Has PMI done anything to promote updated language for project managers? Is the lexicon growing/changing to be more inclusive? For example, it seems that it is no longer appropriate to "kill" projects or to have "stand ups". Both of these examples are either potentially triggering or ableist in language. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
As a writer, I am very much aware of such movements at the general language level. I am not aware of specific lexicons for industries or professions.
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1 reply by Manuel Perez
Sep 07, 2022 4:40 PM
Manuel Perez
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I can see where changing and standardizing the language is proper. Instead of "kill" use "Terminate or End", Instead of "Stand Up" use "Set up", but some terms will be more difficult to replace to encompass the understood meaning such as "stakeholder". Also, no matter how hard you try, any such list will end up be offensive to someone.
I have seen some instances such as a recent discussion on how the word "stakeholder" is considered offensive to some indigenous people, but nothing on the lines of an "acceptable language list".
I think there needs to be some caution used if creating such a list. I have found multiple instances where people are offended by a technical term which while benign in its linguistic origin, also has a homonym with an offensive connotation.
People go so far as to mispronounce proper names in order not to sound offensive (e.g. the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.) That's quite the quandary. Intentionally mispronouncing someone's name may be very offensive to the person with that name, but the proper pronunciation may sound like an expletive in a different language.
Practically any term with a root in an aspect of human physiology may sound ableist. A company can't have a vision, you can't walk someone through a process, hear their opinions, digest information, hand-off a task, etc. Banning all metaphors based on the human condition out of an abundance of caution reduces language significantly as simple metaphors can convey a lot of meaning. Even legal terms in normal contract language may be unacceptable, and require significant elaboration to express the same meaning.
That's not to say I don't respect the concerns or diversity of others and try and be sensitive with my use of language. Quite the contrary. It is a subject however where people can and do go down the proverbial rabbit hole (Alice in Wonderland), and wind up in a strange place.
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1 reply by Hector Arocha
Aug 18, 2022 3:16 PM
Hector Arocha
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Great insight Mr. Novak! balanced and practical. Completely agree with your point of view. Both extremes, are dangerous. As a quick example, many people mispronounce my last name in the US. Only those that have exposure to Latin and European culture pronounce it correctly. I do not get offended, as it is challenging for me to pronounce last names with Slavic roots. Again, great feedback Mr. Novak!
Saving Changes...
Hector ArochaSenior Consultant| Intrinz IncNoblesville, In, United States
Aug 18, 2022 1:16 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
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I have seen some instances such as a recent discussion on how the word "stakeholder" is considered offensive to some indigenous people, but nothing on the lines of an "acceptable language list".
I think there needs to be some caution used if creating such a list. I have found multiple instances where people are offended by a technical term which while benign in its linguistic origin, also has a homonym with an offensive connotation.
People go so far as to mispronounce proper names in order not to sound offensive (e.g. the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.) That's quite the quandary. Intentionally mispronouncing someone's name may be very offensive to the person with that name, but the proper pronunciation may sound like an expletive in a different language.
Practically any term with a root in an aspect of human physiology may sound ableist. A company can't have a vision, you can't walk someone through a process, hear their opinions, digest information, hand-off a task, etc. Banning all metaphors based on the human condition out of an abundance of caution reduces language significantly as simple metaphors can convey a lot of meaning. Even legal terms in normal contract language may be unacceptable, and require significant elaboration to express the same meaning.
That's not to say I don't respect the concerns or diversity of others and try and be sensitive with my use of language. Quite the contrary. It is a subject however where people can and do go down the proverbial rabbit hole (Alice in Wonderland), and wind up in a strange place.
Great insight Mr. Novak! balanced and practical. Completely agree with your point of view. Both extremes, are dangerous. As a quick example, many people mispronounce my last name in the US. Only those that have exposure to Latin and European culture pronounce it correctly. I do not get offended, as it is challenging for me to pronounce last names with Slavic roots. Again, great feedback Mr. Novak! Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I should have expanded on my own thoughts around inclusive language.
If I write "Canadiens" in French, I would look like I'm talking about Canadien men. Now if I decide to be more inclusive and use the form "Canadiens et Canadiennes", I'm including women but could appear to not be including non-binary genders. As you can see, I'm going down Keith's rabbit hole.
We have to remember that communication is a two-way street. The speaker and the writer try to use language that is as neutral as possible. The listener and the reader try to understand the intent behind the language and try not to impute nefarious meanings.
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1 reply by Hector Arocha
Aug 19, 2022 2:27 PM
Hector Arocha
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Great point Mr. Parent. There are similar grammatical rules in the Spanish (Castilian) language dictated by the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Espanola - RAE) where established grammar rule express a particular structure for a word and its intended use, meaning and applicability. Yes, I do agree to be as neutral as possible abiding by grammar and semantic rules
I think you are right. I noticed some changes in PM vocab. Saving Changes...
Hector ArochaSenior Consultant| Intrinz IncNoblesville, In, United States
Aug 19, 2022 6:46 AM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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I should have expanded on my own thoughts around inclusive language.
If I write "Canadiens" in French, I would look like I'm talking about Canadien men. Now if I decide to be more inclusive and use the form "Canadiens et Canadiennes", I'm including women but could appear to not be including non-binary genders. As you can see, I'm going down Keith's rabbit hole.
We have to remember that communication is a two-way street. The speaker and the writer try to use language that is as neutral as possible. The listener and the reader try to understand the intent behind the language and try not to impute nefarious meanings.
Great point Mr. Parent. There are similar grammatical rules in the Spanish (Castilian) language dictated by the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Espanola - RAE) where established grammar rule express a particular structure for a word and its intended use, meaning and applicability. Yes, I do agree to be as neutral as possible abiding by grammar and semantic rules Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Thanks for the engaging discussion. I want to believe that the intent of our communication is without malice, but as the social climate changes so does language. I agree it could be easy to go down a rabbit hole. As we learn, we evolve. Our project partners and team members are more diverse. Does it make sense that we also grow in that aspect? For example, starting meetings with "hey everyone" rather than "hey guys" is a tiny shift that may make a difference to someone and it doesn't require much effort on my part. Selecting a verb that doesn't assume ability is also important. "Go to the store", not "run to the store."
The articles I'm finding are about bringing diversity into projects and the importance of inclusion for project team members. But if the language used isn't inviting to these newer participants, that's potentially a miss. How does some of the vernacular change without creating pockets of "new language"? It's a slippery slope for sure.
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1 reply by Keith Novak
Aug 21, 2022 2:44 PM
Keith Novak
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Absolutely grow in your attempts to use inclusive language. A tip from having spent years volunteering as a teacher/coach/activity partner for people with disabilities: You will always make mistakes as hard as you try not to. Do your best. Don't let the fear of mistakes stop you from achieving great things. When you make a mistake, recognize it and adapt.
I have worked with people with wide ranging disabilities, some visible and some not. Sometimes their care-givers didn't even fill out the paperwork and just drop the students off at our door so we had to guess at the special needs of individual students. I have had more than my fair share of experiences making some gaffe from a normal figure of speech in an awkward context. It is unavoidable. There is such a variety of people and unique conditions that you can't try to avoid ever offending anyone. Some even get offended if they perceive you are treating them differently to avoid offending them.
If you are approaching the situation without malice which your question suggests, then that is a good start. If you have words and phrases in your vocabulary which may be clearly offensive, drop those from your vocabulary immediately. Beyond that, try to understand who you are communicating with and tailor your language appropriately.
When you do say something that may seem inappropriate to someone with a special condition, a) recognize it b) apologize and c) try to adapt your language moving forward. Don't however stop communicating for fear you might make a mistake. You will. Get over that and learn from your mistakes. You will make less of them, and people will see that your heart is in the right place so they won't care when you do.
Thanks for the engaging discussion. I want to believe that the intent of our communication is without malice, but as the social climate changes so does language. I agree it could be easy to go down a rabbit hole. As we learn, we evolve. Our project partners and team members are more diverse. Does it make sense that we also grow in that aspect? For example, starting meetings with "hey everyone" rather than "hey guys" is a tiny shift that may make a difference to someone and it doesn't require much effort on my part. Selecting a verb that doesn't assume ability is also important. "Go to the store", not "run to the store."
The articles I'm finding are about bringing diversity into projects and the importance of inclusion for project team members. But if the language used isn't inviting to these newer participants, that's potentially a miss. How does some of the vernacular change without creating pockets of "new language"? It's a slippery slope for sure.
Absolutely grow in your attempts to use inclusive language. A tip from having spent years volunteering as a teacher/coach/activity partner for people with disabilities: You will always make mistakes as hard as you try not to. Do your best. Don't let the fear of mistakes stop you from achieving great things. When you make a mistake, recognize it and adapt.
I have worked with people with wide ranging disabilities, some visible and some not. Sometimes their care-givers didn't even fill out the paperwork and just drop the students off at our door so we had to guess at the special needs of individual students. I have had more than my fair share of experiences making some gaffe from a normal figure of speech in an awkward context. It is unavoidable. There is such a variety of people and unique conditions that you can't try to avoid ever offending anyone. Some even get offended if they perceive you are treating them differently to avoid offending them.
If you are approaching the situation without malice which your question suggests, then that is a good start. If you have words and phrases in your vocabulary which may be clearly offensive, drop those from your vocabulary immediately. Beyond that, try to understand who you are communicating with and tailor your language appropriately.
When you do say something that may seem inappropriate to someone with a special condition, a) recognize it b) apologize and c) try to adapt your language moving forward. Don't however stop communicating for fear you might make a mistake. You will. Get over that and learn from your mistakes. You will make less of them, and people will see that your heart is in the right place so they won't care when you do. Saving Changes...
Engdaw AdmasuConstruction Project Manager| Water Works Corporation (WWC)Kombolcha Town, Ethiopia
As to me, "kill a project" means complete or finish it on time. On the other hand, kill has a meaning of negative connotations. The word ''Stand-ups" refers to meeting for a discussion about the project problems, activities that need priority on a daily basis informally (without an agenda, or a specific time ...etc). Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
On the other hand it seems we are becoming too sensitive - we are offended by just about anything. I have said it before - respect. If you show respect the occasional lapse should be surmountable. Having been in the professional business for over 50 years I shutter at some of my actions, reactions, words used (even written) from years ago but they were not the result of disrespect but ignorance. Scribbling NFG on a junior's report is unacceptable and I wouldn't do it today but at the time it got the required attention and the young person was not scarred for life.
We can improve, we can get better but we also have to be authentic Let's not spend our entire effort learning to walk on shattered glass. I, for one, would be upset if I thought you were in fear of making me uncomfortable at the use of the wrong word thinking that I was too fragile to survive. Saving Changes...
