10) SAA or anything beginning with strategic for that matter

Inevitably, whenever a group of flawed-humans gather they begin to form their own jargon. Jargon is used to unconsciously alienate others from the group and demonstrate one’s savvy within the group. Jargon isn’t necessarily all bad, it can increase the efficiency of communication within the group and promote a more cohesive group in the process. Due to the alienating nature of jargon, however, it is best to avoid the unnecessary sprinkling of jargon through out our communication less we plummet into the gobbley-goop abyss that has claimed so many wonks.

If any group seeks to be evangelistic, the use of jargon is to be avoided. It’s difficult to win hearts and minds, if the people you’re talking to don’t know what you’re talking about. And the use of enough jargon is a good sign that you don’t know what you’re talking about either. So here is the Top 10 list of Business as Mission jargon terms:

Strategic Area Analysis see also SBP (Strategic Business Plan) and SMBP (Strategic Master Plan)- Is planting a “Strategic” in front of everything we do really necessary? I would assume that anyone engaging in analysis, business planning or any other basic business function would be going about it in a strategic fashion. We might as well start labeling them UGMPs or Uber Great Master Plans.

9) SME

Small/ Medium-sized Enterprise- This term may be used by many in the development field, but it seems to be a waste of  terminology. Fist of all, the term doesn’t really mean anything. Your audience probably knows you aren’t the CEO of GE or Coke, so specifying that the type of business you engage in is small or mid-sized is redundant. The term is also used to differentiate from “Micro-Enterprise”, in which case a simple “Mom & Pop” will suffice.

8 ) 10-40

The region of the globe 10 degrees North and 40 degrees south of the equator- This term is fun to use, difficult to explain, and greatly inaccurate. It’s great to say you’ve got a goal of doing business in a specific area of the world. It’s another thing when the area you specify is over a Third of the Planet. Not to mention the fact that the term should be the 10-40 minus the Americas and plus Russia (about one-eighth of the world’s land surface).

7) T1 (T2, T3, R2D2…)

You’ll have to read “Tentmaking“- I’m a big fan of Patrick Lai, but if I want to start hearing about model T’s I’ll head to the Ford museum or rent a Swarzenegger flick. This seems to be an odd way to classify different types of BAM businesses and an even less useful naming scheme.

6) CAN (RAN)

Creative Access Nation or Restricted Access Nation- If I tell someone I’ll heading to the CAN, I’d prefer they didn’t confuse Albania with El Bano. Whenever “creativity” and legality co-mingle someone’s bound to end up in prison. Just ask Ken Lay (rest his soul).

5) BAP

Business as Platform, see also: BAN (business as normal) etc- This dirty three-letter-word comes up often when denigrating ”Traditional M-Workers” or “Miss Canaries”. It’s use as a means of differentiating the God-send that is BAM from other lowly forms of business or missions seems to originate with Mats Tunehag. Mats can tell a good Norwegian joke, but might serve better laying off the acronyms for a bit.

4) BK

BAMer’s Kid, see also: PK (pastor’s kid) and MK (miss-canary’s kid)- When we go about flexing our jargon-jaw’s do we really need to get the kids involved? Talking about the family-work balance is important but now we’ve gotten our audience thinking about quarter-pounders.

3) GCC

Great Commission Company- This gem seems to have gained traction with the book Great Commission Companies and resurfaces from time to time. It serves the purpose of differentiating BAM companies from businesses seeking to complete other missions, be them from MI-6, the CIA, or other evil para-military organization operating out of a hollowed out volcano.

2) B4t

Business for Transformation- another treasure from the people of OM (operation mobilisation) and perpetuated by Mr. Lai this term seeks to distance the movement from the messy term “Mission” and replace it with the heart warming Autobots featured in Megan Fox movies (note: the term Megan Fox, has only been used to increase the page rank of this post and in no way adds to the content of the article).

1) BAM (BAMer, YWAM-BAM-thank-you-mam, etc)

Business as Mission- Last, but not least, the big daddy of all acronyms and the name of the movement BAM. This term is really fun to use because it evokes a sense of action a kin to Emeril Lagasse, while at the same time allowing for the much appreciated “er” ending that gives us  identity. Suffice-it-to-say the term is more likely to conjure up the taste of Flintstone Vitamins and an angry boy in a lawn-cloth, than a movement of kingdom minded business people.

Runners up: KC (Kingdom Company), CP (Church Plant), EC (Evangelistic Commerce), etc.

You can find a comprehensive list of exciting BAM acronyms on page 19 of Business As Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice.

*Note: these posts are meant to inform and entertain, if you are offended by any of the content you may need to sharpen your sense of humor.