The dangers of shorthand

Last time, I talked about the alure of a common language. On the plus side, this shorthandsaves time. A common phrase conveys meaning quickly.When I use it, I demonstrate that I know the lingo of this group. We feel a sense of connection when we use our own group language. What could go wrong? A few things.  What if some people are brand new to a group and don’t know the lingo? Will they feel unwelcome? Not sure about speaking up and saying, “I don’t understand”? What if the obvious meaning was clear at one time but times have changed and it’s not so obvious now. Or it now feels a little offensive? And what about times when we would like to include those who aren’t part of the established group. Situations where a general phrase just doesn’t convey enough and each person speaking or listening fills in some understanding – and maybe quite different ones!

The possibility of shorthand doing more harm than good is real. Best to be sure that using shorthand has more benefits than disadvantages.

Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about conflict management or conflict resolution? Let me know at jb@dovetailresolutions.com! And you can learn more about me and my work as a mediator and a Certified CINERGY® Conflict Coach at www.dovetailresolutions.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebeddall/.

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