Three communication tools every organization needs
Some of my clients come to me after a bad decision has caused some damage.
An executive used some words during a fireside chat that infuriated a large segment of employees. Now, trust in leadership is at a new low.
Poorly chosen terminology in a job posting drove away some highly qualified candidates that were being recruited.
New marketing materials used some outdated words to refer to groups of people the company is trying to attract as customers.
And now they’re scrambling to fix things.
Messaging mistakes can cause expensive and long-lasting problems.
In an age where anything can be recorded and shared on social media in seconds, even internal communications can go viral overnight — and for all the wrong reasons.
What’s more, countless person hours are eaten up by back-and-forthing about what words are safe and unsafe, appropriate and inappropriate. Clients also report long and painful meetings about language decisions that don’t even have conclusive results.
This is why I recommend that organizations implement three simple communication tools as countermeasures.
These tools function like a pilot’s pre-flight safety check. No matter how experienced pilots are, no matter how many times they have flown, they still run through a safety checklist for every single flight.
Similarly, these three tools can be used as a safety check before communication takes flight. By making these tools widely available, you can minimize risk and avoid messaging mistakes.
Photo by Rayyu Maldives via Unsplash
1. A Glossary
Why do you need it?
It takes time, energy, and ongoing education to stay up to date on what language is acceptable and unacceptable. Most people simply don’t have the resources to devote to this kind of work on top of their other responsibilities.
For example, how do you decide when to say neurodiverse and when to say neurodivergent? How do you choose among Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, Latina, and Latine? What’s the most recent or respectful way to refer to different ethnic groups, people with disabilities, or sexual orientations? And in an unstable political climate focused on language policing, how do you make good choices?
Without a centralized resource that gives recommendations and enough context to make decisions, some common problems arise.
People choose outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate language that increases legal risk or damages brand reputation.
Inconsistent choices contribute to an inconsistent tone and positioning. Some communications may sound more “woke” than organizational culture, while others may sound too conservative or like they endorse negative messages.
There is anxiety about making wrong choices, and time wasted as people throughout the organization reinvent the wheel by having the same discussions.
What’s in it?
The glossaries I develop in partnership with my clients usually contain:
A list of recommended terminology
A list of terminology to use with caution or avoid altogether
Definitions
The context for why the term is recommended for use or recommended to avoid
Example sentences showing the terminology out and about in real-world uses.
How do you use it?
Check the glossary after your first draft and make sure that you are using recommended terminology in a way that is consistent with organizational standards.
A glossary is especially useful for executive media training, HR materials such as employee handbooks, press releases, marketing materials, websites, talent acquisition materials, and internal communications.
2. An Audience Segment Checklist
Why do you need it?
There are so many types of people in the world that it is easy to lose track of who is in your audience. And when you forget about people, you’re not designing your communications for them.
Members of your audience can tell when you haven’t taken them into consideration. And they will not respond well. Were you trying to persuade them to think something, do something, or buy something? To trust your organization, to be loyal to your organization, or commit to your organization?
Good luck!
What’s in it?
An Audience Segment Checklist should start with a large template that is then customized for different types of communications.
We start with the question: “Who is in my audience?”
And then the checklist presents every single way you can segment an audience based on individual characteristics and social characteristics. Each question prompts you to remember if there is a group you should be taking into consideration.
I offer an audience checklist template in the resources section at the end of my book. This template gets customized for clients. You can also put together your own based on the specific audiences you’re communicating to.
A few sample questions from the section on disability:
What are the physical abilities and disabilities of the people in my audience?
Will my communications be accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing? Blind or low vision?
For events, are my communications giving an accurate representation of the physical accessibility of the space and event?
Am I using preferred disability terminology for my audience members or people who are being quoted or described?
How do you use it?
I recommend using the Audience Segment Checklist at a few points. First is at the communications planning stage. It’s easier to write something well when you’ve got an accurate picture of your audience from the start. The checklist can then be used as part of the review process, after every draft.
This checklist is a fantastic way to prevent scandals and “cancellations.”
3. A Suggested Substitutions List
Why do you need it?
Anyone who has written something in a work context knows that writing can be hard. And trying to keep all the latest terminology in your head — what’s currently a best practice, what to be avoided — can make it even harder.
This is when you can turn to a Suggested Substitutions List as your guide. Having a centralized and updated Substitutions List allows you to maintain organizational standards, tone, and consistency. It also lets you prevent messaging mistakes before they happen.
What’s in it?
The most useful lists of substitutions have three parts:
A word or phrase to avoid
A list of suggested words and phrases to use instead
An example sentence using the preferred terminology.
I’ve included a list of suggested substitutions as another resource at the end of my book. This list gets customized for clients. But you can also compile your own.
Any list of suggested substitutions should be checked and updated yearly, at minimum.
How do you use it?
Let’s say you know that “open the kimono” and “on the warpath” and “turn a blind eye” aren’t good phrases to use.
You can put time and energy into looking up better terminology on your own. But, as we know, the internet isn’t always to be trusted. And you also want to be consistent with organizational standards and tone.
So you can just open up your organization’s Suggested Substitutions list and find better options, like “take a closer look at” and “ready to fight” and “take no notice of.”
It’s also useful to skim through outdated and problematic words when reviewing a draft. Some inaccurate or inappropriate terminology might have sneaked through.
A substitutions list can also be handy when doing executive media training. Executives often don’t have time for or interest in staying up to date with modern language norms. Reminding them of words and phrases to avoid during interviews and other kinds of public speaking can help prevent blunders and hits to their personal reputation.
These three communication tools can prevent all kinds of problems before they happen.
Start by using the Audience Segment Checklist to make sure you’re not accidentally forgetting about some part of your intended audience.
Then, while writing and editing, use the Glossary and Suggested Substitutions to make sure your comms are meeting organizational standards and best practices.
Sure, it’s a little extra time and effort.
But it’s way cheaper and easier than scrambling to repair the damage done by wrong words and messaging mistakes.
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What is your organization doing to ensure safe and effective communications? Worthwhile partners with all kinds of organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to improve communication safety. We develop customized tools, guide implementation, and facilitate workshops to minimize communication risks and improve outcomes. Email us at admin@worthwhileconsulting.com to learn more.