Are we normalizing the bullsh!t?

Now it's Heard 

The industry has a voice. Now it’s Heard.

We launched Heard with three takes on impact sourcing.

This edition turns the lens on the stories we tell ourselves.

Cheryl Paarwater, Managing Director at Enerlytics & Call Lab BPO, calls out the language we have normalized in BPO, and asks whether it has become a convenient cover for behavior we would rather not examine too closely.

Loud and Clear: Cheryl Paarwater, questioning the noise and asserting “status no"

In a world where it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, how do we protect ourselves? How do we learn to filter through the noise and find what is real? How do we resist the temptation to follow the herd and absorb the loudest narrative as truth?

We are living in an age where world leaders fabricate and spin stories as though fact-checking no longer exists - as though Google isn’t a few keystrokes away. It often feels as if anything can be said from a position of power and go largely unchecked. A few voices may question it, attempt to make sense of it, or call it out - but the masses accept it, the news cycle rolls on, and before we’ve fully processed one falsehood, the next wave of nonsense is already heading our way.

Recently, I even saw a news insert about a cow that can use tools - holding a broom in her mouth and using the bristles to scratch her back. Ridiculous? Yes. True? Also, yes. (And genuinely fascinating - watch here). 

And that’s precisely the problem. When truth and absurdity sit so comfortably side by side, discernment becomes harder. Fatigue sets in. We stop interrogating what we’re told. We just accept. 

So, what does all of this have to do with the BPO sector - the beating heart of this beloved Bullhorn publication?

I’d argue: everything.

As a sector, I believe we’ve been swept up by our own noise. Somewhere along the way, we decided that we are very special. We created our own language, our own shorthand, our own terms - many of which subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) strip away humanity. And I want to challenge some of these tropes.

Let’s start with one of the most damaging phrases, in my opinion, we’ve normalized: “bum in seat”.

When did we decide that a whole a person with a torso, arms, a neck, a head, and a complex brain - could be reduced to three words: bum in seat?

This phrase is used casually in boardrooms and strategy sessions. It’s embedded in sales calls, client meetings, and operational discussions. We speak about it as though it’s an accurate description, harmless.

It’s none of those things.

Words matter. Any self-help book will tell you that language shapes reality - that we can “speak things into existence.” There is an entire field of research, from neuroscience to neuro-linguistics, that explores the link between language, perception, behavior, and outcome. The way we describe something directly influences how our brains relate to it - and how we act as a result of those interactions. 

So, if that is true - what happens when leaders repeatedly refer to people as “bums in seats”?

How does that language shape leadership behavior? 

And how does it shape the lived experience of the person being described?

Do we, consciously or unconsciously, treat a “bum in seat” differently from "Karen in Legal"?

I’m not talking about the commercial value of different skill sets or roles. I’m talking about human value. Do we afford one person more dignity than another because of how we categorize them? Does our language influence who we greet, who we listen to, who we make time for? 

We proudly display lofty values on our office walls. We speak passionately about culture and teamwork in sales pitches. But does that culture translate to the operations floor - to the people who actually make our businesses grow and our clients happy?

Or do we walk past them in the morning because, subconsciously, that’s just a "bum in a seat" - not worthy of our smile or our friendly greeting, which we reserve for "Karen in Legal"? How does this shape our organizations?

There’s another term we need to examine: “agent mentality”.

Somehow, as an industry, we’ve decided that there is a unique category of behavior reserved exclusively for people who work as agents. As if psychology itself has overlooked this fascinating subgroup of humanity.

There is no such thing as “agent mentality”. There is only human behavior. 

You get people who take shortcuts.

You get people who do the bare minimum while hoping for maximum reward.

You get people who are disengaged, people who are ambitious, people who are deeply committed. Silent quitters are a reality in all industries. 

And yes - you get lazy people. In every generation. Not just Gen Z - believe me, there are lazy Baby Boomers too.

What you don’t get is a fundamentally different species of human simply because someone wears a headset.

When we label behavior as “agent mentality,” we distance ourselves from accountability as leaders. We imply that the issue sits with them, not with systems, leadership, or culture. It becomes easier to justify control, surveillance, and rigidity - and harder to practice empathy, compassion, and responsibility.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: The language we use gives us permission to behave in ways that contradict the values we claim to hold. 

This might be the reason why our industry is viewed as a stepping stone - why "call centers" have a bad reputation and are often viewed as workplaces that exploit their people.

Perhaps it's time that we examine ourselves and ask how we create more caring work environments that really value human capital. 

If we want a more sustainable, high-performing BPO sector, we need to start by interrogating our stories - the ones we repeat so often they feel like facts.

Because when we stop questioning the narrative, we don’t just lose the truth.

We lose our humanity.

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