Say What You Mean
Recently I was on the receiving end of a comment which struck me as inherently offensive. It may not have happened if the speaker had exercised some forethought in her choice of words. While I have my own opinions about society moving down a watered down “politically correct” path, I do strongly believe work is the place where you truly should monitor what you say. Aside from the corporate buzzwords that tend to dominate conversations and obscure meanings, I’ve decided to put together some words and phrases I believe can be left out of professional conversations:
Ghetto: Often used in context as “That’s so ghetto” to imply the solution is cobbled together and inferior but will suffice for the moment. Leave this one out unless you are actually talking about a group of people who have been packed into a slum and separated from the rest of society.
Crack: Meant to describe something addictive, like your iPhone or Candy Crush. Being that the crack epidemic was horrifically prevalent in the 70s and 80s, and still causes harm to poverty-stricken communities, it probably isn’t how you want to explain your affinity for the new coffee in the break room.
Retarded: This one comes up when someone is explaining how backward someone else is being. “I can’t believe Jim’s proposed changes! He must be retarded if he thinks they’ll go through”. Times have changed. The word “retarded” is considered a slur. Get with it and stop using it at work.
Gay: Synonymous for stupid, inferior, unbelievable, etc. Using someone’s sexual orientation in place of a negative adjective is never, ever professional.
Accents: This one can be tricky but it’s often done in a mocking tone. My own personal peeve is when someone affluent puts on their “hood” accent. You know who you are. Stop it.
Jokes/comments of a sexual nature: You think you’re being edgy, the other person thinks of it as harassment. If the recipient tells you it’s unwanted or they are uncomfortable quit immediately. It’s not them, it’s you.
When in doubt I like to use my boss’s favorite saying, “Consider your audience”. If you think something you are getting ready to say will be questionable leave it out and say what you mean. Your coworkers will thank you for it (or I will at least).
Founder @ Virago Search | AI, ML, Data, Digital Transformations
9 年Engaged with another alum from College after he was making rape jokes and consent jokes. He of course told me to relax and take a joke. (sigh) I wonder when common sense will kick in with these people and they'll realize just how ignorant they sound.
Marketing Director | Event Marketing | Content Marketing | Integrated Marketing Communications | SaaS | Tech | Passionate growth tactician
9 年People continue to amaze. You left out the requisite "What? Wha'd I say? Oh lighten up; it was a joke."
??????Psychologist ?? Speaker ?? Workplace Well-being & Personal Development Expert ?? OD Consultant ??Nature Enthusiast ?????? Behavioral Scientist ?Mindfulness & Gratitude Coach??Mental Health Advocate
9 年Luv it!!!
Sales Manager @ ADT | Building Client Relationships
9 年Well written, good read. Some topics are better left for at home with friends, not at work with co workers. Word associated with those topics are included. Think before you speak. Perfectly put, "Consider your audience".