People Who Say “Let’s Circle Back” in Every Meeting
People Who Say “Let’s Circle Back” in Every Meeting #
We need to talk about the verbal parasites sucking the lifeblood out of productivity: the “Let’s Circle Back” brigade. You know them. You’ve sat across from them in soul-crushing Zoom calls or fluorescent-lit conference rooms. They deploy this hollow phrase like a linguistic shield against progress, a smug incantation to disguise their unpreparedness or indifference. It’s corporate cowardice masquerading as collaboration.
Here’s the truth: “Let’s circle back” is rarely about strategy. It’s a power play. It’s the sound of someone realizing they haven’t read the pre-read, understood the data, or formed a coherent thought. Instead of admitting, “I’m lost,” or “This is irrelevant,” they punt responsibility into the nebulous future with faux-professional flair. It’s a conversational cul-de-sac disguised as a scenic route.
Worse? It weaponizes time. That project deadline creeping closer? The vendor waiting on approval? The team’s momentum grinding to dust? Doesn’t matter. The Circler-in-Chief halts all forward motion with serene condescension. “Let’s table this and circle back later,” they chirp, as if scheduling another 45-minute snoozefest is a gift, not a hostage situation. Later never comes, or when it does, we “circle back” only to rehash the same dead ends with fresh jargon.
This isn’t diplomacy—it’s intellectual bankruptcy. It reveals a pathological fear of decisions, accountability, and direct language. Why say “No,” “I disagree,” or even “I need more time to think,” when you can vanish into the meaningless orbit of “circling back”? It’s the linguistic equivalent of hiding dirty dishes under the bed.
The damage is real. Morale plummets as teams drown in recursive discussions. Real issues fester while we’re trapped in verbal merry-go-rounds. Innovation dies in the purgatory between “circles.” And let’s be honest: Anyone using this phrase more than once per quarter likely contributes less than the wilting office fern.
Enough orbits. Call it out. Next time someone drops the “circle back” bomb, ask: “What specifically needs clarification? What decision are we avoiding? What’s the action item NOW?” Force the landing. Demand substance over semantic smokescreens. If they can’t answer, maybe they should be the ones circling back—permanently. To the unemployment line.
The meeting graveyard is full of topics we “circled back” on. Break the cycle. Land the plane. Or get off the runway.