🌍 Inclusive & DEI Language
Master inclusive vocabulary for the modern tech workplace: pronouns, terminology updates, gendered language, accommodations, and microaggressions. Intermediate
A colleague introduces themselves in a team meeting: "Hi, I'm Jordan. I use they/them pronouns." A new team member has never encountered professional pronoun sharing before. Which response is most appropriate?
Option C is the professionally appropriate response: acknowledge the introduction normally, then apply the stated pronouns immediately and consistently in subsequent references.
| Response | Problem |
|---|---|
| A — questioning the need | Signals that the colleague's identity requires justification before it will be respected; creates a hostile exchange in a professional setting |
| B — asking for explanation | Places the burden of education on the colleague who just wanted to be called by their correct pronouns; not the right moment |
| D — pre-announcing disagreement | Frames using the stated pronouns as a personal favour rather than a basic professional courtesy; inappropriate in a work context |
What if you make a mistake? If you accidentally use the wrong pronoun, the professional norm is a brief, low-drama correction: "She — sorry, they — reviewed the PR yesterday." A long apology centres your discomfort rather than moving forward.
Vocabulary:
- pronouns — the words used to refer to someone in third person: he/him, she/her, they/them, and others
- pronoun sharing — introducing yourself with your pronouns, increasingly common in professional environments
- misgendering — referring to someone with the wrong pronouns; can be unintentional or deliberate