A Look at Language Brittany McDaniel Kathryn Hall BRITTANY & KATHRYN So many directions we can take this presentation and so we’re going to try and touch on a little bit of different aspects of language... Everyday language can often unintentionally affect everyone around us Research shows, and I can attest from my personal experience even before reading the research, that word choice matters in the work place What do I mean by ‘word choice’? Yes, inclusive use of language can be included in this but when I think of word choice in the workplace in this setting, i think about the words we use to define our roles and how we work with each other which lead to a sense of belonging (fall activity)

objectives Participants will discuss how language impacts the culture we are want to create Participants will discuss how changing our language can create a more inclusive environment KATHRYN

Why buy-in to this? Increased work satisfaction Increased productivity Generates more ideas leading to... More accurate, innovative, and practical solutions Increases creativity Improves emotional well-being Attracts talent Advances your career BRITTANY Everyone has a level of accountability in creating this type of culture, and we don’t necessarily need to wait for others to buy into this...it all starts with one person & if multiple people commit...imagine the change

Reflect & Discuss What comes to mind when reading your quote? Does your quote align with your professional values and the way you perform? Why or why not? Does the quote align with our values and ethos in RPS? Why or why not? How does or does not your quote relate to our work? If the quote does not align with our work ethos, what can we do to work to make this a priority this year? What other thoughts come to mind? BRITTANY Print quote cards and ask people to get into groups of 3. Tell them people will randomly be called on (people won’t be able to assume others will talk)... Give groups 5 minutes to discuss what the quote means to them DISCUSS. Now, we’re going to look at specific words within language

Think. Pair. Share. What things come to mind when you think of inclusive vs. exclusive language? How do the words we use influence the way we connect with colleagues and students? KATHRYN

Inclusive Language in the Workplace KATHRYN

He She They Them vs. KATHRYN How many of you had this come to mind when thinking about inclusive language?

When thinking about different social identities, what other considerations come to mind when considering language choice? KATHRYN

All Words Matter in the Workplace BRITTANY

Leadership BRITTANY Words that come to mind? Who see’s themselves as a leader? (close your eyes, raise hand -> share number) What does this mean in our work? Within the department? Why do we defer to (senior) leadership here? Leadership on teams

I We You vs. BRITTANY Language that feeds into “team mentality” Times I’ve used ‘we’ both to celebrate successes and talk about areas of improvement Moving past “what’s in it for me?” and toward “how does this benefit the larger team?” THIS IS HARD! But when we begin to achieve this, everyone experiences more positive outcomes! Moving from ‘you need to do more of what I suggest’ to ‘how can we work collaboratively on this?

Staff Team vs. BRITTANY What images come to mind when I say each word? (shout it out) What does it feel like to be on a staff vs on a team? Describe when you have been on a team? What has cultivated that experience? What role has language played? My staff vs. My team? Our staff vs. our team? Staff vs team meeting? A team: sense of group identity, working together with others employees to accomplish an important goal. Also, capitalizing on individual strengths Group: Tuckman group development - beginning and end but not when you’re working a part of a team!

BRITTANY When you’re a part of the team, you’re stronger when you work together, capitalizing on strength in numbers. How does this manifest in our work?

Studen ts kids residen ts vs. KATHRYN What comes to mind with each word? Is there one you think people commonly default to? Does situation/context matter in choice? What about when we say ‘the’ vs. ‘our’? Within residence life, the field terminology we use impacts the culture we are working to create Residents are more personal Special expectations

The departm ent Our departm ent vs. KATHRYN What is your role in ‘the department’ v ‘our department’

What other word choices change the dynamic of our conversations in University Housing? KATHRYN Within University Housing, how does our word choice separate vs unify us?

Professional Staff Grad Staff Service Staff Support Staff Hall Staff KATHRYN Who is considered professional staff? (pop up first) once answered, then click to unveil others….why aren’t service or support staff professionals? How did we determine we’re professional staff but others aren’t? Are we manifesting a heirarchy -> we can’t do what we’re doing UNLESS we’re all there?

Think. Pair. Share. How do we take what we’ve learned out of this space and incorporate into everyday life? Understanding how you operate as an individual, what support do you need to remember to use this language? How do we hold each accountable to be cognizant of our language? BRITTANY Pick a partner… Things to remember: We all our learning - how do we be gentle in this process Context of language - how does context matter? Check-in with your partner in a few weeks...

What are things we do really well as a team? (hall, area, department?) What are other things that come to mind when creating a team oriented culture? What are things we do really well as a team? (hall, area, department?) What are some areas we could do better as a team? How do we begin to shift culture to become even more team-oriented? BRITTANY Changing of some of our words Teams in terms of: in-hall vs. area teams Are there different expectations/responsibilities we have for a team of paraprofessionals or professionals? How do we form a team as professionals? How do you form a team with the paraprofessionals in your community?

Appreciation Capitalizing on individual strengths and talents 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace How else can we show appreciation in the workplace? BRITTANY Research shows most people do not feel appreciated in their work...important to recognize we all feel valued in different ways. Utilizing strengths so people can engage in meaningful work Passions vs projects We have to do projects but finding ways to incorporate passions into work is a must Using appreciation languages...you might not remember all for everyone but knowing how those you work most with feel appreciated is incredibly important…

Action Plan... What will you commit to as an individual? Who will hold you accountable? How will you hold others you work with accountable? KATHRYN Use post-it notes as a takeaway Use post-its for feedback; ideas for improvement Homwork - first team meeting - develop your action plan (how will you check-in about this throughout the year and hold yourself accountable?)

Resources https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/sk-20-ted-talks-about-organizational-culture https://www.careeraddict.com/5-benefits-of-teamwork-in-the-workplace https://toughnickel.com/business/15-Advantages-of-teamwork-in-the-workplace https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html https://www.15five.com/blog/what-the-5-love-languages/