That vagueness is a real problem, especially if you work in a small company, a government office or a non-profit. When no one agrees what thought leadership is, it is hard to know whether you are doing it, whether it is working, or whether it is worth your limited time.

For years, the honest answer was that thought leadership resisted definition. It was easier to describe what it felt like than to say what it was.

That is now changing. The Global Thought Leadership Institute (GTLI) at APQC, where I am a board member, has published the first widely recognized standard for the field, and with it, a clearer definition. GTLI describes thought leadership as the development of distinctive, evidence-based insights that give decision-makers the information they need to act. Our standard sets out what true thought leadership looks like: ideas meant to influence decisions, not simply to attract attention.

Three things make that definition useful. First, it must be evidence-based, grounded in real research or experience rather than opinion dressed up as authority. Second, it must offer something new, a genuine insight rather than a tidy restatement of what everyone already knows. Third, it must help people act, moving a reader closer to a decision or a solution.

Notice what the definition does not require: a famous brand, a large budget, or a flood of content. A town council, a two-person charity or a regional firm can all produce real thought leadership, as long as their insights are credible, fresh and useful. Smaller organizations often hold exactly the kind of specific, first-hand knowledge that decision-makers value most.

This matters more as generative AI makes publishing easier. When anyone can generate endless polished text in seconds, volume stops being impressive. What stands out is human judgement, distinctive thinking that someone can trust and use.

So the question is no longer “Are we producing enough?” It is “Are we sharing insights worth trusting?” That is thought leadership, clearly defined.

If you’re interested in learning more about thought leadership and how to position yourself as a thought leader check our course.

In his essay, Orwell takes aim at the abuse of political language, which he says consists “largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness” and is “designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.”

But Orwell doesn’t just whine about the state of ‘modern English.’ He also offers a series of writing tips that have become so well-known that 80 years later many British journalists can quote them by heart.

Orwell suggests that in every sentence he writes, a scrupulous writer should ask himself four questions:

• What am I trying to say?
• What words will express it?
• What image or idiom will make it clearer?
• Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

And he’ll probably ask himself two more:

• Could I put it more shortly?
• Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

Orwell’s first question is probably the most pertinent, because the cardinal sin of many writers, politicians and communicators is failing to think clearly about what they want to say – or what their ‘core message’ is in modern-day parlance.

“This mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing,” writes Orwell. “As soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed: prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated henhouse.”

When I read a quote from the CEO of a well-known PR agency pledging to “double down on our growth imperatives for major markets and clusters while positioning key functions, sectors, and capabilities to drive our progress,” I think of Orwell’s prefabricated henhouse. Ditto when I get a message from a major tech firm inviting me to a ‘Driving New Value Together with Ubiquitous Cloud and Intelligence keynote.”

The second question – what words will best express what I’m trying to say? – was something of an obsession for Orwell, who argued in his essay, and in ‘1984,’ that just as thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.

“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity,” wrote Orwell, who died four years after writing the article. “When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.”

If you listen to speeches by some senior EU officials, who spout meaningless meta-concepts like ‘making Europe smart, strategic and sustainable,” you’ll see why Orwell’s critique stands the test of time. Likewise, when you hear politicians and journalists trot out words like ‘epoch-making,’ ‘epic’ and ‘historic,’ bear in mind these are often used to “dignify the sordid process of international politics,” in Orwell’s opinion. And when businesses like Space X use euphemisms like “rapid unscheduled disassembly” for one of their rockets blowing up or the Kremlin describes its attack on Ukraine as a “special military operation,” you’re not far from Orwell’s parody of ‘pacification’ as meaning “defenceless buildings bombed from the air.”

Having posed six questions writers should ask, Orwell ends by offering six rules writers should stick to. I’ve added a few examples in italics to underline his timeless tips:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

If you boast about ‘thinking outside the box’ you are definitely thinking inside the box. In the same vein, spare ‘low-hanging fruit’ for plucking bananas in Costa Rica. “Like a cuttlefish spurting out ink,’ on the other hand, is an image that’s fresh enough to have effect.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

Prefer ‘end’ to ‘terminate,’ ‘is’ to ‘constitutes’ and ‘use’ to ‘utilise.’ Not only are they shorter, they are clearer and less pretentious.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

When it comes to writing, less is more. And more is less. So reduce pompous phrases like ‘on account of the fact that’ to ‘because’. And be ruthless in your editing, getting rid of all repetitive, superfluous or unnecessary words. ‘Learn to kill your darlings,’ as writers say.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Using the passive voice is weasly as it avoids naming who is doing the action. For example: ‘It has been decided that smoking in our company offices is banned’. It can also sound downright weird, as in: ‘The baby was kissed on the forehead by the Pope.’

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Instead of ‘align’ use ‘agree.’ If you’re going to write about the European Council, explain that it’s a meeting of EU leaders. And try not to use foreign words like ‘mutatis mutandis’ and ‘weltanschauung’, which Orwell says “are used to give an air of culture and elegance” to writers but are often unintelligible to readers.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

You have to try pretty hard to write in a ‘barbarous’ manner. But so much writing, especially policy and corporate writing, is “avoidably ugly.” Following these six simple rules will make it clearer, more concise and more convincing.

But if you’re looking to create your own newsletter, or simply continue to grow your audience base, how do you get started?

Here are my five tips for getting more eyeballs on your newsletter content:

1. Make it as easy as possible for people to sign up 

This may sound painfully obvious, but you would be amazed at how many organisations miss this crucial step. While many may think that a newsletter signup form is perfectly fine only in the footer or even on its own page on your website, this could lead to missed subscriber opportunities. 

Not everyone will make it to the footer of your website. Most won’t even make it past your homepage. Because of this, we need to make it as easy (and obvious) as possible for people to sign up.

Adding a signup form prominently in the header of your website is a great place to start. This is typically where website visitors will expect to find it. 

You can also add a signup link on your social media channels to bring in additional subscribers who already follow you elsewhere, or even in the body of your blog posts. Think about those key places where people are already engaging with your content.

2. Incentivise wherever you can – even before signing up 

FOMO – fear of missing out – is a powerful thing. 

If you’re offering your newsletter audience exclusive content or deals, be sure to mention it wherever you can to entice new subscribers to join in on the fun, too.

And if you aren’t already doing this, it might be worth considering adding something exclusive for your subscribers so that you can further incentivise newcomers. 

People won’t subscribe to your newsletter just because you want them to. It’s important to add value to people’s lives – in other words, we need to clearly answer the age-old question, “what’s in it for me?”

via Mailchimp

3. Be transparent and set expectations right off the bat 

The last thing you want is to gain hundreds of new subscribers, only for them to unsubscribe just a few days later. One of the most common reasons for this? Mismatched expectations.

How often should your audience expect to hear from you? Daily, weekly, monthly? Be sure to communicate this from the beginning to avoid a mass exodus of subscribers. 

A short line next to your signup form is all you need, such as Join our monthly newsletter to receive exclusive content delivered right to your inbox.

On a similar note, be sure that all of your subscribers are aware of what they’re committing to. Thanks to GDPR, passive email consent is a thing of the past. It’s important for subscribers to know who you are, why they’re hearing from you and that they actively opted in to receive your content.

4. Sharing is caring 

A great way to get more subscribers is to encourage your current audience to share or forward your newsletter with friends and colleagues.

This is the virtual equivalent to word-of-mouth marketing and can help you extend your potential reach well beyond the people who already follow your content.

Just be careful here: If a subscriber forwards your email to a friend, and the friend decides to click ‘unsubscribe’ in the forwarded email, this will unsubscribe the original subscriber without their knowledge.

5. Create an automated welcome campaign 

Most newsletter tools offer basic automation features, so use this to your advantage. By setting up a simple workflow, or drip campaign, you can engage with new subscribers immediately without lifting a finger.

When someone subscribes to your newsletter, you can trigger a welcome email (or two or three) that is automatically sent out. This email can be used not only to welcome your new subscriber to the community, but you can also use this as an opportunity to highlight recent or popular content that may be of interest to them.

via Automizy

Automation allows you to interact with your audience in a thoughtful, timely way without the added hassle of constantly watching over your mailing list. 

Mailchimp offers hundreds of excellent use cases and examples of automation, so be sure to try it out for yourself if you’re looking for new ways to engage with your subscribers. After all, if subscribers are delighted by how you communicate with them, they’re much more likely to recommend your newsletter to others!

And if you’re interested in learning more about how to improve your writing or set up a successful newsletter, get in touch. 

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

If you’re interested in this masterclass, get in touch and let us know what you’re looking for.

If you’re interested in this masterclass, get in touch and let us know what you’re looking for.

The unquotable quotes above were cobbled together for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and tweeted within minutes of each other at a summit of EU leaders in Gothenburg on November 17.

So why are these soundbites so terrible? Because:

• They are crammed with incomprehensible EU jargon – #EuropeanSemester sounds like a study abroad programme, while #PillarOfSocialRights has to be one of the weirdest, wonkiest hashtags in history.
• They are obsessed with the tedious process of EU decision-making – #EURoad2Sibiu sounds like an EU-sponsored Romanian motorway rather than the latest plan for reforming the Union.
• They are full of stuffy technocratic language like ‘social dimension’ and ‘country specific recommendations.’

So how do you craft a cracking quote? Here are a few tips:

• Use colourful, vivid language that paints a picture. “I have a dream” is more memorable than “We have agreed on a roadmap towards a white paper.”
• Voice strong opinions rather than bore people with facts, context and process. “It is a stain on Europe that so many children live in poverty” is punchier than vague guff about the ‘European social model.’
• Rhetorical devices like contrast and repetition work. For example JFK’s: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
• Cut all jargon, process and acronyms. #EURoad2Sibiu is meaningless enough as a hashtag. In a soundbite it is deadly.
• Above all, sound like a human being rather than a robot programmed with a random word generator. This means being personal and using clear, simple language.

If you’re interested in learning how to write sticky soundbites, sign up for our courses on How to Write Clearly, Perfecting Press Releases and Mastering Media Interviews. Or come to our open course on Working with Journalists on December 12.

But just because writing is tough doesn’t make it impossible. Nothing is too complex to write clearly about if you follow these tried and tested rules:

Know your audience

Tailor the style and content of your writing to suit your audience. An article stuffed with technical jargon may be suitable for an academic journal but unintelligible to readers of a popular newspaper.

When writing for a general audience, assume ignorance. Don’t fall into what linguist Steven Pinker calls the ‘curse of knowledge’ trap – presuming your readers know or care as much about the topic you’re writing about as you do.

Plan your writing

What information or ideas do you want to get across? Decide what is essential and cut out anything unimportant or uninteresting. You may want to write down five words, facts or ideas your story cannot do without. Writing your headline before you draft your piece also helps focus the mind.

Some other tips before putting fingers to keyboard:

·     Research thoroughly before writing. Speak to experts, think hard about the issue and discuss with colleagues.

·     Add a peg to your story. Why is this relevant to your readers now?

·     What are you adding to the topic that’s new or original? Pick an angle and run with it.

·     Know your limits. How much space and time do you have? Give yourself a word count and set a deadline for hitting it.

·     What style will you adopt? Folksy? Formal? Factual? Whichever you choose, involve the reader, try to tell a story and don’t be dull.

Structure your writing

Different forms of writing – speeches, blogs, press releases etc – have different structures. But most have these common ingredients:

·     Headlines should grab the attention of the reader. They should be short – no more than 10 words – and use pithy, evocative words that make you want to read more. For example: “Headless Body in Topless Bar” (New York Post). Use Subheads to flesh out the headline.

·     Lead paragraph – Most readers get no further than the opening sentences. So when writing a news article or press releases this is where your most essential information needs to be. Normally this includes a who (name), what (event), where (place) and when (date). Whys and hows are also important. If you’re writing a speech, blog or feature article feel free to start with a story or anecdote that seizes the reader by the lapels. Then move on to your message or key info.

·     Context  – Don’t assume readers know the ‘back story.’ Explain how we got to where we are – especially when the issue is complicated. Use proof points such as dates and statistics, and experts who can explain the issue better than you can.

·     Quotes add colour, depth and authority to a piece. They can be eyewitness accounts or experts voicing opinions. They should be short, full of lively language and involve contrast or repetition. For example, JFK’s “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Quotes should not contain facts, jargon or abbreviations.

·     The Conclusion should wrap things up quickly and efficiently, while asking: ‘What next?’

Keep it brief

“The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out,” wrote Voltaire. Contrary to what some academics will tell you, being brief does not equal being shallow. So keep your written pieces as short and snappy as possible by cutting out everything that is not necessary.

One way to reduce your word count is to replace cumbersome phrases like in the event of with short words like if. Another is to turn nouns back into verbs. So instead of carry out an evaluation of, use evaluate.

Keep paragraphs short – around 3-4 sentences – and use subheads, bullet points and numbered lists to make texts more readable. Same rule for sentences: two short ones are usually better than a long one with lots of clauses. They are also easier to digest and make snappier soundbites. Finally, short words are usually better than long ones. They take less space, are easier to understand and avoid you sounding like an egghead. So prefer about to approximately, buy to purchase and make to manufacture.

Be Crystal Clear

“Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible,” advises the Economist Style Guide.

So:

·     Don’t leave readers guessing or confused. If you don’t understand what you are writing about, your readers certainly won’t.

·     Don’t try to be too clever. Over-complicated sentences and rarely used words will confound readers.

·     Write as simply as possible. Prefer concrete words (rain, fog) to abstract ones (bad weather) and avoid non-measurable words like quite, somewhat, rather.

Axe the jargon

Jargon is a form of insiders’ language that is intelligible to those in a certain bubble but unintelligible to those outside. If you want to avoid alienating your readers, get rid of tired, technocratic words like stakeholder and framework, clichés like win-win, euphemisms like social exclusion, throwaway terms like holistic and inclusive and a host of other foggy phrases that cloud clear communication. You can find my full list of banned words here.

Also, remember to axe uncommon abbreviations and acronyms and references to obscure procedures and unknown institutions. Drafting a personalised jargon-buster helps. Just list jargon words you commonly use in the left-hand column and clear explanations for lay readers in the right.

Edit thoroughly

Your credibility depends on you being accurate with the language you use. So edit your writing carefully before publishing – whether it’s a tweet, email or brochure. Here are some ways to avoid making mistakes:

·     Reread. After you have written your first draft put it aside and think about it. Then reread.

·     Revise. Look at the big picture stuff: the lead, order of paragraphs, transitions between paragraphs. Does the writing flow? If it doesn’t, rewrite.

·     Cut any repetition, superfluous content, unnecessary words.

·     Spellcheck. But remember this tool doesn’t tell the difference between their and there, your and you’re and god and good.

·    Ask colleagues to comment. Is there anything you’d add/take away? Are there any mistakes? If you’re not a native speaker, ask for help.

·     Repeat. Preferably by printing and reading your piece out loud.

Following these tips won’t make you a great writer but it will make you a better one. If you want to keep improving your writing, learn from the best. Read sharp journalism – for example The Economist or The Guardian, fine writers like Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell and Graham Greene and writing manuals like William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.

But above all, write. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a blog, facebook posts, poems, tweets, short stories, speeches or articles. The more you write the better you’ll write.

Gareth Harding has been a professional reporter, speechwriter, editor, journalism lecturer and media trainer for over 25 years. If you want more tips on how to write clearly, he will be running a one-day masterclass in Brussels on October 5. There’s more info here: https://cleareurope.eu/our-courses/clear-writing-training/

Unfortunately, in my line of work – managing a small communication company and finding internships for American students in Brussels – I am exposed to more CVs than most would consider healthy.

This is not a dig at the quality of the candidates, who are often more skilled, more educated and more motivated than I am with their double masters, four to five languages and experience working in nine countries. It stems more from an honest desire to help talented people get the jobs they want without making basic mistakes. So here are 15 tips for writing a better CV, with apologies to all those anonymously quoted:

1. Don’t exaggerate too much

Everyone inflates themselves on job applications – but try not to pump too much hot air into your cover letter or CV. If you’ve flipped burgers at Mc Donalds for a few weeks, don’t turn that experience into one where you “cultivated a mutually respectful working environment among peers and customers by demonstrating leadership qualities such as multi-tasking, initiative-taking and thriving in a fast-paced environment.” Likewise, if your ‘management skills’ extend to being the lead singer of an unknown rock group and your ‘leadership positions’ were vice-president for fundraising at your sorority or spending a week on a church mission to help poor kids in Guatemala, you clearly don’t know much about management or leadership. Finally, if one of your skills really is the “ability to provide resolutions to conflicts,” send a letter to the Nobel Peace Prize award committee.

2. Apply for the right job

I recently got a cover letter for a job with my company from someone who was applying for work at an Italian telecoms firm. Another had valuable experience in delivering frozen bakery products in the far east of Russia but precious little in the media training field. One applicant even applied for my own job as managing director! Your skills should also bear some relation to the job you’re applying for. So even an experienced attorney is unlikely to get an interview for a junior communication post. Ditto if your only experience is running a student granola baking company or volunteering on an ostrich farm.

3. Apply to the right person

If no name is mentioned on the job ad, feel free to address your cover letter to Dear Sir/Madam. But if it is, please don’t write: ‘To Mr/Mrs Human Resources Manager’ or ‘To whom it may concern.’ Hirers are people and prefer to be addressed as people, not as job titles.

4. Don’t be pretentious 

You may think you are a thought leader, changemaker, transformation catalyst, political trendspotter or chief awesomeness officer but please keep this ego-inflating drivel to LinkedIn. On a CV it’s better if you can prove your amazingness by listing the things you’ve done that make you so amazing. Usually these are concrete skills rather than puffed up abstract nouns. Personally, I’d much prefer someone who speaks Dutch or knows InDesign than someone claiming to be an ideas architect.

5. No boastful marketing bullshit 

If you are “result-oriented, proactive self-starter” or an “analytical, insightful, and highly-disciplined problem solver” you are not unique. You are like every other candidate. And if you claim to think outside the box you’ve just proved you don’t.

6. Axe the jargon

Jargon is a form of linguistic cancer that needs to be surgically removed from any non-specialist text. So even if you can “leverage existing networks to expand reach and impact,” add value with your “strategic inputs, proven business skills and C-level network” or have a “proven track record in providing an exemplary level of service to a broad range of stakeholders,” it’s unlikely to find you a job.

7. Avoid vague, meaningless guff

Anyone can claim they will bring creativity, imagination, perseverance, discipline, honesty and ethical spirit to the job, have “natural negotiation and persuasion abilities” and be “committed to the ideals of excellence.” But few are – and even fewer can back these extravagant claims up with proof. Also, avoid vapid motivational quotes like “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.” Not much use when you’re expected to hit the ground running in your new job. Finally, don’t boast about having attributes that not everybody will admire. “Pugnacious” is probably best avoided – unless you’re applying for a job as a boxing instructor.

8. Be confident, but not over-confident 

Having assured me she was the right candidate I was looking for, one recent applicant suggested a time slot she could squeeze me in for an interview. “30 minutes should do the trick.” It didn’t because the delete button got there first.

9. Show me you’re different…

If you list your ‘computer skills’ as “knowledge of Microsoft Office, Outlook, Firefox, Safari, Excel and Power Point,” I’ll assume you also know how to tie your shoelaces and boil a pan of water. And if you’re a student who boasts about knowing how to use “social media such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram” I’ll lump you together with the other two billion people who also know how to use at least one of these platforms.

10. …But be aware of cultural differences

In Belgium, where I live, it is important to mention your marital status on your CV – so don’t be surprised to see ‘single’ under a flattering photo of the applicant, their date of birth and the fact that they have a clean driving licence. All would be complete taboos in the United States, where what Europeans know as CVs are called resumes.

11. Edit thoroughly

If the application asks for native level English, don’t write “My English in on a native level” or “I speak fluently English, French is my mother tong.” And even if English is not your native tongue – or tong – there are no excuses for writing “I postulate in your company.” That just sounds rude. Finally, don’t leave track change on so prospective employees can see you changed ‘intermediate’ French to ‘fluent’.

12. Keep it short 

Unless you’re an award-winning polymath whose career has spanned decades and bridged continents, your CV should fit on two pages – or one page if you’re a student or recent graduate. Don’t test people’s patience by churning out 25 pages listing every conference and course ever attended – like one applicant did recently.

13. Be creative…

On standardised European CVs, applicants grade their written and spoken linguistic abilities as C2, B1 etc. If you’re like me, you can never remember if C is good or bad. So I was impressed when a recent applicant put “German: cup of tea and cake.” I can picture that level of German because it’s about the same as mine. I also chuckled when another applicant wrote: “90.000 HOURS – That’s the average amount of hours spent at work during a lifetime. I want to make these hours as worthwhile, challenging and fun as possible.”

14. …But not too much

Being creative is great – within limits. If a job ad asks for a cover letter but you reply that you didn’t write one because “all candidates usually write typical phrases about their motivation” you may be right. But you’re also missing an opportunity to show how you’re really different, as opposed to really superior.  Also, playing around with the format of CVs is fine, as long as this creates clarity rather than confusion. So that stop motion video CV with flow charts and funky music may win full marks for creativity but not such a good grade for clear communication. Likewise, too many pie charts, timelines, barcodes, infographics and design gizmos can end up looking messier than a toddler’s scribblings.

15. Tell me your interests – but not all of them

If someone applies for an internship or job with my company and says their interests are rugby or Czech literature they will get an interview because I happen to like rugby and Czech literature. But if you list one of your interests as pole dancing – yes, this happened – I will probably forward your CV to a local strip club.

Clear Europe runs courses on How To Write Clearly and offers copywriting services. 

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write.
Let them think you were born that way.”
–Ernest Hemingway

“Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.”
– Henry David Thoreau

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”
– William Shakespeare

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
― Mark Twain

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
― Stephen King

“There is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.”
― Sylvia Plath

“Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.”
― Victor Hugo

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: What am I trying to say? What words will express it? What image or idiom will make it clearer? Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”
― George Orwell

Jargon is a form of linguistic cancer eating away at the European body politic.  If EU institutions are to stand any chance of reconnecting with disillusioned voters, they must surgically remove jargon and communicate in clear, concrete language.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Over the years, EU officials – and the tens of thousands of lobbyists, diplomats and even journalists who inhabit the Brussels bubble – have developed a bizarre, contorted language of their own. Dubbed ‘Eurospeak’ or ‘Euro-English,’ this lazy, alienating form of talking and writing relies on glueing together vague, abstract and often meaningless phrases like shards of a smashed vase, using long, complicated, show-off words where short, clear, simple ones will do and falling back on unintelligible jargon to express often simple ideas.

EU jargon comes in many guises. There are words and phrases unique to Brussels – like ‘comitology’ and the ‘codecision’ procedure – that are complicated to explain but can be easily translated into clear English with a bit of effort. That will be the topic of our next post. But there is another perversion of language that is even more poisonous – the often meaningless and almost always ugly jargon of modern business and bureaucracy.

Tired, technocratic words like ‘stakeholder,’ ‘framework’ and ‘roadmap,’ cliches like ‘win-win’ and ‘level-playing field,’ euphemisms like ‘social exclusion,’ throw-away terms like ‘holistic’ and ‘inclusive’ and a host of other vague, pompous or foggy phrases cloud clear thinking, mangle the English language and act as a major obstacle to communicating with the outside world. They are not,of course, exclusive to the EU but it is almost impossible to read a European Commissioner’s speech, trade association policy paper or NGO press release without at least one of these dreadful words popping up.

Here are 22 commonly used EU jargon words, with examples, why they are problematic, and clearer alternatives:

1. Actions. Example: “The first Horizon 2020 call includes several opportunities to support multinational demand-driven innovation actions…” Why not: Vague, often redundant. Alternatives: Activities, measures, initiatives.
2. Actors. Example: “All non-profit non-state actors…” Why not: Actors belong on stage. Alternatives: NGOs, business groups, participants.
3. Capacity-building. Example: “The project focuses on capacity-building…” Why not: Vague and bureaucratic. Alternatives: Be specific — what capacity?
4. Citizens. Example: “European citizens’ rights…” Why not: Turns people into political objects. Alternatives: People, Europeans.
5. Civil society. Example: “Pressure on civil society groups…” Why not: Meaningless without specifying who. Alternatives: NGOs, unions, community groups.
6. Cross-cutting. Example: “Cross-cutting policy analysis…” Why not: Ugly and redundant. Alternatives: Widespread, across the board.
7. Deliverables. Example: “Reports and deliverables…” Why not: Bureaucratic and vague. Alternatives: Outcomes, results.
8. Driver. Example: “Trade is an important driver…” Why not: Overused business jargon. Alternatives: Trade drives growth; catalyst.
9. Framework. Example: “In the current framework…” Why not: Vague and clunky. Alternatives: Setup, structure, plan, law.
10. Holistic. Example: “A holistic approach to cities…” Why not: Esoteric and meaningless. Alternatives: All-encompassing, coherent.
11. Inclusive. Example: “‘Inclusive governance’ must be…” Why not: Throw-away term. Alternatives: Describe what you mean.
12. Level playing field. Example: “Create a level playing field…” Why not: Vague and engineered. Alternatives: Be specific — plan, legislation.
13. Mainstreaming. Example: “Mainstreaming climate concerns…” Why not: Ugly and bureaucratic. Alternatives: Integrating, including.
14. Mission. Example: “He will be on mission.” Why not: Only superheroes go on missions. Alternatives: Business trip, travel.
15. Roadmap. Example: “This roadmap will be assessed…” Why not: Overused. Alternatives: Action plan, timetable.
16. Social exclusion. Example: “At risk of poverty and social exclusion.” Why not: Bureaucratic and vague. Alternatives: Poverty, lack of access to services.
17. Stakeholder. Example: “Thousands of stakeholders…” Why not: Overused and vague. Alternatives: People with an interest in…, groups.
18. Sustainable. Example: “More sustainable farming practices…” Why not: Overused to the point of meaninglessness. Alternatives: Environmentally friendly, uses less water, emits less CO₂.
19. Toolkit. Example: “The toolkit will contribute to…” Why not: Overused. Alternatives: Set of actions, plan, measures.
20. Transparency. Example: “Greater supervisory transparency…” Why not: Unnecessarily complicated. Alternatives: Openness, clarity.
21. Valorise. Example: “How could the results be valorised…?” Why not: Ugly. Alternatives: Increase the value of, enhance.
22. Win-win. Example: “A win-win game for both sides.” Why not: Cliché. Alternatives: Mutually beneficial.