Buzzwords

"Business Finance" contributing editor Dan Danbom interviewed Lingua in
his New York City office.

Danbom: Is being a cliché expert a full-time job?
Lingua: Bottom line is I have a full plate – 24/7.

D. Is it hard to keep up with the seemingly endless supply of clichés that
spew from business?
L. Some days, I don't have the bandwidth. It's like drinking from a fire
hydrant.

D. So it's difficult?
L. Harder than nailing Jell-O to the wall.

D. Where do most clichés come from?
L. Stakeholders push the envelope until it's outside the box.

D. How do you track them once they've been coined?
L. It's like herding cats.

D. Can you predict whether a phrase is going to become a cliché?
L. Yes. I skate to where the puck's going to be. Because if you aren't the
lead dog, you're not providing a customer-centric proactive solution.

D. Give us a new buzzword that we'll be hearing ad nauseam.
L. "Enronitis" could be a next-generation player.

D. Do people understand your role as a cliché expert?
L. No, they can't get their arms around that. But they aren't incented to.

D. How do people know you're a cliche' expert?
L. I walk the walk and talk the talk.

D. Did incomprehensibility come naturally to you?
L. I wasn't wired that way, but it became mission-critical as I
strategically
focused on my go-forward plan.

D. What did you do to develop this talent?
L. It's not rocket science. It's not brain surgery. When you drill down to
the granular level, it's just basic blocking and tackling.

D. How do you know if you're successful in your work?
L. At the end of the day, it's all about robust, world-class language
solutions.

D. How do you stay ahead of others in the buzzword industry?
L. Net-net, my value proposition is based on maximizing synergies and
being
first to market with a leveraged, value-added deliverable. That's the
opportunity space on a level playing field.

D. Does everyone in business eventually devolve into the sort of mindless
drivel you spout?
L. If you walk like a duck and talk like a duck, you're a duck. They all
drink the Kool-Aid.

D. Do you read "Dilbert" in the newspaper?
L. My knowledge base is deselective of fiber media.

D. Does that mean "no"?
L. Negative.

D. DOES THAT MEAN "NO"?
L. Let's take your issues offline.

D. NO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE MY "ISSUES" OFFLINE.
L. You have a result-driven mind-set that isn't a strategic fit with my
game
plan.

D. I WANT TO PUSH YOUR FACE IN.
L. Your call is very important to me.

D. How can you live with yourself?
L. I eat my own dog food. My vision is to monetize scalable supply chains.

D. When are you going to quit this?
L. I may eventually exit the business to pursue other career
opportunities.