Lexicon
The Lexicon is a useful reference to provide colleagues with confidence in some of the toughest professional conversations, hosted on our intranet.
We hope that this will strengthen the sense of security and respect in our internal culture.
The updated Lexicon includes more phrases with additional context, outlining general guidelines with words that many are comfortable using and words that many are not. It is important to remember that no lexicon will ever be a replacement for initiating these conversations ourselves, asking individuals questions about their preferences, and apologising if we make a mistake.
These conversations may not be easy and all of us at some point will misspeak. Every person is a unique individual who has their own unique language preferences regarding the many diverse parts of their identity. This Lexicon offers a starting point which makes us all more comfortable engaging in these conversations.
The goal the Lexicon aims to support is a professional culture, internally and externally, where all colleagues feel respected, valued, and seen for who they are, not stereotypes and categories. We hope this contributes to a stronger understanding of these evolving conversations, a stronger sense of mutual respect throughout Odgers Berndtson, and a strong enough foundation that we all take more of our chances to tackle these discussions when the opportunities arise.
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