There are two appropriate practices for mitigating bias in written and oral communication are using phrases that do not suggest gender biasness, and incorporating third person and inclusive pronouns in the communication process. Gender biased language is not encouraged because it is biased. There are many phrases that involve the use of man like chairman, and gate man or watchman. According to Ashford University (n.d), using alternative phrases and words in place of such biased words is encouraged in communication. Words like people, staff, and workforce can be used. For example, instead of saying “the watchman was asleep,” one can state that the staff member was asleep. Besides, according to Brown (2019), the use of phrases like “he” or “she” can enable avoid gender biasness in communication, for example, “everyone to collect “his” or “her” book before noon.” However, the phrase cannot be used twice in a single sentence.
Preferred personal pronoun which includes “he,” “she,” “their,” and “they” can also be used to avoid gender biasness in communication (Brown, 2019). “He” and “She” can be used in alternation so as to prove equal favors for both sides. It should however, not be used in many sentences to avoid confusion. “They” and “their” can be used in place of singular pronouns in cases where the gender is not identified. An example includes “someone lost their purse in field.” Additionally, according to Brown (2019), writing or presenting the sentence in plural form, and avoiding the use of third person pronouns can also enable mitigate gender biasness in communication. “Kindly pick the phone,” is an example of a sentence that does not have a third person pronoun.
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Humor in professional communications can enable easier connections with the audience of total detachment from it. Therefore, it is important to understand when humor should or should not be used. According to Simpelo (2019), mastering one’s voice is essential for understanding if they can be humorous or not. I might include humor in my professional communications so as to enhance the audiences’ memory, get their attention and enable move the audience’s attitude and behaviors (Reece, 2014). Humor can make the people take home and remember the important information from the communication. The audience can be attentive and take part in the talk when humor is involved. It will help capture their attention and avoiding boredom. Lastly, humor might be able to change the emotions and attitudes of the audience towards the presentation or talk. It might enable them find the talk more interesting than they expected thus gaining much from it.
Humor should be avoided in various situations. It should only be used when it is in line with the emotion of the conversation. For example, a situation where bad news has just been announced or the emotion of the presentation is sad, requires that jokes or humor be avoided. In such a situation, humor cannot be welcomed nor be useful because the audience will not be interested but rather confused. Besides, according to Simpelo (2019), humor should be avoided or not be used when starting a professional communication. This is because humor requires trust, familiarity with the audience and a special connection with them. Starting a presentation with a joke can disrupt their attention through the presentation.
Respect given is respect earned. Respecting the audience and being positive is effective for a successful presentation. This involves the use of a non-biased gender language, and respecting the personal, cultural and business diversities of the audience. Understanding one’s audience is the best way for a speaker to stay positive and gain respect from the audience or listeners. Enough information about the audience should be gathered by the speaker before the presentation, so as to avoid getting out of the topic or being disrespectful.
A secretary should be available at all times for her supervisor.
The statement assumes the gender of the secretary to be a she, which is sensitive and bias. The sentence can be written in two forms;
A secretary should be available at all times for their supervision
A staff member should be available at all times for their supervision.
Autistic children in this program have maintained high GPAs.
The sentence is biased because it is introducing the characteristics or description of the noun comes first before referring to the noun itself. Therefore, it should be;
Children with autism in this program have maintained high GPAs.
As a nation, we strive for Christian values.
The sentence uses first person plural pronoun “we,” which assumes that the presenter or writer has the same opinion or experience like the listener or reader.
As a nation, pastors strive for Christian values.
We need feedback on our new smartphone app, so I’ve sent a survey to our employees who are under 50.
The sentence is not biased because it has not pointed out the gender of the employees, and it has also specifically described the persons appropriately with their ages. Therefore, the statement is correct.
The new Chinese intern Chao is, of course, our best at analyzing data.
Using the word best suggests biasness, to mean others are not good enough. Therefore, the right words should have been used in expressing the ability of Chao without making others look unappreciated. It could be;
The new Chinese intern Chao is a competent data analyzer in our company.
References
“Ashford University.” (n.d). Avoiding Bias. https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/avoiding-bias
Brown. L. (2019, Jan 29). The Only Business Writing Book You Will Ever Find. Publisher, W. W. Norton & Company.
Reece. B. (2014, Aug 1). Putting the Ha! In Aha!: Humor as a Tool for Effective Communication. University of Pennsylvania Scholarly Commons. https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=mapp_capstone
Simpelo. V. (2019, Aug 29). When To Use Humor In Your Talks (And When NOT To). Ashford University. https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/When+To+Use+Humor+In+Your+Talks+And+When+NOT+To/0_j6haj9ir
