| Uber [adj.] | This borrowed German word emphasizes any adjective that it appears before. It’s also a great way to sound like your teenage daughter. “I am uber-tired today; I’m going to spend the rest of the day working from home.” Suggested by Dave A. |
| Unbundling [v.] | To break a service package into smaller, targeted pieces. “Our platform drives an opportunityscape for creative unbundling.” |
| Undertooled [adj.] | Lacking the tools necessary to complete a task. “I need more training; I’m completely undertooled to operate this.” |
| Unknown unknown [n.] | The most dangerous of business uncertainties. “I know about the known unknowns. It’s the unknown unknowns that keep me up at night.” Suggested by Chris P. |
| Unpack [v.] | To explore or examine in detail. “I think that we need to really unpack this concept before we pursue the idea further.” Suggested by Melissa. |
| Unscrew [v.] | The actions required to reverse the harm caused by previous incompetent management. “I’m not sure how we’re going to unscrew things with the shareholders.” Suggested by Lance S. |
| Up sticks [v.] | To close a location and move. “If your team can’t deliver growth next quarter, we’ll up sticks and relocate the whole division.” |
| Up the pitch [v.] | To increase the intensity of an argument. “Don’t pivot off-message… up the pitch!” |
| Upfeed [v.] | Passing along key information to a superior. “Just put it in your report and I’ll catch it on the upfeed.” |
| Upshot [n.] | An advantage or benefit. “The upshot of this escalation strategy will be a 50% increase in our small arms production.” Suggested by Heywood J. |
| Upside [n.] | Potential for a positive financial outcome. “Stop mumbling about ethics and think about the upside. It’s bonus season.” Suggested by Lee B. |
| Upskill [v.] | To self-improve. |
| Upspeak [n.] | The grating habit of ending every sentence with a raised inflection, as if asking a question. Some valley girls become valley women. Suggested by Aaron |
| Uptitling [v.] | The practice of changing an employee’s job title to something impressive-sounding in place of an actual promotion. |
