Last year, a woman in a (thankfully one-on-one) coaching session complained about her manager. She claimed he was lazy and reluctant to embrace new initiatives. Her comment, “He’s become sedimentary.” (Is he so immobile he’s turned into a rock?! I think she meant sedentary.) I suspect this illustrates your point.

I always remind business people to “write to express,” not “write to impress.” Clarity is most important, and format, structure and word choice all affect this.

Though I have to say, while improving one’s vocabulary is definitely a laudable pursuit, there are pitfalls to be aware of. So many business people I know seem to think that using big words is impressive, when actually shorter, more familiar ones are often more persuasive. They’re also less likely to lead you into an embarrassing malapropism. I always tell my clients to “write like you speak”.

So I would urge people to use these tools, but with the caveat that you should never try out a new word until you’re fully confident of its meaning!