Consulting & Strategy Jargon
35 buzzwords: the slide-ready language of frameworks, levers, and value creation. Each links to a full breakdown with the plain-English swap.
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Apples to oranges"Apples to oranges" means two things being compared are different enough that the comparison does not hold up.→ an unfair comparisonAt a high level"At a high level" means looking at something broadly, without getting into the specific details.→ broadlyBallpark"Ballpark" means a rough estimate or approximate range, used when exact figures are not available or not yet needed.→ rough estimateBest-in-breed"Best-in-breed" describes a product or solution that is the top option in its specific category, even if it does not cover every function an organization needs.→ top of its categoryBoil it down"Boil it down" means to strip something complex to its essential points, removing everything that is not critical to the argument.→ simplifyBuy-in"Buy-in" means getting agreement or support from key people before moving forward with a decision or plan.→ agreementCenter of excellence"Center of excellence" means a dedicated team or function recognized as the internal expert and standard-setter for a particular discipline.→ expert teamChange management"Change management" refers to a structured process for helping people in an organization adapt to new systems, processes, or ways of working.→ helping people adaptCurrent state"Current state" means how a process, system, or organization operates right now, before any proposed changes are made.→ how things work nowDirectionally correct"Directionally correct" means that a plan or estimate is roughly right in its general approach, even if the specific details are not yet accurate.→ roughly rightFramework"Framework" means a structured approach or organizing model for thinking about a problem, often presented as a diagram or set of categories.→ structured approachFuture state"Future state" means the intended or desired condition of a process, system, or organization after a change or project is complete.→ how things will work afterGap analysis"Gap analysis" means a structured review of the difference between where you are now and where you want to be, used to identify what needs to change.→ what's missingGranular"Granular" means at a fine level of detail, used to describe analysis, data, or discussion that goes deeper than a summary overview.→ detailedHolistic"Holistic" means taking into account all the relevant parts of something rather than focusing on a single aspect in isolation.→ completeHypothesis-driven"Hypothesis-driven" describes an approach where you start with a specific assumption and then gather data to test or support it.→ assumption-firstKey levers"Key levers" means the small number of factors that, when changed, have the biggest effect on the outcome you care about.→ main factorsLever"Lever" means a specific factor or variable you can adjust to produce a different outcome, especially in strategy or financial models.→ factor to pullNet new"Net new" means genuinely additional, as opposed to recycled, reallocated, or repackaged from something that already exists.→ brand newNet-net"Net-net" means after everything is accounted for, this is the final conclusion or bottom line.→ the bottom lineOperating model"Operating model" means the structure and processes that describe how a company actually gets its work done.→ how the business runsOrder of magnitude"Order of magnitude" means a factor of roughly ten, used to describe how much larger or smaller one thing is compared to another.→ ballpark scalePlaybook"Playbook" means a documented set of strategies, processes, or tactics used repeatedly across similar situations, drawn from the sports metaphor of a team's collection of plays.→ game planPressure testTo "pressure test" an idea means to challenge it deliberately, looking for flaws or assumptions that could cause it to fail.→ challenge itQuick winA "quick win" is something small that can be accomplished fast to show early progress on a project or initiative.→ easy winRightsizing"Rightsizing" means reducing the number of employees at a company, reframed as bringing headcount to the correct level rather than cutting jobs.→ cutting staffSanity check"Sanity check" means a quick, informal review to confirm that an assumption, number, or plan is not obviously wrong before moving forward.→ double-checkStakeholder buy-in"Stakeholder buy-in" means getting the relevant decision-makers and affected parties to agree with and support a plan before it moves forward.→ getting everyone on boardStrategic priorities"Strategic priorities" are the small number of goals a company or team officially designates as most important, usually for a given year or planning period.→ top prioritiesStress test"Stress test" means to deliberately push a system, plan, or assumption to its limits to find out where it will fail before it fails in real conditions.→ test under pressureSynthesize"Synthesize" means to combine information from multiple sources into a single, coherent summary or conclusion.→ pull togetherTiger team"Tiger team" means a small, focused group assembled specifically to solve one difficult problem, typically with urgency.→ task forceTrue north"True north" in a business context means the core guiding goal or principle that every strategy and decision should point toward.→ guiding goalValue creation"Value creation" means the process of making a business, product, or asset worth more money or more useful than it was before.→ creating valueWar room"War room" means a dedicated space, physical or virtual, where a team works intensively to resolve a crisis or manage a high-stakes project.→ crisis room
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