(The ______s of the World 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.)

The (Blanks) of the World

You’ve heard these comparisons countless times; and perhaps for you, these nonsensical assessments weren’t all that annoying.

Well, you just haven’t been listening closely enough.

The Googles of the world, the Walmarts of the world, the Amazons of the world. Enough!

First, there is only one Google, one Walmart, one Amazon. To say the Amazons of the world means you don’t understand a thing about what makes Amazon, Amazon (or Google, Google or Walmart, Walmart).

These companies have no peers – that’s one reason these comparisons are annoying.

Though even when your pompous manager or coworker uses a company or person that actually has peers in their comparisons, they almost always miss the mark.

Saying, “the Burger Kings of the world,” and then making a generalization about fast food, for example, provides you no real insight into the respective industry; and does nothing to move your business forward.

Moreover, it assumes all similar companies or people share the same tactics or strategy or even vision. Most often they do not, of course.

Despite what your manager thinks, shallow comparisons are not perceptive, instinctive, or even intelligent. In fact, they are the opposite; and they provide nothing tangible on which to act.

We know, we’ve worked with plenty of the annoying managers of the world.

Replacement phrases: No replacement needed; be specific with your comparisons – especially when discussing tactics or strategy you want to emulate or avoid.

See also: Space

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