What to Do When Your Name is Mispronounced
Mita Mallick
On a mission to fix what’s broken in our workplaces | Wall Street Journal & USA TODAY Best Selling Author | Thinkers 50 Radar List | Workplace & Culture Strategist | LinkedIn Top Voice
Happy Monday! Welcome to our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter: Join us at Brown Table Talk. Dee Marshall and I will be publishing every Monday to unpack our thoughts from our weekly Brown Table Talk Podcast Season 2. Our podcast which is now part of the LinkedIn Podcast Network! WOHOO!
For most of my childhood and my career, my name has been a source of joy, pain, pride and shame. After years of being renamed, having my name purposely mispronounced over and over again, and being called the wrong name in workplaces, I have wanted to scream: Just call me by name!
In Episode 2 of Brown Table Talk Podcast, Dee and I tackle one of the biggest micro-aggressions in our workplaces that so many women of color face: the mispronunciation of our names. In this episode, “What to Do When Your Name is Mispronounced,” we share the stories of our full names, the impact of having your name constantly mispronounced, and of course tips for both women of color and allies.
Some of our advice includes:
Ask people how they pronounce their names
When meeting new people over Zoom for example, I start the meeting by saying their name. I then ask them, “Jonathan, did I say your name correctly?” People are usually presently surprised, and then they will in turn ask me how to pronounce my name.
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Don’t ever nickname anyone without their permission
“Do you go by Johnathan?” I might ask as a follow-up. They might respond, “Actually, I prefer John, thank you for asking.” Or they might say, “Yes, I go by Jonathan.” Never nickname someone or use a nickname without their permission.
Record & display your name pronunciation on your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn offers an option to record a 10-second audio clip on your profile to let others know how to pronounce your name. This tool can help you learn someone’s name before meeting someone for the first time.
Listen to Episode 2 for more tips and advice from Dee and I. Remember that our names were given to us by those who had big hopes and dreams for us. Let’s honor each other by learning to pronounce all of our names correctly.
As always, you have a standing invitation to join us at the Brown Table Talk Podcast. Because change requires tough conversations. And we can’t change what we won’t discuss.
With Much Love and Gratitude, Dee & Mita
PS- My full name is Madhumita. It means “full of honey, sweet person.”
Office Specialist / Training Coordinator / Recognition Enthusiast
11moI love this! As a white ally, my name gets mispelled a lot. Sometimes I correct people, sometimes I lean into it because it's just easier. And I think people with uncommon names tend to be more in tune with making sure everything we publish or write in social media is correct. I always double check spelling of people's names. And you are so right, that it is lazy to misspell someone's name multiple different ways in the same thing. It must be so frustrating for you because of all the other micro aggressions you've had to face. And the level you've reached, you deserve so much more! Your podcast fan base loves you and appreciates how much you are willing to open up and share with us.
Project Management Consultant | Forbes Next 1000 | 3x Inc. 5000 & Regionals | SBA Emerging Leader | Founder | Non-Profit Director | FT #31
2yMita - Just getting to this episode now... Getting a name right is so important to me. My mom is a Cambodian refugee and has gone by the wrong pronunciation of her name for 45 years because it was easier for Americans to pronounce. I am trying to figure out the most respectful/least micro-aggressiony way to get a person's name right. Sometimes I Google name pronunciations ahead of my calls, say the name, and still get it wrong sometimes. Other times I just ask them how they pronounce their names. I can see in their faces in both instances that it's just exhausting that they have to correct this new person yet again. What is your preference and do you have alternative approaches?
Thank you......from Suresh Radhakrishnan, by way of Alabama!!!
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2yMy first day in school, (kindergarten) the teacher strolled the aisle doing roll-call. “Billy” she inquired. A small boy answered, “here” “Mary” the teacher asked. Mary politely raised her hand and said, “here.” “Terry” the teacher called. No reply came forth. “Terry” the teacher called out. The class of 5-yr-olds remained silent. The teacher moseyed down my aisle then stopped next to me. She looked at her paper then looked down at me. “You are Terry” she gently informed me. “No mam, my name is Rocky” was my puzzled response. The teacher smiled then explained, “Rocky must be a nick name but your real name is Terry” The entire class of kids Watched in great anticipation, as my first 5 minutes of school was already a test. I raised my hand, with a quiver in my voice I said, “Here” Golly-gee did I ever give my parents a stern talking to that night. I emphasized that it would’ve been nice if they had told me my real name before I started school. Decades later at a particular robust family function I went into a fake rant about my first roll call. “You name me Terry? Then give me the nick name Rocky, the amount of teasing those two names conjured is probably the reason I’m so messed up.” Everybody laughed. Tah-dah.
Analyst
2yThanks for the invite, Mita Mallick . Apologies for the delay, but I fall behind on these LI messages.