CLM
CLM (noun) means In text and social media, an initialism of career limiting move: something said or done at work that damages your prospects, usually posted about with wry humour. Example: “Telling the CEO his slides were unreadable was a bit of a CLM.”
How to use CLM
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually a joke about doing something at work that hurts your career.
Uppercase in both senses. The workplace-joke sense is informal and mostly written, not spoken.
Do not confuse CLM with CRM. CRM manages customer relationships; CLM manages contracts. Both appear in the same sales conversation.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Telling the CEO his slides were unreadable was a bit of a _____.
Etymology
An initialism; the expansion depends on context, most commonly career limiting move or contract lifecycle management.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does CLM mean in a text message?
Most often career limiting move — a joke about doing something at work that will not help your promotion chances. It is used self-deprecatingly far more than as a real warning.
What does CLM stand for in business software?
Contract lifecycle management: the systems that handle a contract from drafting and approval through signature, storage and renewal. It sits alongside CRM for customers and HRIS for staff in the corporate software stack.
How do I know which meaning is intended?
By setting. In a chat about a meeting that went badly it is career limiting move; in a procurement or legal document it is contract lifecycle management. The two audiences rarely overlap, so ambiguity is uncommon in practice.
What is the meaning of CLM?
"CLM" (noun) means in text and social media, an initialism of career limiting move: something said or done at work that damages your prospects, usually posted about with wry humour.