Inclusive language
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
Inclusive language
Inclusive language: A growing and evolving list with alternatives (English)
There are many things we believed growing up that have since been proven to be false. We now know it’s not dangerous to swim right after you eat. An apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away. It doesn’t take seven years for your body to digest gum, and a watermelon won’t grow in your stomach if you swallow one of its seeds.
In fact, we even believed things that were extremely dangerous and caused more harm than good:
- Smoking was advertised as healthy, even for pregnant people.
- Doctors didn’t wash their hands before surgery.
- Lobotomies were thought to be a cure for all mental illnesses.
- Cars didn’t have seatbelts and kids didn’t have car seats.
There are also sayings that we know are no longer true, such as, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.”
That’s a myth that has since been not only busted, but completely demolished.
As Sally McConnell-Ginet, Professor Emerita at Cornell University writes in her book, “Words Matter: Meaning and Power“:
“Words (and meaningful silences) matter enormously in our lives. They enable us to cooperate, collaborate, and ally with one another-as well as to exclude, exploit, and subordinate one another. They script our performances as certain kinds of people in certain social locations. They are politically powerful, both as dominating weapons that help oppress and as effective tools that can resist oppression. But words in and of themselves are impotent. It is the socially structured practices and historically situated circumstances constituting our social lives that pour content into words, endow them with meaning and power.”
Why it’s important to use inclusive language
At PI, we believe in the mission “Better Work, Better World.” Our mission is global, with employees, partners, and clients who span different cities, countries, and even continents.
We’re not just geographically diverse. Each of us has unique lived experiences, which are shaped by our culture, nationality, language, education, socioeconomic status, and so much more. These differences serve to enrich us as people, enhancing our appreciation for what makes us special.
And yet, those differences can lead to some uncomfortable friction. If someone had a very different upbringing than their co-worker, they may also use a very different vocabulary in the workplace. For example, a person who grew up in the U.S. may have been taught to refer to developing nations as “third-world countries.” To someone from a developing nation, however, this term may be considered insensitive, exclusionary, or both.
An employee may not intend any harm when they use certain words or phrases. But if the person on the receiving end feels hurt as a result of the conversation, it’s a sign we can—and should—try to understand why that reaction occurred, and how to avoid it moving forward.
A word bank of terms to replace (and their inclusive counterparts)
When we know better, we can do better. Below you’ll find different categories with lists of words that we should all be trying to replace and update in our work and personal lives.
Many of these words and phrases have racist origins, but some don’t. Why are they on the list? Because they still have hurtful and harmful meanings. For example, “blacklist” and “whitelist” don’t have racist origins, but they reinforce the idea that white is good/positive and black is bad/negative.
| Word or phrase | Alternative(s) |
|---|---|
| Blackball | Ostracize, ban, exclude, oust |
| Cakewalk | A breeze, easy, a walk in the park |
| Gang, tribe, clan | Crew, team, y’all |
| Grandfathered in | Exempted, excused, pre-authorized, pre-approved |
| Guru | Expert, pro |
| Gyp/Gip | Swindle, cheat, deceive, trick |
| Hip hip, hooray! | Yay, huzza, cheers, bravo |
| Hold down the fort | Take care of things |
| Hooligan | Bully |
| Master | Primary |
| Minorities | Historically marginalized groups, under-resourced groups |
| Peanut gallery | Crowd |
| Pow-wow | Meeting, huddle |
| Slave-driver | Tyrant, disciplinarian |
| Spirit animal | Muse, inspiration, guide, familiar |
| Whitelist and/or Blacklist | Allowlist and/or Blocklist |
| Word or phrase | Alternative(s) |
|---|---|
| Blind spots | Caution areas, gaps, opportunities |
| Crazy, insane, psycho | Ridiculous, wild, bizarre |
| Falling on deaf ears | Ignoring, choosing not to engage |
| OCD | Particular, methodical |
| Stand-up meeting | Sync, huddle, meet-up |
| Word or phrase | Alternative(s) |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Chairperson |
| Guys/You guys | You all, everyone |
| Ladies and gentlemen, guys and girls, men and women, brothers and sisters, his or her, he or she | Everyone, friends, team, crew, y’all, all, folks, humans, people, colleagues. |
| Man up | Be brave |
There are some phrases that aren’t necessarily offensive, but may cause a colleague to have a negative reaction based on their own life experiences. For example, the term “jumping the gun” is a reference to track and field, but carries added weight given ongoing gun violence in the U.S. and abroad.
| Word or phrase | Alternative(s) |
|---|---|
| Pull the trigger | Go for it, get started, begin, go live |
| Dodged a bullet | Got lucky, was fortunate |
| Jumped the gun | Acted hastily, was too early |
| You’re overreacting (and other gaslighting phrases) | I’d like to better understand your perspective |
| Third world country | Developing nation |
| Mother tongue | First language, native language |
| Illegal alien | Asylum seeker |
| Sexy (typically used in marketing) | Enticing |
| Time cop | Time keeper |
Examples of changes PI has made
Gender neutral reports
When we think about honoring one’s pronouns, it’s as important as calling someone the right name. It’s their identity, and it needs to be respected.
Gender pronouns have become a prominent part of the business world, and a way to show support and honor the identities of all people. Within the software industry (especially in HR systems), the inclusion of pronoun fields have become common practice, similar to the phonetic pronunciation of one’s name. Big tech platforms such as LinkedIn, Slack, and Zoom have added pronoun fields to their software.
At PI, we are committed to a culture of belonging and believe adding pronouns is respectful and inclusive of all people’s identities. We updated our behavioral reports to be gender neutral in 2018 and made similar inclusion efforts in our hiring, onboarding, and development initiatives. Data shows that it has positively impacted our employee engagement, and that 97% of our staff feel a sense of belonging at work as a result of those inclusive practices.
Inclusive product verbiage
In 2022, we updated our sales, marketing, and software materials as part of an ongoing inclusion audit within the business. This resulted in two big changes:
- We updated our Craftsman Reference Profile in favor of a gender-neutral name: Artisan.
- We phased out the term “blind spots” due to its ableist connotations, and replaced it with the more inclusive term “caution areas.”
In making these changes, we hope to provide a more inclusive, welcoming, and memorable PI experience for our employees and clients.
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