May 12, 2010

Correct Business Language

A marketing person is known for his dress and address. A marketer needs to watch what he says and how he says it. “It is not what you say; it is how you say that matters”. Words are like bullets. Once fired they can’t be retrieved. They linger in the air and keep spoiling the entire surroundings, like smog, easy to create and almost next to impossible to eradicate.

One needs to be very careful about correct language to be used. One needs to use politically correct language. Caste, creed, language, religion, region should be not used to made fun of some unfortunate victim.

Burn instead of copy: This is the terminology of the USA. Burn is to copy. When your boss says burn the document, he means take a copy of the document.

Let’s get the ball rolling: As the author experienced in Africa “let’s get the ball rolling” in a class room in Bahirdar in Ethiopia made the students look for a football in the classroom! It is better to say “shall we start the class?”

Steps to be taken: Steps to be taken will be taken literally as steps as in a staircase. It is better to say measures or action to be taken.

Housewife: Very sexist and gender specific. If a lady who stays and manages a house is called a housewife, what should we call a man who does a similar job, a house husband? It is better to call man/women who stay at home a home maker. It is gender neutral and non sexist.

History: Should only the story of HIS (men) be documented. What about HER (women) story. Same is the case with Bachelor of Arts, science and commerce. Why not spinster of arts, science and arts?

Chairman: Now- a-days this is being taken care of. It is very common to say Chairperson.

Afro-Americans: Calling a colored person Negro, Nigger or black can lead to bad blood and fisticuffs in the western world. The correct name would be Afro Americans - Americans of African origin. Calling a person a monkey in India is harmless. But the same  could lead to serious trouble in many countries. This truth was driven home strongly in the case of Harbhajan Singh Vs Andrew Symonds. Symonds took the word monkey as a serious racial slur. Harbhajan escaped serious punishment with the skin of his teeth.

Fat: being fat is a serious health condition. Calling them big, large, obese, fatso, double bread and similar names can lead to lots of complications including loss of self esteem and self confidence. It is better to refer being fat as being horizontally challenged.

Short: Similarly no one wants to be short. Every one of us wants to be tall, dark and handsome. But some of us are born short. Instead of ridiculing them by calling them short, shotgun, “hi down there”, it is better to address short people as vertically challenged people.

Blind: Similarly only the blind know the travails of a person who can’t see. Instead of sympathizing with them we call them blind, sightless, etc. It is better to address them as visually challenged people.

Physically handicapped: Physically handicapped people are usually made fun of or simply ignored. Instead why don’t we see them as normal people but they are challenged – physically challenged. What a beautiful way of saying things! They are normal but live a challenging life. What is normal for you and me is a big challenge for them. So next time you see a physically challenged person mentally salute the spirit which refuses to take no for an answer.

Mentally handicapped: Similar is the case with mentally handicapped people. Instead of refering them as nuts, madcaps, pagal etc we can refer to them as mentally challenged people. It is even better to call them special people. God created them that way so that they get special treatment and special care. What a beautiful sentiment!

Let us know the art of polite conversation and become the statesmen of language and words. Let us be known for the crispness and preciseness of our speech. A speech so clear and with so much clarity that it leaves no one I repeat no one with the least doubt about the content of the message.

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