Acronym Corner
Why Highlight Acronyms?
While using acronyms at work amongst those familiar with them creates a shorthand and easy mode of communication, acronyms can also create confusion and communication barriers when used in situations where not everyone is familiar with the meaning. Acronym overuse can also make new team members or people outside of a specific field feel excluded.
Key Issues with Acronyms
Lack of clarity
If someone doesn't know the meaning of an acronym, it can disrupt their understanding of the conversation or written text, becoming a distraction from the speaker’s message as the audience uses brainpower and focus to try to figure out what that acronym meant.
Potential for misinterpretation
Some acronyms can have multiple meanings depending on the context, leading to confusion. For example, in child welfare, SOP is commonly understood as Safety Organized Practice, while in most fields it is commonly associated with Standard Operating Procedures.
The exclusionary nature of creating an “insider” culture
Overuse of acronyms can make new members of a group or people unfamiliar with the jargon feel excluded, especially if there are any power dynamics present causing them to feel uncomfortable with asking for clarification (i.e., a new employee in front of a boss, a family at a Child and Family Team Meeting (CFTM), a person with a different racial or cultural background). Excessive use of acronyms can create a sense of exclusivity within a group, potentially hindering collaboration with outsiders.
This latter danger of acronym overuse is of special importance to me. As a mother of a child with Autism navigating the Special Education, Mental Health, and Autism-specific systems of care for years, I can tell you with certainty that learning the jargon of these different fields is not only overwhelming but also intimidating. As a parent, I would sit in the room of “experts” whom would speak to each other “professionally” as if I was not there, or should already know what they are talking about, and if I did have the moxie to pause them and ask for clarification, I would be met with a minimal explanation—my need for understanding was treated like an afterthought at best, and as if I was ignorant at worst.
I share this information with you also as a licensed marriage and family therapist, coordinator of a Wraparound program, and an instructor for the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice (RCFFP) at UC Davis. Sitting in these meetings for my child, I had a leg-up due to my education and experience, and yet I still felt left out of the conversions, needed to ask for clarity, and needed to feel I could trust those systems of care to provide all that my child needed to the best of their ability. My doubt that they could and would provide that care was compounded by a barrier to communication: The acronyms, and the “experts’” lack of awareness that their approach to communicating around me rather than with me, a person outside of their group, contributed to me feeling excluded.
How to provide a welcoming environment in the workplace and when working with families
- Adopt inclusive language: Inclusive language is a style of communication that avoids words, phrases, and expressions that may discriminate against people based on their race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, religion or their exclusion to the group majority. Inclusive language is intended to be respectful, sensitive to differences, and promote equal opportunities. One way to even the playing field is to provide the family or new team member with a list of acronyms and terms they may hear in the course of their work or time in the child welfare system, and/or Wraparound.
- Use acronyms sparingly—and cautiously: Only use acronyms when absolutely necessary to add value to an interaction; and, when determining said value, be mindful of the entire audience's familiarity with the term. Clarity and accessibility are paramount. A good rule of grammar and communication is to always speak or spell out the full phrase when introducing an acronym. This helps establish the acronym throughout the remainder of the communication.
Acronyms as Opportunity
This brings me to one of Wraparound’s core values: Always seeking to learn and utilize the family’s language when speaking to them, and about them. When drafting their plan of care and the safety plan, it’s crucial that the family understands the legal jargon of court orders and conversations presented by the “professionals.” Wraparound has the principle of being culturally responsive and respectful, and we have an opportunity to demonstrate that when we help bridge any communication gap between the professionals and the family, and an opportunity to positively improve child services systems through modeling the use of inclusive language and communication styles that foster a feeling of inclusivity.
We acknowledge that acronyms might be a convenient shortcut for those “in the know,” but they can also turn into a roadblock for clear communication. So, the next time you're about to drop an acronym in a meeting, take a moment to ask: "Will this be helpful, or will it leave some of these folks out of the conversation?" By choosing to communicate clearly and inclusively, we can create spaces where everyone, whether a new team member or a family, feels heard, respected, and understood. And who knows… you might even make the workplace a little less "alphabet soup" and a little more approachable for all.
If you have a suggestion for an acronym that needs to be shared, please submit it to Tamara Trejos at tvtrejos@ucdavis.edu to be featured in an upcoming newsletter!