By Andi Welsh, City Manager – Lemoore, CA
Don’t Get Your Hopes Up– this isn’t an article on Girls Gone Wild or anything that racy.
Many men AND women often refer to women in the workplace as girls (“Girls’ Night Out” is still ok in my book!). When I first arrived in my organization, many employees referred to front office staff in all departments as “girls” (they all happen to be women, which is probably fairly typical).
People often do not realize the words we use often frame our perception and how we view the world. In my mind, it is demeaning to call an adult female a “girl” and diminishes her contributions. During conversations with me and each other, I asked staff to refer to the women as “ladies”, “women” or by their names. While the tone or intention was not derogatory, I believe using the word “girls” in the workplace is not appropriate.
I believe that word choice impacts how we perceive the world around us. For example, calling an administrative assistant a “girl” downplays her role, while saying the “ladies” at the front counter elevates the women. It is rare, if ever, employees refer to the “boys” operating heavy equipment or patching potholes in an organization- women deserve the same respect.
The power of the words we choose creates an image in our minds, forms impressions and sets expectations. From those impressions, the word choice influences how we think, which leads to thoughts and therefore influences our actions.
In government lingo, we often refer to a “problem” as a “challenge”. We often reframe something as an “opportunity” to address a particular service line or department. From a staff perspective, it is a great time to be part of change while it is an opportunity and not a problem.
Perhaps you order a basic cheeseburger at Applebee’s described as handcrafted beef with lettuce, tomato, onion & pickles with your choice of cheese. Take that same basic hamburger at more upscale restaurant (which will also charge you more than the $9.00 burger at Applebee’s!), and the hamburger may be described as 100% Certified Angus beef burger served on a soft bun with fresh tomato, thinly sliced red onion, crisp romaine lettuce, and Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese. Doesn’t the soft bun, fresh toppings and cheese make your mouth water?
Our word choice influences results and the perceptions we have of others. The power of positive word choice will influence the perception your staff has of each other and how they view themselves. I was reminded of this when a female Director told me it changed her perception of the office staff once she stopped calling them “girls”. She told me she thought to herself, “maybe they are capable of more?”
If you refer to women in your office, I challenge you to rethink your word choice and start the Chinese New Year off right and call them women, ladies, or by their name. Out of respect, women at work should be recognized as women.
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Andrea “Andi” Welsh grew up in Southern California and earned her undergraduate degree from University of California, Santa Cruz. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Villanova University. Prior to becoming City Manager in Lemoore in 2015, Ms. Welsh was the Assistant to the City Manager in Gilbert, AZ.
