BCLC's Stephen Jordan: 'Declare war on jargon'

This video and article are produced and published by Devex Impact, a global initiative of Devex and USAID, that focuses on the intersection of business and global development and connects companies, organizations and professionals to the practical information they need to make an impact.

At a time when businesses are expanding their social missions and setting development-focused goals, Stephen Jordan, the executive director of the Business Civic Leadership Center, a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said euphemisms can cloud important discussions among potential partners.

“We have jargon because some of the simple words are scary,” said Jordan, speaking with Devex Impact on the sidelines of BCLC’s 2012 Global Conference in Washington D.C.

Jordan also explained why companies are more focused than ever on the communities in developing countries where their work takes place, pointing to Alcoa’s work with local communities in Brazil as an example.

Video editing by Sarah Cannon.

Explore Related Content

IBM’s Stan Litow: 3 Steps to Effective Corporate Citizenship (VIDEO)

A $100 billion opportunity: Climate Adaptation Investing

How Business is Changing Development

Join the 500,000-strong Devex community to network with peers, discover talent and forge new partnerships – it’s free! Then sign up for the Devex Impact newsletter to receive cutting-edge news and analysis every month on the intersection of business and development.