The use of pronouns in the workplace can help create a more inclusive culture. Encouraging employees to use their pronouns makes it clear how individuals would like to be referred to and also shows people that you respect their gender identity.
The most commonly used pronouns are “he, him, his” and “she, her, hers.” Some individuals use gender-neutral pronouns, such as “they, them, theirs.” Though these may be most common, pronouns are personal and are a reflection of the individuals’ identities. There are dozens of pronouns, but others include ze, which can also be spelled xe or zie. This replaces she/he/they. Then there’s hir, pronounced like “here,” which replaces her/hers/him/his/they/theirs.
There are several things you can do to help address and normalize the use of pronouns. For starters, you can encourage employees to add them to the following:
If you realize during an introduction or when the conversation has ended that you used the wrong pronouns, apologize, use the correct pronoun and move on. The importance is around consciously doing the work to correct yourself and not lingering on the mistake. If you're having trouble remembering, think of 3-5 sentences of that person in your head using their pronouns — as this helps form the habit for the future. The best apology, after all, is changed behavior.
Being cisgender means your gender expression and identity match what you were assigned at birth. Many refer to assigned male at birth (AMAB) or assigned female at birth (AFAB) instead of "born female." So if you're AFAB and identify as a woman, you're a cisgender woman.
Publicly declaring pronouns is one way to be an LGBTQIA+ ally. Many non-binary and transgender people add their pronouns to their social media platforms and bios to avoid being misgendered, but this can sometimes lead to targeted abuse. If cisgender people use their pronouns, it will become common practice and will help to normalize the process of asking people what their pronouns are instead of just guessing.
These steps to implementing pronouns in your organization can go a long way in making your workplace more inclusive.