The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council has been discussing how to use language and communication to create a more inclusive environment. We hope to encourage thoughtfulness, intentionality, and inclusivity in how we speak to each other and to the communities we serve within DCBS.
The goal of communication is to create a connection with others where we can understand and be understood. Communication is filtered through our personal lenses, including cultural backgrounds, personal or community histories, emotional states, and the relationships between those involved. We often act intentionally when using certain words over others, paying attention to mood and tone, and looking for feedback to ensure that we are communicating effectively. It’s why we don’t talk to a colleague the same way we talk to a friend.
Effective communicators want to avoid confusion, unintentional harm, or creating barriers. They know that language, culture, and expectations are always evolving and changing. For example, before COVID, you would almost never see an emoji in a work email or text. You might even get a lecture from your supervisor about professionalism if you used one. But, when so much of our communication shifted from face-to-face office conversations to written emails and texts, we found that a smiley face emoji could do some heavy lifting and help keep a colleague from taking offense. The emoji could show that your message was lighthearted – you’re not mad; you’re happy to help; you’re telling the other person not to worry about a minor inconvenience. All this in just two characters.
Effective communicators know that of the hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, words can have multiple literal or figurative definitions. They require attention to nuances in meaning and context; how they came into being; and how they might have evolved over time.
It can be isolating when words are unfamiliar or have taken on a new meaning. If you’re wondering what this looks like, we encourage you to have a conversation with someone in the 11- to 15-year-old age range, or visit an assisted living facility and talk to a resident about how you don’t have the bandwidth to deal with your co-worker’s quiet quitting when your workplace is suffering from attrition. This is why we avoid jargon or tech-speak when communicating with the public.
Words and phrases might have added baggage because of how they came into being or were used historically. For example, stakeholder is often used to refer to community partners with a vested personal or business interest in the work we do. But because Native and Indigenous peoples have constitutionally protected rights that organizations are legally required to honor, calling them a stakeholder as a blanket term suggests those rights are mere requests.
When we refer to an erratic or unbelievable person or thing as crazy, it could be insulting to someone who lives with mental illness. Or at times we might not recognize the weighty background of a phrase. Did you know that the phrase meet a deadline originated from the Civil War, when prisoners of war who crossed a prison’s boundary (or dead line) could be shot?
Fostering an inclusive workplace and community is done by continuously being intentional with our words. Intentionality means that, while a word might be technically correct, it is important to consider if it is the best and clearest possible way to convey our message. It might require a bit of added effort, time, and patience to develop greater sensitivity and awareness, but it can increase the effectiveness of your message.
Ways to be intentional:
To do better, we must know better. Part of the DEI journey is continuously putting in the work. Creating an inclusive environment requires intentionality. If we are not being consciously inclusive, we are being unconsciously exclusive.