Communication has brought humans together for hundreds of thousands of years, but different ways of communicating have kept groups separate. Even among people who seemingly speak the same language, different generations, regions, classes, and professions have jargon, slang, and idioms that can confuse other people. 

Inclusive, exclusive, and targeted communications 

Inclusive communication can reduce divisions between groups. You can use words and phrases that focus on what we have in common rather than our perceived differences. 

Exclusive communication can engender a sense of community by highlighting dissimilarities of others. The approach has been used for benign and nefarious purposes for centuries. Members who share a vocabulary can communicate with each other more efficiently, while reminding others that they are outsiders. 

Professional communicators target certain audiences for their messages. We can use words, phrases, and imagery to engage people who share beliefs or backgrounds. We can be more concise if we know we don’t have to explain concepts familiar to most of the audience. Connection and brevity are honorable goals, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity. To make targeted communications inclusive, look beyond your primary audience and make sure your messages are clear to everyone you want to reach. 

Communicate more inclusively 

Let’s boil the ocean, get our ducks in a row, and move the needle with some low-hanging fruit. If you want to reach a broader audience, choose your words more carefully. Review your writing while watching out for: 

• Jargon. The first sentence of the preceding paragraph contains some of the most confusing workplace jargon. All groups have expressions that are hard for outsiders to understand. They rarely support the message, and it’s best to avoid jargon.  
• Acronyms. Every company, industry, sport, etc., abbreviates common terminology, but people outside of or new to a group might not understand. Consider whether you should use an acronym at all, and spell it out when you introduce it. 
• Slang. These words and phrases are typically more informal and can quickly become dated. Messages that use slang often come across as inauthentic and pandering. Avoid using slang. 
• Idioms. I love learning new idioms—often charming expressions with established meaning beyond the individual words used. If you can avoid beating around the bush when explaining an idiom, it can add color to your message. You can use them sparingly with descriptions. Otherwise, avoid idioms. 
• Exclusive language. Some words can make individuals feel supported or rejected. Avoid terms that are needlessly gender specific or focus on people’s differences.  

Acronyms, jargon, slang, and idioms can be shortcuts to connecting with a group, but they can alienate parts of your audience. It takes more effort to engage your target audience without excluding others, but if that is your goal, it’s worth the work.