Whitewashing Corporate Culture

Wouldn't it be lovely

Have you caught yourself saying ‘Chairman’ instead of ‘Chairperson’ and been mortified by your callous disregard for the niceties of gender sensitivity?

You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Modern business is being beset by politically-correct diktats that make that gaffe seem minor. We recently heard about a corporation that disallowed the use of the term ‘brainstorm’, because it was apparently insensitive to people with epilepsy. But even that has been recently dwarfed.

Some government quangos are recommending a ban on terms like ‘gentleman’s agreement’, ‘right-hand man’, ‘black day’ and ‘master your brief’ on the grounds that they perpetuate negative racial or gender connotations.

Rising to this stirring challenge, we would like to suggest these additions to the list: Master of the Universe, Black sheep, Blackball, Slide Master, Black looks, Black book, Black mark and Taking it like a man.

But seriously. Though these measures are on the face of it ridiculous- not to mention personally oppressive of employees’ right to work in an atmosphere not reminiscent of a Fascist labour camp- there is some merit to the madness. Prejudice is real in our workplaces, and true ethnic and gender diversity in senior management a long way away.

The market may correct this over time, but sometimes it needs a little push. When people are forced to be politically correct, it soon becomes a habit, and people eventually become defensive of their own habits. What they’re forced to do today, they’ll enthusiastically defend tomorrow.