Business English | MBA in the USA

Words of the Week – back of my mind

January 11th, 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbash/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Back of my mind means something that you know but are not actively thinking about, either because you’ve forgotten or it’s just not top of mind.

I’m working on a marketing piece for RW3 CultureWizard today, and the CEO asked if I had seen an . . . → Read More: Words of the Week – back of my mind

Words of the Week – back to the salt mines

January 4th, 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenore-m/ / CC BY 2.0

You might hear Americans talking about “going back to the salt mines” today. Back to the salt mines means going back to work. The phrase holds a sense of dread many people feel after a vacation or long weekend.

Here’s to hoping your day holds . . . → Read More: Words of the Week – back to the salt mines

Words of the Week – nitty-gritty

December 28th, 2009

image: ddsnet

Nitty-gritty means the details.

Managers usually contrast the term with the big picture, or strategic view. You might hear, “I don’t need to get down to the nitty-gritty with you; just give me the big picture.” Or, “I love the big picture idea; now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty to . . . → Read More: Words of the Week – nitty-gritty

Words of the Week – step up

December 21st, 2009

image: Alba ♥

The original meaning of step up was to volunteer, usually for an undesirable project. For example, “Who’s going to step up and lead project X?” Over time, step up evolved to showcase someone that did a good job. For example, “Olivia really stepped up and brought home this sale.”

. . . → Read More: Words of the Week – step up

Words of the Week – conversation

December 14th, 2009

image: Stuck in Customs

I think most of you know I’m a self-professed nerd. I read a lot. I read about MBA subjects like entrepreneurship, emerging media, and building brands. I also read star gossip and fiction like Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy, but that’s a post for another day.

There’s a lot of . . . → Read More: Words of the Week – conversation

Words of the Week – opportunity areas

December 7th, 2009

image: spiicytuna

In the past, they were called “weaknesses.” Today’s politically correct business environment uses “opportunity areas” to describe skills that need to be improved. I actually like the new term. As a person constantly looking to grow and improve (aka nerd), I appreciate feedback that points out opportunity areas.

Here’s a hint . . . → Read More: Words of the Week – opportunity areas