August 30, 2023

Understanding my PI Profile and Embracing Inclusive Language

I’m a Predictive Index (PI) Promoter reference profile. This is my PI behavioral pattern.

My PI profile summarizes that high B to be that I’m a complete extravert. I’m informal and uninhibited in my behavior, and I understand people well and am capable of using that understanding to gain the friendship and cooperation of others. I easily understand and accept other viewpoints, ideas, and feelings, and I can be effective at getting diverse groups to come together and collaborate.

All of the above is true. The keywords that stand out to me are informal and diverse. I'm typically quick to connect with people and work well across different teams and groups. I also do communicate in a pretty casual manner, even at work.

However, there are limits to informality. During our Lever Talent team huddle, the topic du jour this week was work phrases that are outdated, inappropriate, and culturally insensitive.

Early in my career back in Silicon Valley, I once had a CEO use the phrase “open the kimono” to mean “disclose information about the inner workings of a company” at an all-hands meeting. It was the first time I had ever heard that phrase, and I was immediately filled with feelings of ick*. I didn’t need to know the origin to know that that phrase was racist and sexist. The New York Times reports:

"Probably stemming from the rash of Japanese acquisitions of American enterprises in the ’80s, that has been adopted into the Microspeak marketing lexicon. Basically, a somewhat sexist synonym for ”open the books,” it means to reveal the inner workings of a project or company to a prospective new partner."

One probably lesser-known inappropriate phrase is “no can do“, which is a phrase that “dates from the mid-19th to early-20th centuries during an era when Western attitudes toward the Chinese were markedly racist.”

Did you know that even the phrase “Grandfather Clause” or “Grandfathering in” has racist origins? This term “started in the wake of Reconstruction in the American South to allow potential white voters to circumvent literacy tests, poll taxes, and other tactics designed to disenfranchise Southern blacks after a brief period of relatively open voting.”

Even though I’m a casual communicator, I am very mindful of the phrases and terms I use when communicating to ensure a safe and inclusive workplace. We strongly believe in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion here at Lever Talent, where we prioritize the importance of the presence and engagement of individuals from various genders, races, ethnicities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and this shows up in the way we conduct business, and in the way we interact with our clients and partners.

In the meantime, I’m all for using any of the below phrases:

*Ick - describe something gross or unpleasant in all aspects of life
Zoom Fatigue - The exhaustion experienced from prolonged video conferencing and virtual meetings.
TL;DR - Abbreviation for "Too Long; Didn't Read," often used to summarize lengthy content.
FOMO - Acronym for "Fear Of Missing Out," describing the anxiety of missing out on a social event or opportunity.
Ghosting - Cutting off all communication with someone abruptly, often in dating contexts but can also refer to the workplace.
Hangry - A blend of "hungry" and "angry," describing the irritability caused by hunger.
Understood the assignment - a task has been completely exactly as it needed to be done
Say less - used when you completely agree or understand what someone has said