Everyday Office Jargon · Managing Director level

"Blocking and tackling"

"Blocking and tackling" refers to the fundamental, unglamorous skills required to do a job competently, borrowed from American football.

Say this instead: the basics

How "Blocking and tackling" shows up at work

Typically invoked by a senior person reminding a team that the exciting strategy work cannot succeed if the basics are broken. Often said at the start of a turnaround, a new quarter, or a postmortem where something embarrassingly simple went wrong.

Buzzword

Before we discuss growth initiatives, we need to get back to blocking and tackling.

Plain English

Before we discuss growth initiatives, we need to get the basics right again.

Corporate Rank: Managing Director · Category: Everyday Office Jargon

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