Next Practices

I realize language changes over time and new words come into being and general acceptance after repeated usage.  Still, there are some language habits developed that just should never happen.  One that gets under my skin faster than yesterday’s flu shot did is the use of verbs as nouns.

Case in point: using the word “ask” as a noun.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone (actually multiple people) at work for the past few years say phrases like “What’s the ask?” or “That’s a good ask.”  Arrrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!  I can’t stand that!

Ask is a verb!  Know the difference!  Don’t say “What’s the ask?”  Say “What’s the question?” or “What’s the request?”  Don’t say “That’s a good ask.”  Say “That’s a good question.”  It really is simple.  You should’ve learned that in grade school.  Just because someone higher than you in the org chart uses the word incorrectly doesn’t mean you have to follow along with their butchering of the language.  Be the adult with grammar skills.

Recently I’ve had to endure presentations by a contractor that almost always begin with an early slide titled “The Ask.”  No… the title should be “The Request” or “The Agreement” or “The Contract.”  The rebellious side of me just wants to carry an air horn into meetings and blast it out every time someone refers to “the ask” or commits some similar trendy misuse of language.

Even the graphic above comes dangerously close to crossing the line.  In its attempt to clearly distinguish between nouns and verbs, it labels the crossover as heinous “business speak.”  Fortunately, it is common to add “speak” to make a compound word or phrase such as “adspeak” or “business speak,” although in this case it’s really a violation of the very practice it labels as heinous.

I know my rant won’t change business culture, but I can at least make a few people aware of the matter.  I let my team at work know my disdain for “ask” as a noun, so now they only do it to irritate me which is fair.

Leap year lesson #319 is Avoid heinous business speak.  There.  I feel better.  Carry on.

One of the fascinating experiences of my recent China trip was speaking through an interpreter.  That was a first for me.  Once we were past the basic greetings, I was out of my element due to my limited Mandarin.  When asked to speak to a Chinese church congregation a couple of times, the talks were, of course, more than mere greetings.  I am grateful to our interpreter, Jim (pictured on the left here), for the exceptional job he does.

Being from China but being PhD educated and living in the U.S. for many years, Jim is fluent in both Mandarin and English.  What he brings to the table is the ability to go beyond mere word-for-word translating.  Instead, he captures the meaning of what we say in English and expresses that as needed to convey the same thought in Mandarin.  He is the ideal travel companion when people around him speak either English or Mandarin, but not both.

Jim’s interpreting skills are not needed in a room full of people speaking English, nor in a room of people speaking only Mandarin.  At least they should not be.

How many times, though, in a business or other setting have you experienced failed communication between people who technically speak the same language?  It happens all the time, right?  Of course it does.  Why is that, and what can be done about it?

When we are concerned only with saying what we want to say and are not equally concerned with how well it is understood, we risk failed communication.  I see it all the time in business and personal conversations.  We need to remember that just because we say something, that doesn’t mean others understand it as we mean it.  We need to ask questions to assure clarity, hear people repeat back what they heard, and take time to actually make communication a two-way thing rather than a monologue.

That seems so basic, but it is too often ignored.  If people have to interpret what you say to others who speak the same language, then you need to work harder at clearly communicating.

Leap year lesson #115 is You shouldn’t need an interpreter when you speak the same language.

I did not expect to have two posts within three days on the subject of being offended, but since the most thought-provoking incident of the day today was related to the subject, I thought I’d better tackle it again from a different angle.

My leap year lesson #107 was “Before taking offense, have an adult conversation.”  The point was to rationally discuss a matter to be sure you understand what you are taking offense at prior to reacting emotionally.

Today’s experience has more to do with language – its meaning and implications.  The situation involves a political online forum post where the writer referred to a political figure she obviously did not like as one of “Jerry’s kids.”  The reference is to children assisted by the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon.  The term has also been used in a derogatory manner to refer to someone with one of any number of disabilities.  Immediately, several condemned the reference as inappropriate and insensitive.

It would have been nice if participants took a little more time in this situation to follow the advice of the post two days ago, but once tempers flare you have to deal with the situation at hand.

The issue may be one of language as much as it is of appropriateness or sensitivity.  Someone raised in the culture of the 1950′s or ’60′s or ’70′s was raised during a time when certain words now quite offensive to many were not considered offensive at the time.  Put yourself in that person’s shoes for a minute and try to understand that the world and culture and language around them has shifted over time.  Meanwhile, they still have in their vocabulary words and meanings as they grew up using them.  That isn’t to say they should keep using them.  On the contrary, they should be educated and held accountable to change their public vocabulary as needed.

Words have meaning.  Sometimes those words hurt deeply.  We have a responsibility to show genuine compassion for others by being aware of the words we use, avoiding those from many years ago that are now deemed offensive by many.

Leap year lesson #109 is Words have meaning, so choose them wisely.