MECE
Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. McKinsey's rule for categorization: no overlaps, no gaps. Genuinely rigorous thinking tool; also how consultants say 'your list is bad.'
Heard in the wild
“The cost breakdown isn't MECE — maintenance appears in two buckets.”
Tone check: Technical
Consulting shibboleth. Using it correctly signals training; using it wrongly signals a podcast.