A communication organization I know and love is offering the following learning session: “Mobilizing Employee Attitudes, Strategies to Build and Maintain Workforce Consent: The Politics of Employee Communication.”

Huh? I don’t know what the title means, but if it was designed to impress me with its erudite sophistication, it’s having the opposite effect. I’m appalled that anyone would create such a fractured, convoluted piece of writing, much less an organization that espouses effective communication.

We internal communicators should take an oath to be clear, concrete and authentic. We need to work hard to stamp out Corporate Speak, words that sound impressive but don’t mean anything, and any communication that appeals to MBAs in corner offices but seems false to ordinary cubicle dwellers.

The first time I received an email promoting this workshop, I cringed and hit “delete.” This time, I had to do something. So here goes:

Dear Beloved Communication Organization (you know who you are): Let’s practice what we preach. Let’s avoid the shoemaker’s daughter syndrome. Let’s take out our powerful red pen and kill Corporate Speak.

It’s not always easy, but it’s the right thing to do.