'Outside the box' jargon is the bane of office workers

Management-speak and all-staff emails have become the bane of office workers, according to a new study.

Well-worn phrases like "thinking outside the box" and "going forward" were among the most overused jargon used in offices, while other gripes and irritations included staff arriving late, and those who gossip about colleagues.

Many said they were annoyed about people sending emails to a colleague sitting opposite, a survey of more than 2,000 managers by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) also found.

Ten annoying office phrases and an explanation of what they mean:

• "Reach out" - Call, email or meet

• "Touch base" - Contact; see above

• "It's on my radar" - I'm aware

• "Flag up" - Make aware of

• "Low-hanging fruit" - An easily-achievable goal

• "It's a win-win situation" - It's a good idea

• "It's a no-brainer" - See above

• "Best practice" - A good way of doing something

• "I'll ping you an agenda" - I'll email you with what's happening

• "Take it to the next level" - Improve ( or avoid dealing with abstract "levels" altogether and give your colleagues a tangible goal)

The study found that management-speak is used in most offices, with one in four managers describing it as a "pointless irritation".

Managers added that food and dirty plates left on office desks get on their nerves, while one in four bosses never make tea and coffee for their team.

But at least office-speak is not limited to the UK.

Spanish workers have complained of over-use of "Es lo que es" ("It is what it is"), while the French say they cannot stand anglicisms such as "win-win", "next step" and the verb "brainstormer".

English words have also crept into Russian management-speak, where workers complain of their "top-manager", and even the Italians refer to "core business" and "benchmarking".