I was initially at a loss as to what I should write for this month’s message. Sitting in my office, I was contemplating ideas and ways I could structure this week’s message. I scrawled words and sentences onto a note pad, but nothing was coming to mind… then suddenly, BAM! A lightning bolt of thought hit me; I was thinking, writing and speaking all through language and at last I had found the thread I would be following for this month’s message.
First, we should think a moment about language itself. A quote that has always resonated with me is, “Man acts as though he were the sharper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man.” As human beings we have an intimate relationship with language. We craft and mold words and sentences to convey meaning to each other. Seldom do we reflect on how language comes to shape us.
As HR representatives, we are more aware of how language should and shouldn’t be used in the workplace as far as the law is concerned. However, if we think a bit deeper about the language we use in our interactions with employees and keep the aforementioned quote in mind, it seems to me that we can foster and build even stronger relationships within our workplaces. While it may seem superfluous to refer to mistakes as “opportunities” or not acknowledging an employee for going above and beyond in their job, these simple things can make a huge difference in how the relationship between the company and the employee operates.
I would like to thank everyone who made our Spring HR Mixer a huge success! We are so grateful for our committee members, partners, those who donated items for our Silent Auction and those who took the time to attend our mixer. The money raised from the silent auction was donated to the SHRM Foundation. We raised over $500! Thank you all very, very much!
