearing it should propel you into a win-win scenario – an agreement we all can love.

In his mind, you just need to hammer it out because, after all, it’s all in the details. Double ugh, truly maddening.

Hammer it out is used by those who lack a penchant for the details; those who have ultra-short attention spans; those who lack business acumen. Hammer it out is the business equivalent of “go team!” in sports. It also means, “I can’t be bothered by such triviality; you handle it!”

It’s hollow and directionless; and it implies your boss thinks you’re so weak minded you just need a little motivational push from above to successfully complete the task.

Unfortunately, given the weakness of those using hammer it out, the replacement phrases are no better; they’re just not clichés.

Replacement phrases: Work it out; Come to an agreement; Finalize the details

See also: Buy-In; Win-Win Scenario

…

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