"In these tough economic times."

"How to survive the recession."

"Think like an entrepreneur."

"No recession here!" (And it's cousin, "What recession?")

We've made a bit of fun in the past about the tendency to fall back on certain catch phrases during "times like these." And it was funny to discuss while it was safely reduced to a bit on a marketing podcast. But having lived with it for a while, I'm not laughing anymore.

I'm a firm believer that advertising and news does more than just react to markets. What we read and see also shapes markets. And while I certainly wouldn't dream of laying the blame for our continuing downturn on the shoulders of a few writers, it's clear that this type of phrasing isn't helping.

Think like an entrepreneur? How does a phrase like this really help anyone? It's essentially saying that you need to be innovative and work hard, which is pretty much what every healthy business already does.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this phrase as the cure to business ills — in both good times and bad. Yet the truth is that if things are going bad in your business, suddenly getting "innovative" doesn't change the economic situation of your core market. What does "get entrepreneurial" really say to a struggling business? It says, streamline, cut-back, layoff people and get lean, mean and aggressive. It's nothing more than a feel-good euphemism for what is already happening.

And don't get me started on the "What recession?" stuff! Talk about a mind-hump! Bravado like this ignores reality and encourages no one. Recession doesn't mean total collapse. Not every business is doing bad during a downturn. And taking this tact possibly even reveals a lack of foresight and planning for your own potential downturn in business.

Which brings me to my first point: Phrasing like this creates the false impression that you can "gut" your way out of the recession. It's more of the same "gung-ho, go after the big score" attitude that got us here in the first place. Instead, I believe that we should be taking a step back now and re-envisioning what the future of business will be. The real winners after the recession will be the ones who watch carefully and prepare themselves for the entirely new business landscape to come.