Lost in Lingo? Turn Your Jargon Into a Glossary
New people join with energy and skill. They hit a wall the moment conversations shift into acronyms, nicknames, and local shorthand that no one explains. Jargon forms naturally. It speeds work for insiders. It also shuts out newcomers who are not yet fluent. The fix is simple and low lift. Write the language down and make it easy to find. Then give people a lightweight way to flag unclear terms in chat so you capture them in the moment.
Why This Happens
Internal Language Emerges Naturally
Teams build “community-of-practice” language over time. It compresses ideas and reduces back-and-forth because people share context. Research on shared mental models shows that a common vocabulary improves coordination, reduces uncertainty, and supports proactive problem solving. This is a normal efficiency gain in groups that work together often.
Jargon also signals belonging. People use in-group language to mark identity and shared purpose. In high-trust teams this can feel motivating because it implies common ground. That social function is one reason jargon persists even when many claim to dislike it.
Why It Is Good
Shorthand Can Improve Speed and Cohesion
Internal shorthand reduces repetition and supports quicker coordination when the audience already shares context. Communities of practice literature explains how shared vocabulary reinforces identity and smooths collaboration among insiders.
Well structured onboarding captures that shared vocabulary so newcomers can join the flow sooner. Studies link effective onboarding to higher affective commitment and better early performance.
Plain language research does not argue against expertise. Even experts prefer concise, clear wording that is easy to scan. Teams that communicate clearly are perceived as more trustworthy and transparent.
Why It Is Bad
Unexplained Jargon Excludes and Slows Learning
Insider language creates invisible walls for newcomers. It suppresses questions and reduces learning behavior when people do not feel safe admitting they do not understand. Psychological safety is a precondition for speaking up. Without it, teams lose information sharing and learning.
Jargon reliably reduces processing fluency and engagement. Studies link jargon to lower comprehension, higher cognitive load, and reduced trust in the communicator. This effect persists even when definitions are provided.
Alienation is a real risk. Newcomers who feel excluded are less likely to seek information or contribute. Research on ostracism and newcomer voice shows that exclusion dynamics suppress inquiry and participation.
Finally, undocumented language increases operational fragility. Onboarding guidance emphasizes clarity and shared context. When terms are not written down, ramp time grows and avoidable errors increase. This is amplified in remote or volunteer-heavy environments.
The Fix
Build a Lightweight Internal Glossary
You do not need to police language or strip out useful shorthand. You only need to make it legible. Document terms as you use them. Point new people to one place where the living glossary lives. Give the team an easy way to flag unknown terms in chat. Then fold those terms back into the glossary.
Create a single source of truth that is easy to edit and trivial to find. If you run WordPress, set up a “Glossary” custom post type with categories for programs, events, tools, and acronyms. Limit authoring permission to staff or a small editor group. Expose read access to everyone, with a simple front-end view that is clear on mobile. Add a short “How to request a term” blurb at the top so newcomers know how to ask. If your stack is Slack or Discord first, pin the glossary link in a dedicated channel and set the channel topic to that URL so it is always visible. If you prefer a wiki, a Notion page or similar knowledge base works well. The medium matters less than the habit of writing definitions in plain language and linking related terms. These approaches are standard knowledge-management patterns that reduce ramp time and prevent knowledge loss.
Seed the glossary with the dozen terms that most often confuse new people. Add definitions in one or two sentences. Include the canonical tool or document when a term points to a system or process. During onboarding, link the glossary in the welcome email, the orientation agenda, and the volunteer starter kit. Reinforce the message that looking things up is normal. The goal is not formality. It is quick self-service and fewer private pings for basic questions. Evidence from onboarding and knowledge-base research supports this approach because self-serve answers preserve know-how and cut ramp time.
Make maintenance part of the rhythm of work. After meetings, skim notes and add any new terms that surfaced. When tools change, update the referenced term immediately. Assign light ownership. One operations lead or project manager can review additions weekly for consistency. The moment people see updates reflected quickly, they will trust and use the resource. That trust is what reduces repeated questions and avoids re-explaining basics.
A Simple Starter Practice
Use a “Jargon Giraffe” to Capture Terms in Real Time
Use a giraffe emoji reaction in Slack or Discord whenever someone uses a term that may not be clear. If you see the giraffe on your message, it is your job to follow up with the person who reacted and explain the term in plain language. After that one-to-one clarification, paste the definition into the glossary so no one has to ask again. This makes flagging safe and quick, closes the loop with the person who was confused, and feeds the shared resource without a formal meeting.
If you want a values anchor, you can note that the giraffe is widely used in Nonviolent Communication as a symbol of compassionate speech. The reference is not required, but it helps teams frame the practice as care rather than correction.
keep in mind
Keep the speed, remove the barrier
Internal language helps insiders move fast. It also keeps good people quiet when they first arrive. Write your terms down. Put the glossary where people already work. Give them a low-friction way to signal confusion in chat. You will keep the speed that insiders value, protect psychological safety for newcomers, and reduce the operational risk that comes from unwritten knowledge.