Buzz Words used in communications ....

1. The Seductive Language of
Development

2. The Seductive Language of
Development
The development industry has mastered the techniques of
saying much and meaning nothing. Consider the following
extract from a 1994 speech by an Assistant Director-
General for fisheries:
“This programme is based on an integrated approach to the
development of small-scale fisheries and the improvement
of the socio-economic conditions of communities of
downtrodden fishermen and their families. It will promote
the skills, capacities and potentials of fishing communities,
through the active involvement and participation of the
fishing villagers in the planning and implementation of
management and development activities.”

3. The Seductive Language of
Development
To the uninitiated it sounds wonderful.
In reality none of it stands up to a critical analysis. It is
merely a way of making people believe that the
modernization of fishing is designed to help local fishing
communities where, in fact, FAO want to modernize fishing
to create a market for trawlers, radar and sonar equipment,
nylon nets and modern warehouses, and, most importantly,
for the expertise which FAO must provide to justify its
own existence.
The effects upon fisher folk of modernization are the
destruction of their communities, the export of the fish,
which once led them, and the over fishing and eventual
exhaustion of their local fish stocks.

4. The Seductive Language of
Development
The techniques used by the development industry’s
sophisticated propaganda machine have been analyzed by
A.F.Robertson.
He highlights the language used for selling its policies and
stresses that much of its value rests in “Its imprecision of
meaning”. He points out that the “buzz words” which it uses
can be combined into almost infinite permutations and still
‘mean something’.
Robertson illustrates his point by listing the 56 words,
which occurred the most frequently in a planner’s lexicon.
These are arranged in four different columns of words.

5. The Seductive Language of
Development
A B C D
1 Centrally Motivated Grass-roots Involvement 1
2 Rationally Positive Sectoral Incentive 2
3 Systematically Structured Institutional Participation 3
4 Formally Controlled Urban Attack 4
5 Totally Integrated Organizational Process 5
6 Strategically Balanced Rural Package 6
7 Dynamically Functional Growth-Oriented Dialogue 7
8 Democratically Programmed Development Initiative 8
9 Situationally Mobilized Cooperative Scheme 9
10 Moderately Limited On-Going Approach 10
11 Intensively Phased Technical Project 11
12 Comprehensively Delegated Leadership Action 12
13 Radically Maximized Agrarian Collaboration 13
14 Optimally Consistent Planning Objective 14

6. The Seductive Language of
Development
One word can be selected at random from each column to
compose a four word, typical development phrase.
For example,
A3. B6, C9 and D12 make “systematically balanced
cooperative action.”
A12, B9, C6 and D6 construct another like sounding phrase,
“comprehensively mobilized rural participation.”
None of these phrases mean anything yet they are typical
of the seductive language which fills the countless
speeches, plans, project proposals and glossy
pamphlets of the development industry.

7. The Seductive Language of
Development
Now, lets have some more fun.
1.Before (or during) your next meeting, seminar, or
conference call, prepare yourself by drawing a square. A 5"
x 5" seems to be a good size.
2.Divide the card into columns - five across and five down.
That will give you 25 one-inch blocks.
3.Write one of the following words/phrases in each block,
as shown in the next slide.

8. synergy strategic fit
core
competencies
best
practice
bottom line
revisit expeditious
to tell you the
truth (or "the
truth is")
24/7
out of the
loop
benchmark value-added proactive win-win
think outside
the box
fast track result-driven
empower (or
empowerment)
knowledge
base
at the end of
the day
touch base mindset
client
focus(ed)
paradigm game plan
The Seductive Language of
Development

9. The Seductive Language of
Development
3. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of
those words/phrases.
4. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or
diagonally, stand up and shout "BINGO! QUICK FIVE"
and so on... ;-)
5. Some Possible Benefits
a) Meetings will never be the same ……
b) Attention span at meetings improve dramatically.
c) You want the meetings to continue, till you achieve something –
completing the fifth box!

10. The Seductive Language of
Development
Enjoy your seminars, meetings, workshops ..... Nothing like
doing this in groups dispersed across the Conference Halls.

11. sharing with you:
LB Prakash
- prakash.lb@gmail.com
lbprakash@rediffmail.com