Learnings.org

achieve success

As in...
Way to go on closing that deal - huge home run for the office.

finish a task

As in...
We've worked so hard on this project it would be a shame not to be able to run it into the endzone.

To lead or run something

As in...
Jim, since you're the only member of the pitch team below the Senior VP level, we're going to need you to drive the presentation. I'm not sure if you're aware, but none of the rest of us really know what we're talking about.

Perhaps one of the most blatantly marketer originated terms in use today, this term is a fancy, toe-tapping way to say - someone is asking for more information.

(although it may also conotate asking a question, but usually not when used in reference to the general populace - in meetings where marketing folks are talking)

As in...
We need to leverage our behavioral modeling so as to maximize our ROI-driven response to the hand raisers, while not ignoring the response to our high-level Clowns in a Jar campaign with the leads and the conversions. In fact, we need to run this up the flag pole and see who salutes ASAP.

To lead a project or discussion

As in...
So far, we've had 13 people respond to the sexual harassment training workshop. Do we have any idea who is going to drive the feedback session?

To make others, some of which that are higher up on the ladder than the current group, aware of a situation or issue.

As in...
Walter, the client just called and she seemed very PO'd that the whole accounting department was at lunch at the same time. When Phillip gets back I'm going to run it up the flagpole and see what we can do about resolving this going forward. I swear, I just can't take another bitchy call today. I'm going to freak out.

The idea that the minute you start a new job, or a new task, you can immediately make an intelligent and significant contribution, despite not having a clue what the hell is going on.

As in...
Most often encountered in references to new hires, recruiters and managers often like to use phrases like this: "We're excited for you to join the team Sammy. You're going to have to dive right in, and hit the ground running on that big Balls in the Air project. We're counting on you to pull through on this!"

It often translates, loosely, if you were chatting with friends outside of work, to something like this: "Sammy, we don't have a damn clue what the hell we're doing with big Balls in the Air, and neither do you, so, since we don't have budget or processes in place to bring you up to speed, you get this beast which lets us veterans watch you sink or swim and gives us a scapegoat while also freeing up our schedules to leave work early. Thanks!"