Names Matter

Fall is a time of new beginnings for all members of the Penn State community, including students, employees, alumni, and local residents. Over the next few months, there will be many introductions and first impressions, in classrooms, offices, and communities across the commonwealth, as well as online at World Campus. These new beginnings provide us with many unique opportunities for creating a more inclusive community.  

One simple and sometimes overlooked step in creating a culture of belonging is putting in the time and effort to get each other’s names right. Names are an integral part of an individual’s identity. Yet, many feel othered due to their names being mispronounced or misspelled. 

Calling someone by a name of your choice, or avoiding using their name entirely, are both unacceptable. Sometimes an individual who sees others struggling with their name may themselves offer a modified shortened name, usually an anglicized version, to make it easy for others. Respecting their choice is important. But it is also important to realize that multiple negative reactions from others in the past may have resulted in their adopting a new name, at a great loss of cultural or personal identity.   

These uncomfortable, othering experiences can be avoided if we try to learn the right way to spell or say each other’s name. Putting in this effort is not only an act of caring, but also an essential first step to creating a culture of belonging in our workplaces.  Penn State employees can take many steps to prevent name based microagressions, and thereby creating a more inclusive climate. They can:

• Add their name’s audio pronunciation, by using the feature in  Workday.
• Learn to pronounce a colleague’s name by checking their audio pronunciation in Workday.
• Pay attention to name pronouncers in email signatures and other venues.  
• Look up pronunciations on the internet and other sources  
• Ask ahead of time for help from those who may be familiar with a name that is unfamiliar to us.
• During introductions, listen to all names with respect and curiosity.   
• Double check the spelling of names, in emails, comments and any other correspondence.   
• Admit to needing help in pronouncing or spelling any name and asking for help with respect. “You have a beautiful name; can you help me pronounce it correctly” is preferable to “I do not know where to start” or “This is such a hard/long/not a normal name.”
• Share origin stories of your name if appropriate, and offering opportunities for others to share theirs, to make everyone feel seen and create community.
• Familiarize themselves with name based microaggressions. and the lasting impact of mispronouncing names .
• Watch “What’s in a Name,” a panel discussion featuring Procter & Gamble (P&G) employees who created "The Name” campaign at P&G, and Penn State employees.