Lately, friends and clients have been asking me what we can do
about the growth of cliché and platitude in everyday language —
at home, at work, and in the media.
I want to suggest an approach that has generated some very
satisfied customer responses from organisations I have visited. Feedback from
these Fortune 500 firms frequently shows people are fascinated to learn the
fundamentals of formula-free phraseology.
The ‘12 Evasions’ program is as simple as reading a calendar. For each month of
the year, nominate a hackneyed phrase, then do everything you can to avoid
speaking that phrase — substitute a synonym, discuss a different angle on the
issue at hand, talk about a different topic, make turkey noises, or even just go
silent.