As companies grapple with the pandemic, rising inflation and the great resignation, they all agree: It has been quite a journey. Mentions of the word ‘journey’ by S&P 500 Executives on conference calls in 2021 have risen by almost 70% to 3,091, making it one of the fastest-growing corporate buzzwords in recent history. The term was rarely used before — in fact, it was used just once in 2001 — but it is now used to describe practically any kind of business goal, even if it’s mundane.
Types of corporate journeys vary widely; they can be strategic, pricing or even inclusion and diversity. Typically they are strategic like CVS Health Corp. is on a journey to evolve their business model by closing hundreds of brick-and-mortar pharmacies and focusing on their digital healthcare services.
Grant Barrett, Co-Host of the public radio show and a Linguist and shares his opinion, “You’re always looking for new ways to say the same things. I like ‘journey’ for this purpose. It’s less clinical and corporate than saying something like, ‘during the last eight quarters,’ and it’s more affirming than talking about a period of transition or uncertainty.”
