ASAP, BBC, CAMRA, DJ, ENO … I could go on with acronyms and abbreviations that are now part of our common language, but in these days of shorthand ‘txt’ speak, are we in danger of confusing things?
And can our assumptions that people know what we are talking about place us in actual danger?
From the list above, the BBC is one that means the same thing to everyone. So is CAMRA – a subject close to my heart in the search for real ales!
But ASAP, DJ, and ENO, well I bet you didn’t realise I was talking about the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers, my Dinner Jacket, or the indigestion brand of tablets called ENO?
Let’s choose clear, simple language that cannot be misconstrued
Steve Clark Technical Trainer at Mitsubishi Electric
Language danger
In my role as a trainer, I meet people from the heating industry and people from the air conditioning and refrigeration industry and, like every other sector, they both have their own assumed language, but this is where it can get dangerous.
In plumbing terms, a PRV is a Pressure Relief Valve, which discharges if the pressure inside a heating system gets too much.
In the world of air conditioning though, a PRV is a Pressure Regulating Valve, which controls the pressure. For example, 5bar pressure coming in but only 3bar leaving the valve.
Both are legitimate uses of the term and I’ve even seen schematics with both terms included. but they both have very different functions and very different outcomes.
Personally, I think PRV makes sense for pressure regulating valve and I would suggest that instead of pressure relief valve, we should refer to the other PRVs as safety valves – which is how they are sometimes also referenced.
Constant change
As a business, we recently created a commercial product group (CPG) and a residential product group (RPG) which makes sense internally.
However, the commercial group is aimed at businesses not consumers, so it’s a tad confusing that a well-known acronym for CPG is Consumer Packaged Goods. And as for RPG, well that just says role playing games to me, or even worse, rocket propelled grenade!
Before using an acronym or abbreviation and assuming that the people you are talking to understand what you mean, it’s worth remembering who decides whether your communication and the language you are using is effective or not – It’s your audience, not you!
If you are speaking your own language, rather than speaking plainly in ways that cannot be misunderstood, then you are simply not communicating effectively.
Baffling people with catchphrases or code words that only you understand shows that you are not really paying attention to the recipient of your message.
After all, if people don’t understand what you are saying, how can they ever learn from you or really know what you think?
So, we all need to stop making assumptions and PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick).
Instead, we need to choose clear, simple language that cannot be misconstrued.
You know the old maxim of what happens when we ASSUME! Remember, that applies to you and me!
Steve Clark is a Technical Trainer at Mitsubishi Electric
