Bringing people together from all walks of life also means navigating unknown acronyms and potentially confusing jargon. As partners begin to work together on health issues in your community, take time to create a common language and communication norms. This is a critical step in ensuring all partners feel included. Consider routinely including your communication norms on meeting agendas and on organizational documents such as a Team Blueprint or charter.
A few tips to ensure partners are speaking the same language :
- Spell out acronyms
- Avoid jargon
- Create a common vocabulary and develop a system for sharing it with new partners
- Use inclusive language
- State and explain assumptions
- Welcome questions