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Mentions of the word “journey” by S&P 500 executives on conference calls this year have soared almost 70% to 3,091, making it one of the fastest-growing corporate buzzwords in recent memory. The term was rarely used before -- in fact, just once in 2001 -- but it’s now used to describe practically any kind of business goal, even if it’s totally mundane.
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“You’re always looking for new ways to say the same things,” says Grant Barrett, a linguist and co-host of the public radio show “A Way with Words.” “I like ‘journey’ for this purpose. It’s less clinical and corporate than saying something like, ‘during the last eight quarters,’ and it’s more affirming than talking about a period of transition or uncertainty.”
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