I started a new feature for our Dean's Weekly Update (newsletter), called Decanally Speaking. This one, from August, is about how we deal with each others' names:
Our Names, Our Selves
Our Georgia Tech strategic plan states that “we thrive on diversity,” and many of us do our part to make sure this isn’t just a slogan. There is a small (perhaps not so small) adjustment we can make to create a more welcoming workplace.
No, I am not thinking about gender pronouns, although getting those right definitely demonstrates respect for another person’s preferred gender identity. I am thinking about names.
Our names are deeply personal, related to identity and heritage, but it’s amazing how often we get our coworkers’ or students’ names wrong, pronounce them only approximately right, or avoid saying someone’s name entirely because we feel embarrassed. Research reveals what those on the receiving end feel when their names are avoided or continually mispronounced and misspelled: “I am not important.” — “I am different.” — “I am not respected and valued.” And, as a consequence: “I don’t belong here.”
There are best practices about how to remedy this situation, and most actions only take seconds: Online resources offer pronunciation guides for names from around the world. If you feel comfortable enough, you can also simply ask your colleague or student about their preferred pronunciation. Those of us working in the science of names and naming (onomastics, specifically anthroponymy) know that human names are tricky when it comes to pronunciation. The normal rules of pronunciation don’t always apply. If you yourself have a name that might cause others difficulty, you can add a pronunciation guide in your email signature. And if you know how to pronounce someone else’s name correctly, but others don’t, you can help the situation by pronouncing it correctly so that others can hear and imitate.
Am I guilty of mispronouncing and misspelling others’ names? Absolutely. Living in a trilingual household doesn’t protect one from getting things wrong. Knowing this, I try to pay a little extra attention when a colleague’s last name happens to be “Fealing” (which autocorrect invariably turns into “Feeling”), wondered if Aaron Levine prefers to pronounce his last name “la-veen” or “lee-vine” (both exist, but he prefers “la-veen”), and loved to learn that Shatakshee (“shuh-taak-shee”) Dhongde’s first name is a blend of two Sanskrit words, “shata” and “akshi,” which translates into “hundred-eyed,” which comes in handy when she surveys the myriad details in the world of academic affairs. And finally, I wouldn’t want to call our president “Angel” (“AYN-juhl”) when he prefers the Spanish “Ángel” (which most English speakers approximate into “AHN-hehl”).
Getting each others’ names right takes only the smallest of efforts.
We are at Georgia Tech. We can do that.
rju
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