Over the summer my school was interviewing people to fill the position of principal. I was fortunate enough to sit through every single meeting, and I noticed that there was a phrase that was used by each candidate that sort of vexed me. Each candidate said, "I plan to work in a collaborative manner, without utilizing a top down approach." I had never heard "top down" used this way, but I took it to mean autocratic or tyrannical.
Now had I not heard the term in its context I might have thought otherwise. To me "top down" sounds like a term that would be used to mean something more relaxed oropen. When I think "top down" I think of a relaxed afternoon driving in a convertible.
Am I crazy or is this term being misused?
Well, I wouldn't call you crazy, but I've always thought this was a fairly common phrase. Think of power structure as a pyramid. At the top is the leader, in this case, the principal. Just under the leader are a few upper level managers. They all supervise a few people, who in turn supervise a few people, and at the bottom, you have all the peons who don't supervise anyone. This example doesn't work so well for a school, perhaps, but it works in most other cases. So in a top-down approach, all orders come from the top and are passed down the pyramid. A bottom-up approach is like a grassroots campaign, where change comes from the people at the bottom, who aren't in power.
I don't know, Pamp Map. It doesn't bother me. Reminds me of "trickle down" economics.
"Top down" doesn't bother me, but "utilize" makes me snarl!
cdevine said:
“Top down” doesn't bother me, but “utilize” makes me snarl!
The speaker must have thought: "Why use a one syllable word when you can utilize a three syllable word?"