What to call direct reports "my people"

Golf · May 2002

We have a manager that is very good at her job, but when she is talking about employees as a group that report to her she refers to them as “my people”. She even uses this term when speaking directly to these employees.

I feel some people could be offended by this term and I know this is not her intent. I would like to approach her on this subject, but don't want to offent her. Does anyone know of an article on this subject, or a site that lists proper protocol that I could direct her to?

System · May 2002

Just tell her the same thing you told us. She might be embarrassed, but hopefully will be glad you told her.

James Sokolowski
Senior Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers

sonny · May 2002

I agree with James and she may not even be embarassed if approached right.This habit has irritated me to no end for years!! I have approached more than one person on it...just kind of informal and sensitive to their personality. One person I told, you know slavery is long gone and they really are't YOUR people. Try using our, we us. Another I went from the angle of our efforts to build teams and just casually suggested that using our, we, us made the ee feel more a part of the effort. It worked in both cases. Now I still can't get thru to a current co-worker who always refers to her staff as "my girls" Yuk!! Unfortuanately, I am not aware of any articles that my help.Good luck.

Rockie · May 2002

I am sure the manager probably doesn't even realize this is offensive. I hear this term all the time and it makes me think of Moses (Let my people go!).
The only worse thing I have heard is to have a boss or supervisor refer to his assistant or secretary as "my girl".

I would just casually call the manager's attention to this (in private) and I'm sure this will take care of it.

Don D · May 2002

Political correctness once again takes the workplace by the collar. We too have a supervisor who refers to the women/ladies/females in the department as "my girls". I've even heard the supervisor admonish, "Girls, let's dispense with the levity and get back to work." None have complained;however, some may not like it. As a footnote, this is an excellent, productive, cohesive, almost-family group who weekly eat pizza and ice cream together and have pot luck and rotate among each other's houses at night for dinners. We cover these items in bi-annual,supervisory training in a shotgun approach. We may need to meet separately with this particular supervisor. This group is one of our most productive and have been together for quite some years. It might be a case of "If it ain't broke.....". I forgot to mention that the supervisor is also female.

Margaret Morford · May 2002

I agree with the person above to a certain extent. I don't want to over regulate, but I find many women don't like "girls" because it makes them feel like children. Try "ladies." It works just as well, is just as friendly and doesn't have the child connotation.

I have one client that hires a lots of retirees. They call themselves "the over the hill gang". When asked whether the employer should put a stop to it, I told the employer that no one (managers or non-retiree employees) should refer to the group in that way, but not to admonish the retirees from calling themselves that.

Also, because we want to give equal time to the men... When I would sit in the Senior Management meetings (me and five "guys") and it got a little raucous and I was concerned that if I didn't speak up they would think it was okay to talk like this around the workplace, I'd say, "Gentlemen, some decorum, please." It worked fine without my having to be the hard nose or come across as an overly sensitive female. All you want to do is stop the behavior that could get the company in trouble.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

WOCO Frank · May 2002

The term I really hate is "subordinate". Yuk.

Don D · May 2002

When you really look at it one of today's most popular management descriptors,'Direct Reports'... What's more deflating that being told "You report directly to him"? As long as there's one consultant left standing, the politically correct buzz word will shift paradigms (oops)at least every 6 months. The discussion reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago in DOL's 'Manpower Magazine' (can't call it that anymore). It showed an old gentleman with a cane sitting in a broken chair. His comment was "They used to call me poor. Then they started calling me needy. Then they told me I was disadvantaged. Now they tell me I'm financially challenged. I still ain't got a dime, but I've got a great vocabulary." I agree that we shouldn't demean others with labels; however, sometimes we spend too much time shifting our labels for each other from subordinates to direct reports to fellow workers to team members to stakeholders to associates, all the long failing to address the issues that might make people happier thus more productive.

sharonm · May 2002

Our manager refers to his group as "my staff". For some reason - I guess because it sounds more "business-oriented" and "professional" - this does not offend me or leave a bad taste. I guess too, the fact that he is a complete gentleman who shows total respect to everyone doesn't hurt either! Oh, by the way, this great manager just retired the end of April, so "his staff" is very sad right now!

Dmurphy · May 2002

I am not too fond of "my people" either. There is a website:

[url]www.mannersmith.com/[/url]

that might be helpful.

kquanz · May 2002

What about "my team". I try to avoid call the HR Assistant "my assitant" I refer to her as "The HR Assistant". My thought is she assits the department, not me personally.

sonny · May 2002

I still like "Our" team better. Like your thinking on the HR assistant

What to call direct reports "my people"

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