Words have power. When Lubna was a child and upset by a name someone had called her, her mum used to recite the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” This, unfortunately, is not true.
Lubna Haq explores, though it may seem insignificant to some people, why words have power. Lubna can still remember the visceral punch to the stomach when subjected to racist abuse. It’s a feeling that is hard to shake off, especially when faced with a diet of abusive language during one’s early years.
Even when offence is unintentional in the workplace, negative language can lead to discrimination, marginalisation and disenfranchisement of people, as well as being damaging to a company brand. As a society we are generally better at using nonracist language but even in 2024, if I had a pound for every time I was referred to as ‘coloured’ or ‘exotic looking’ I would be a wealthy woman.
However, language referencing disability is still rife and goes relatively unchallenged at work. We are all guilty of this on occasion due to lazy thinking. For example, how many times a day do you hear comments such as, “its bonkers”, “I’m going mad,” “I’m having a schizophrenic day,” “S/he has OCD,” “Let’s brainstorm together.”
Why is this?
Unfortunately, even in the most progressive organisations unconscious bias is still pervasive. There is no point claiming you promote DEI as a company when there is still sloppiness in the things we say, write and do, all of which goes largely unchallenged. We are not being ‘right on’ when we take the time and effort to stop and think about the language we use. We are not being politically correct when we support and educate each other when we hear inappropriate, outdated or downright offensive language. Colleagues who have depression don’t appreciate people being referred to as ‘crazy.’ As members of a workforce who contribute to the company culture and especially those of us who are leaders who set the tone for the culture have a responsibility to have open discussions and debate about the things we say and the way we say them as well as challenging some forms of language.
Using inclusive language demonstrates a real and genuine commitment to DEI and reinforces diversity, inclusion and belonging as core values central to the company culture.
As a society we aim to be more mindful about how we express ourselves. We won’t always get it right, but we shouldn’t be offended when it’s pointed out. We can be open about why we shouldn’t use certain language. When I explain the historical derivations of some terms people are often shocked and, of course most people don’t want to cause offence. So, we can pause, stop using lazy mental shortcuts and consider alternatives to the language we use.
With more than 25 years of experience working in DEI with Leaders, Lubna Haq is perfectly positioned to converse about developing best practice in your organisation You can also learn more about our DEI rapid audit diagnostic here.