Four Phrases to Remove From Your Vocabulary - and Mine

While writing my book (launching later this Spring), I relied on familiar phrases and terminology that I have used countless times. However, I didn’t truly take the time to contemplate the meaning and impact of my chosen words.

It wasn’t until after two editors, a copy editor, and the proofreading stage that I was finally called out for being unintentionally insensitive. And they were right to do so.

Throughout my career, I have been devoted to promoting and prioritizing inclusion. As the CEO of a thriving company, I pushed for inclusivity by ensuring that our engineering and design decisions made new technology more accessible. We were pioneers in our industry when it came to addressing accessibility, collaborating with organizations like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Canadian Hearing Society when creating new products.

However, I didn’t take the opportunity to consider and embrace my word choices in my storytelling fully. Here are the four errors I made in my manuscript.

In one of my sentences, I referred to someone as a marketing guru. In the editor’s notes, it was mentioned...

Editor: “The word guru comes from Buddhism and Hinduism, referring to a revered spiritual leader. Casual usage of this term is disrespectful. Consider using authority, expert, virtuoso, or whiz instead.

Refer to this article for more information.”

When examining individuals’ beliefs and perspectives, I referenced the concept of “your tribe.” My editor made a note.

Editor: “Conscious language advocates have moved away from using “tribe,” particularly in business settings. Given the message of your book, it felt appropriate to follow their lead and reword this!

Here’s a great resource that explains more about this shift (and provides some other suggestions for alternatives).”

When discussing a CEO who lacks a solid plan for future success, I mentioned that they were operating blindly. The editor asked me to revise it.

Editor: “The metaphorical use of disability to indicate something unusual, negative, or harmful is ableist, so some readers may have a negative reaction to this usage of blindly. Alternatives could be ignorantly or unaware. This article about disability metaphors offers more information.”

In one instance, I used the phrase “men and women.” The proofreader flagged the use of this phrase, and rightly so.

Proofreader: “This is a good step toward using inclusive language, but it’s unintentionally limiting since it doesn’t account for nonbinary people. Consider updating the wording here or simply removing this phrase to use more conscious language.”

Although I strongly believe in the importance of valuing individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities and welcoming them as integral members who contribute to our success through innovation, effectiveness, and adaptability, it is evident that I must also address my insensitivity through poor language choices.

I am incredibly thankful to my editors for teaching me the impact of word choice on different individuals. I'm also grateful for their assistance in ensuring that my book upholds my beliefs and is free from any poorly chosen words by me.

I have removed these phrases from my vocabulary, and you should, too.