The pandemic has seen the rise in recurring words such as “pivot”, “unprecedented”, “new normal” which has led many communications professionals to start pulling their hair out and gritting their teeth. Language is important. How you develop your sentences, structure your argument, and make your request or suggestion shapes your brand and influences the outcome. but we don't all understand or use words in the same ways.
Erica Mills Barnhart’s work with analyzing and deconstructing word choice for nonprofits has been leading the way in helping discover more meaningful and effective ways of communicating to your donors. The Wordifier and the associated verb list are great tools when you find yourself struggling with your search for the right word. And there are certainly multiple articles about what nonprofits should and shouldn’t use in their communications. (Classy and Hubspot)
Now is a great time for your organization to reflect on the past year or two and see what words you have been favoring. For lots of folx the words “community”, “diversity”, “equity”, and “inclusion” have bubbled up into more popular usage, but does everyone in your organization have a cohesive understanding of what these words mean in the context of your work? Are the words being used with the same meaning across your organization- in grants, appeals, newsletter, social media, and more? Does your service delivery staff have the same understanding as your board with these words?
One way to start unpacking this is to try an antonyms test. You can start to uncover the wide range of meanings of simple words by asking a range of people what they think is the opposite of that word. For example, if you are trying to breakdown “community” responses could include “disharmony”, “individual”, “isolation”, “loneliness” or “foreigners”. All of these are valid, but they all give different context to the word “community”
“Say what you mean and mean what you say” is a popular adage that I’ve heard repeated far too many times. Your interpretation of a word can be very different from another person’s due to differences as wide as culture and education or as small as geography or industry. It’s not only highly charged words that need to be used with care, but the lexicon of your organization may need to be revisited and updated in your organizational style guide to help keep your brand identity and reputation aligned internally and externally.
More to learn:
Coded Langauge: Say What You Really Mean from Designing for Inclusion
By Tiffani L. Williams
Search Engine for word research https://www.wordhippo.com
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