Monday, May 9, 2011

Making Etiquette Easy: Curse Words


Image from The Crack Team

Bleep! A little slip here and there never seemed to kill anyone, but curse words can be the spoiler de jour in your professional life if you're not careful. Whether it's for camaraderie, out of emotion, or just a bad habit, it can really be a curse (pun intended). Here are some situations you should consider...and then add removing curse words from your vocabulary to this weeks to-do list:


  • In the Office: With more than 250,000 words in the English language, exercising one of the 12 or so"dirty" words doesn't say much to compliment your intelligence, let alone get your message across with additional clarity. Not only that, but you don't know the moral DNA of every single person in your office, and your words may be not only offensive but divisive. Remember, if you're trying to effectively communicate a message, swear words distract and dilute the meaning.

  • Via Email: Never include curse words in email content. For the same reason that you should never put anything in email that you don't want blasted to the world, curse words in emails come off as juvenile and immature. And besides, you'll never be able to revoke your misstep.

  • On Social Media: Even if you manage to tame your tongue in the office, it doesn't give you license to go wild on the internet. Employees, potential business partners, clients, and children are able to see what you project about yourself. And while you may think it's funny, not everyone shares the same humor. The same goes people who post these words to your pages- delete them. Many people have been chastised or fired for the content on their non-professional pages.

  • The bottom line is that there are so many differing opinions about swearing that it's best to be conservative. This way, you won't offend anyone. And chances are, you'll gain more respect for keeping things politically correct. The short of it: Button It Up Butter Cup!
Making Etiquette Easy,
Susan K. Medina

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