WE GOT U:

Listen Up Grumpy Gus: This one is not as hard in real life as it is in your head.

Times change, norms change, and communication needs evolve. No Cap. All cap? Whatever. What we are saying is you have got to stop calling us girls, honey, sweetheart. You have got to stop referring to your balls. That is the bare minimum.

Ideally, you are an overachiever! Consider how women are described versus how men are described. Consider how women are introduced versus how men are introduced. Consider choosing your words like they matter - because they do.

A data point to ponder:

Job postings in male-dominated fields often use coded language. Terms like “leader,” “dominant,” and “competitive” discourage women from applying. When gender neutral language is used, female applicants rise by an astounding 42%.

Lexicon clean up on isle 1968: When someone uses outdated or biased language, practice correcting it on the spot. Pick a go-to phrase and carry it around in your head ready to serve up when needed. “Let’s go with” “that’s a yellow card".”

“Bob, that’s a yellow card”

“Bob, by ‘feisty’ did you mean ‘assertive and clear’?