-A-

Above Board - Another way of saying honest or ethical.  Use this in your speech when referring to yourself.

Accountability - To accept responsibility for something.  To be avoided at all costs.

-B-

Bait and Switch - A useful tactic that allows a seller to advertise a product or service at a low price to get prospects interested.  Once the prospect decides to purchase the product or service, the seller then informs the prospect that the item is not available, but a more expensive alternative is. 

Bankruptcy - A useful method of avoiding creditors.

Blame Game - This occurs when the blame is shifted from person to person, and nobody takes responsibility for the problem.

-C-

Catch 22 - An ideal situation in which to put your employees.  This is a situation where whatever the employee does, he/she cannot win.

Cook the Books - To falsify financial documents.  This can be very useful to either shift the blame onto the financials, or to validate your success.

-D-

Dog and Pony Show - A standard business presentation.

-E-

Eleventh Hour - The ideal time to inform your employees about anything that affects them directly.  They won't have time to react negatively.

Empowerment - Allowing the employee to make key decisions.  This can be a good idea as it will make the employer look good while allowing opportunities to blame the employee for bad decisions.

-F-

Face the Music - Has nothing to do with MTV.  To accept the consequences.  This is to be avoided at all costs.

Free Ride - Benefiting from situations without contributing to success.  Standard business practice for managers and supervisors.

-G-

Gofer - A low ranking employee or errand boy/girl.  It's always a sound business practice to have at least one around in case of an emergency.  They can take the fall for many situations.  You'll feel better and be admired by more people if you don't pay them.

-H-

Happy Hour - A promotional event after hours at a bar or restaurant.  A way to get drunk and say it was for the benefit of the company.

Hardball - A method in which goals are achieved through any means necessary.  Also, the game of baseball.

Hush Money - Payment to keep someone quiet, a bribe.  This can be used when other methods have failed.  Spending money is always a final option.

-I-

Idiot - Anyone that doesn't agree with you.

Infrastructure - Years ago, when people spent money and didn't know how to validate it, they said it was a miscellaneous expense.  Now they say it is an infrastructure expense.

-J-

Jury Rigged - a non-permanent solution.  Useful when more time is needed to develop a blame strategy.

-K-

Kudos - Another word for congratulations or approval.  Never offer it, always accept it.

-L-

Lemon - A defective product or a small fruit.

Lions Share - The largest or best portion.  A very important term.

-M-

Mark - Also known as prospects or customers.

-N-

Negotiations - A situation in which the savvy businessman attempts to create a win/lose agreement with a second party.

-O-

Off the Books - A transaction conducted without records, typically to avoid payment of taxes.

-P-

Payment - A term used by lazy employees and creditors that think they deserve monetary compensation.

-Q-

Quick and Dirty - A cheap, easy, but usually second-rate solution.  Often preferred because it is inexpensive.

-R-

Renege - To promise one thing, then do something else.  A good way to back out of an agreement.

-S-

Shouting - Standard negotiation tactic.

Smoke and Mirrors - Actions taken to hide the true situation.  This is standard business practice and should be used when meeting with prospects and investors.

Step up to the Plate - To take responsibility for something.  To be avoided at all costs.

-T-

Team Player - An employee that works for free and doesn't complain.

-U-

Untrue - Anything that contradicts what you have said or believe.

-V-



-W-

Wardrobe Malfunction - When costumes and/or accessories fail to operate as they were intended. Singer Justin Timberlake first used this phrase when describing the infamous Suberbowl XXXVIII halftime show fiasco.

Watchdog - A person that criticizes unethical business practices.  To be avoided at all costs.

-X-



-Y-

Yes Man - An employee who's sole function is to agree with the supervisor.  It is necessary to have at least one when conducting a meeting.

-Z-

Zilch - Zero, or Nothing.