When Good Ideas Go Hollow: How Buzzwords Kill the Things We Care About
What happens when the language meant to inspire change becomes a punchline?
The Buzzword Problem
Buzzword Bingo is not a game you want your passion to end up in.
When people roll their eyes or call out “buzzword” at the very thing you believe can fundamentally change how teams work and what it means to be a successful organization, something has gone wrong.
Why do so many important ideas eventually get dismissed as buzzwords, and more importantly, how do we prevent that from happening?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a buzzword as “a word or expression from a particular subject area that has become fashionable because it is used a lot.” On the surface, that doesn’t sound so bad. But in practice, calling something a buzzword carries negative weight. It implies the idea is hollow; something people say to sound impressive or signal awareness, even though it no longer carries real meaning or impact.
Buzzwords become resume fillers, talking points in leadership meetings, or proof that “something is being addressed,” without any real action to back it up.
Psychological Safety, or Buzzword Bingo?
Psychological safety is a perfect example.
I hear leaders, Scrum Masters, and teams talk about it all the time. And shortly after, I hear someone mutter “buzzword bingo.” Why?
A lack of leadership follow-through.
Teams may feel safe enough to speak up and share feedback, but when that feedback reaches leadership, nothing changes.
I once worked with a client whose teams openly shared in retrospectives that they did not feel heard. Leaders listened, but no action followed. Over time, this made it impossible for the team to believe they truly had a safe environment to drive change or even ask for it.
Psychological safety isn’t just about being able to talk—it’s about being heard, being validated, and seeing meaningful action as a result.
What Psychological Safety Really Looks Like?
When I meet with people, I want them to truly feel safe. But what does that look like?
For me, it starts with listening, then repeating back what the person has said in my own words, and asking if I understood them correctly. This gives them the opportunity to confirm or clarify. When they agree that I got it right, it signals that they feel heard. This makes it clear that I am not just listening but actively working to ensure I understand.
Understanding naturally leads to validation, especially when we explicitly acknowledge that their feelings are valid.
The final, and most critical, step is explaining what I’m going to do about it and following up with the results of my actions.
All three of these steps matter. Together, they prevent psychological safety from becoming just another buzzword. They demonstrate that it’s not a trendy concept I talk about, but a value I genuinely believe in, will defend, and will actively work to sustain.
It is what people talk about when I work with them. It is why people walk up to their bosses and talk about the meeting we just had and what it brought them.
The Takeaway
Stopping an important idea from becoming a buzzword is easy; it just takes commitment.
You treat it as sacred. You look past the label and focus on the intent. You don’t just pay lip service; you invest real time, energy, and action.
