Consulting Journal: Words

Words: 'For(e)go'

by David Blakey

Does 'forego' mean 'precede' or 'omit'? Or both?

[Monday 31 January 2005]

What does the following sentence mean?

You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems and foregoing business process streamlining.

What is it supposed to mean? It is supposed to say that implementing work-flow systems can be done without streamlining business processes. But that is not what it says. It says that streamlining your processes must be done before you can implement work-flow systems.

Forego

Forego means precede.

You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems and foregoing business process streamlining.

In this example, using forego means that streamlining is needed before the systems can be implemented. This is true for many organizations: they will have to streamline their processes in order to get any benefit from work-flow systems.

Forgo

Forgo means abstain from or go without.

You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems and forgoing business process streamlining.

In this example, you may indeed be able to implement work-flow systems without streamlining your processes. This is also true for many organizations: they may benefit from work-flow systems and use their results to plan how to streamline their processes.

So, some clients will derive most benefit from implementing work-flow systems after streamlining their processes. Some others will drive most benefit from work-flow systems, without having to streamline their processes. These conclusions are very different.

Usage

These two words, in various forms, are in common use. We say a foregone conclusion and we write the foregoing to refer to what we have already written: the foregoing paragraph. Many of us use forgo frequently: we may be forgoing a second cup of coffee or forgoing the gym this morning.

Some forms are now antiquated. Most people would not say I forwent the gym this morning. But both forgoing and foregoing are common enough today for us to take care over getting them right.

Two statements

You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems and foregoing business process streamlining.
You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems and forgoing business process streamlining.

Logically, these statements are not very different. The fact that task B must be preceded by task A does not mean that A must be succeeded by B. You can do A without B. In business, and especially in consulting, the two statements are very different. The first statement may be part of a recommendation that the client can achieve maximum benefit by doing the first task and then the second task. The second statement recommends doing only the first task, and implies that this will maximize the benefit in terms of the cost.

We can expand the two statements.

You will gain maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems. This implementation will depend upon first streamlining your processes.
You will gain maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems without necessarily streamlining your processes.

Problems

Some dictionaries define forego as a synonym for forgo. I think that this is poor style. Many style guides recommend using forego and forgo to avoid confusion. I agree with them.

If you find forgo or forgoing in someone else's report, and the meaning is ambiguous, then check what is intended. Usually, forego and foregoing will be unambiguous, but you might still check, anyway.

Final advice

My final advice is to take the easier route: avoid using either word at all.

You can achieve maximum benefit by streamlining your business processes and then implementing work-flow systems.
You can achieve maximum benefit by implementing work-flow systems without having to streamline your business processes first.

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