Everyday Office Jargon · Vice President level

"Move the needle"

"Move the needle" means to take an action that produces a measurable improvement, usually in a key metric.

Say this instead: make a real difference

How "Move the needle" shows up at work

Borrowed from analog meters and applied to every metric from revenue to employee engagement scores. Favored by VPs who need to explain why a project is worth the budget. The implication that nothing else was moving the needle is rarely examined.

Buzzword

We need initiatives that will actually move the needle on customer retention.

Plain English

We need initiatives that will actually make a real difference on customer retention.

Corporate Rank: Vice President · Category: Everyday Office Jargon

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