David Brent
To avoid looking like David Brent managers should cut down their use of business jargon BBC

If the jargon your boss uses at work sets your teeth on edge, you are not alone, according to a new study.

Phrases like 'blue sky thinking' and 'game changer' are among the most annoying jargon used in the office, claimed a report for jobs site Glassdoor, which surveyed 2,000 employees.

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The new research revealed that phrases like these tend to cause employees to mentally groan and switch off.

Managers might think their business
lingo is inspiring colleagues, but in fact many of them don't have a clue what you are really trying to say. And bosses might come off looking like David Brent, the character from the BBC comedy The Office.

Some terms were coined by strategists and psychologists who wanted to develop a strong company ethic, encourage employees to believe in their work or improve productivity and efficiency.

Most are metaphors that have lost their figurative punch and turned into cliches as they have been chronically overused.

Glassdoor UK Country Manager David Whitby said: "No one wants to be the office jargon junkie but who isn't guilty of using some of these buzzwords from time to time?"

He added: "Phrases like "touch base" and "no-brainer" have certainly entered the common vernacular, but beware overusing jargon."

So which jargon-filled catchphrases most commonly set eyes rolling in offices across the UK:

Touch base – according to 24% of employees
To meet in person and talk about a specific issue

Blue Sky Thinking - 21%
Creative thinking that breaks away from confined, ordinary ideas

We're On a Journey - 13%
Suggesting a team has not reached its mission but is on its way

Game Changer - 13%
Something that dramatically changes assumptions about how things are done

No-brainer - 13%
Something immediately obvious or irrefutably a good idea

Thought Shower - 11%
A meeting to freely discuss new ideas in their early stages

Run It Up The Flagpole - 11%
To trail or present an idea to see what kind of reaction it gets

If You Don't Like It Get Off The Bus - 10%
Suggestion that someone should just leave a company if they're not happy

Mission Statement - 10%
An assertion of values an motivations with regard to a company and its work

Pick It Up And Run With It - 10%
Continuing with a project that was started by someone else

Punch A Puppy - 9%
To do something horrible for the long-term good of the company

Let's Get Our Ducks In A Row - 9%
To fix different interests, parties and priorities in preparation for an event