Do You Understand The Words That Are Coming Out of My Mouth?

Do You Understand The Words That Are Coming Out of My Mouth?No? Well, then let me re-phrase that.

How do you stay up to speed on communicating when there are more and more variations out there? More and more PC terms are being made daily. Here are a few tips that may just help you with the elephant in the room.1Is There An Elephant In The Room??

"The elephant in the room" is a common metaphor for situations in which people refuse to confront or even acknowledge a major issue even though everyone knows about it and it is causing serious problems. Political correctness is the elephant in our room. 2Politically Correct Means:In the modern era, politically correct" does not mean you should NOT offend anyone; it means no one will be able to ACCUSE you of having said anything wrong.

Political Correctness has exacted a change on the simplest of things, crayons for example. Did you know that there is not an Indian Red crayon anymore?

3Don't over-do it!

Sometimes it's hard to tell if you've said anything wrong at all, so its best to be sensitive to the inferences people may read in to the words you choose. Don't be pedantic. Don't hold a massive, 30-minute-long argument over which of two terms is the politically correct term, and which is the hateful one.Dont use first person language, such as "person with a disability.Rule of thumb: Some things are better left unsaid.

What can you say? Our self-image is at odds with direct communication because we think of ourselves as "nice" people and we believe "nice" people don't upset others. Therefore, we watch carefully what we say and how we say it. We try to be PC.

4Dont Under Do It!

Use gender-neutral terms whenever possible. "chairperson" or simply "chair" in place of "chairman.Use acceptable terminology when referring to various racial, ethnic, religious and other minority groups. Most people generally know what country they're originally from, so adding American at the end is not necessary.

What can you not say? Just because someone uses "exclusionary" language, doesn't mean that they harbor ill feelings for the excluded group, and in many ways, running around accusing others of harboring prejudices will reflect negatively upon you, and ultimately fuel resistance to political correctness. Just use language that would not make any person feel excluded, diminished, or devalued.

5How Must We Communicate With Our Audience?

When speaking and writing, your audience is likely to include people of differences; if you want to be taken seriously, use language that includes all of them and does not offend any subgroup. For example, try to use chairperson instead of chairman, Flight Attendant instead of Stewardess. And instead of using retarded, use mentally challenged. Remember, the disability does not define the personthe person defines the disability.6We Need To LearnWe need to be more "PC". Were not talking about "political correctness", were talking about being "Positively Conscious", of who is in our audience and understanding how to make people feel included. The more people feel included, the more they will listen to you, use your information and come back for more. If you offend people they will shut down and you will lose them.

What do we need to think about? Are there any attendees with disabilities, varied backgrounds, varied religions or health conditions? Here are a few tips that will help you to make all of your talks more accessible and inclusive.7Other Things to Consider Audio Seating Visual Materialsadequate access for wheelchair users or people on crutchesopen seats up front for hearing or visually impairedmake copies available in a twenty-four-point font sizeuse an interpreter if needed

provide a brief narrative of the content of the presentationmake a point to read the text as you go

Seating: Wheelchair users should not be forced to occupy the very back of the room, or the very front row, if they do not wish to. Have an extra-wide aisle for wheelchairs to sit amongst the audience. Written materials: can everyone see the presentation? Twenty-four-point font size is a standard large print text size, and will enable most people with low vision to access your talking points. Audio: For presentations using slides or video, make a point to read the text as you go, or provide a brief narrative of the content for the hearing impaired.

8Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today. Jinato Hu

As our society becomes more diverse, so does our workplace and so must our speaking skills. Remember that it is unwise to make assumptions with any group. The specific nature of that diversity may not be apparent, but that does not mean a careless remark will not offend a member of the audience.

9What Did We Learn?Use Common SenseWhen In Doubt, Dont Say ItUse Plain Language

Just use language that would not make any person feel excluded, diminished, or devalued. Remember, a disability does not define the personthe person defines the disability. And, if all else fails, sprinkle humor throughout your presentation, and keep it to subjects, such as ridiculous procedures, equipment snafus (the dreaded fax machine) or humorous storytelling.

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