Super Curse
Can we start a campaign – both inside Microsoft and anywhere else in the business world the scourge may exist – to eradicate use of the word “super” to express enthusiasm?
Dare Obasanjo has a great post on “Top 5 Bozo Phrases in Email” that includes this bit (he also rips, deservedly, on “synergy”, “make us more agile”, “innovative”, and everyone’s favorite beaten-to-death-to-the-point-of-losing-all-meaning phrase “Web 2.0″):
super excited: This one may just be a Microsoft thing. The reason I can’t stand this phrase is that it is an obvious overexaggeration of how the person feels about what they are talking about since it often is associated with information that is barely interesting let alone super exciting. Do you know what would be super exciting? Getting a phone call from Carmen Electra telling you that she was using StumbleUpon, found your blog and thought you sounded cute and would like to meet you. That’s super exciting. Your product just shipped? Your division just had another reorg? You just added a new feature to your product? Those aren’t even interesting let alone super exciting.
Kevin’s Super Theory: The frequency of an individual’s use of “super” is directly correlated to how high up in the management chain they are.
“I’m super excited!” or the lesser used variations “super pumped!” or <ugh> “super jazzed!” can most commonly be found in group-wide reorg or product release emails from Vice Presidents. It generally occurs with decreasing frequency among General Managers and Sr. Directors. When Directors – or worse, Group Managers or Leads – use “super” it generally means they are one step shy of breaking out the khakis (”dress for the job you WANT, not the one you HAVE!”) as part of a full press to show senior management they are one of them and deserve to get the call up into the big leagues.
Our company, and the world, would be better off if “super” is forever banned from the corporate lexicon.
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We should leverage our existing resources, strategize around our shared goals, and brainstorm using a deep dive, to create a synergistic strategy to fulfill this committment.
I think the word “super†is something that upper level managers should keep using. I generally see it as an early warning that a bunch of Male Bovine Excrement is going to be tossed my way.
Alfred – great point, a BS Early Warning System!
Shawn – I think I passed out reading your comment. :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you – Us Brits thought that is was normal usage for our North American cousins when on stage! We’ve been taking the mick out of super for years. :-)