January 3, 2010
We Have Acronyms For Acronyms
Corporate culture thrives on acronyms. As soon as a new initiative is formed, there must be an acronym for it. Learning this lingo is part of the initiation process into Corporate America—or CA as I like to call it…just kidding. You’ll be sitting in a meeting and someone will spout an 8-acronym sentence. The lunacy of it all is sometimes no one in the meeting even knows what the acronyms stand for anymore.
A few months back, I reviewed an outgoing communication that made an acronym out of several existing acronyms. Insanity! It takes jargon to a whole new level. At least you can successfully Google most common acronyms, but acronyms of acronyms? Not really.
So how do you navigate this mess?
1. Ask
Regardless of whether you’re fresh out of college or a seasoned professional, you’re not expected to know everything when you’re starting out at a company. So ask. It’s better to ask and know then assume…because we all know what happens when you assume.
2. Google it
If the opportunity to ask what the acronym means doesn’t arise, Google it. There are several information-rich sites like acronymfinder.com that can help you decipher what people are talking about. Sometimes the search results on big aggregators like AcronymFinder can turn up an overwhelming number of definitions per acronym. Luckily, if you’re looking for an industry-specific term, there are several sites that will enable far more refined searches. For instance, if I was looking for an Information Technology (IT) definition, I would use http://whatis.techtarget.com, an IT terminology encyclopedia.
3. Make a List…and check it twice
Once you’ve gone to the trouble of finding out what it means, write it down. Even if you commit it to memory, chances are you will eventually have to teach these terms to the new intern or associate. Save yourself the trouble of having to verbally convey everything by preparing an alphabetized reference sheet. Before passing it on, verify that the information you’ve compiled is correct. While IBS might mean Irritable Bowel Syndrome to you, it could mean Internet Broadcasting Systems to your company, so double check.
Know of any other industry-specific acronym encyclopedias? Feel free to post them below.
