Sean's Show & Tell

I saw some amazing films this year. Here are just a few of my favourites.

A list of banned words from the new gov.uk site. I love this. (via https://www.gov.uk/designprinciples/styleguide)

We can do without these words:

agenda (unless it is for a meeting)

advancing

collaborate (use ‘working with’)

combating

commit/pledge (we need to be more specific – we’re either doing something or we’re not)

countering

deliver (pizzas, post and services are delivered – not abstract concepts like ‘improvements’ or ‘priorities’)

deploy (unless it is military or software)

dialogue (we speak to people)

disincentivise (and incentivise)

empower

facilitate (instead, say something specific about how you are helping)

focusing

foster (unless it is children)

impact (as a verb)

initiate

key (unless it unlocks something. A subject/thing isn’t ‘key’ – it's probably ‘important’)

land (as a verb. Only use if you are talking about aircraft)

leverage (unless in the financial sense)

liaise

overarching

progress (as a verb – what are you actually doing?)

promote (unless you are talking about an ad campaign or something)

robust

slimming down (processes don't diet – we are probably removing x amount of paperwork etc)

streamline

strengthening (unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures)

tackling (unless it is rugby, football, some other sport)

transforming (what are you actually doing to change it)

utilise

Always avoid metaphors. For example:

drive (you can only drive vehicles; not schemes or people)

drive out (unless it is cattle)

going forward (unlikely we are giving travel directions)

in order to (superfluous – don’t use it)

one-stop shop (we are government, not a retail outlet)