This past week, I was sipping coffee with a good friend and colleague when he mentioned that I cursed more in front of him than when we first met. I agreed, and noted that with a comfort zone, my willingness to throw !@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@! into the dialogue became more prevalent. There was a trust bond, and that made me more open about using four letter words.
Cursing is fascinating. Years ago, in my weekly newspaper column, I wrote about how I completely eliminated all cursing from my vocabulary as my wife and I raised our three kids. That has very slowly gone out the door as they’ve become young adults, but I still monitor my vocabulary. During those earlier years of their childhood though, I kept it in check, and when I happened upon a forum where you didn’t need to watch everything you said, I would let the occasional four letter word fly, and man, did that feel good.
Watching what you say in a business environment is another issue. You have to approach each situation as if cursing is taboo. You must monitor first, get a feel for the terrain, and listen to what others say, particularly the leaders. If there is an acceptance of certain words or ways of saying things, you should file that away for what you regurgitate later.
Cursing can be cathartic, enjoyable and provide the exact explanation you seek. But it typically isn’t appropriate in open business forums. You will find your own comfort zone as you work your way into a new culture.
My job several years back put me into a new situation, and it quickly became clear that cursing, even in fairly substantially-sized meetings, was okay. Men and women both let it fly. I found that interesting, and it might have been part of a certain cultural element of our business line.
In general though, keep your lip zipped when it comes to professional cursing. See what others say first, and if someone is going to step in dog poop, let it be them, not you. Even if you reach a point where it’s clear that cursing is okay, err on the side of caution. Save it for your friends. They’ll tell you when you’re over the line.
Cursing is fascinating. Years ago, in my weekly newspaper column, I wrote about how I completely eliminated all cursing from my vocabulary as my wife and I raised our three kids. That has very slowly gone out the door as they’ve become young adults, but I still monitor my vocabulary. During those earlier years of their childhood though, I kept it in check, and when I happened upon a forum where you didn’t need to watch everything you said, I would let the occasional four letter word fly, and man, did that feel good.
Watching what you say in a business environment is another issue. You have to approach each situation as if cursing is taboo. You must monitor first, get a feel for the terrain, and listen to what others say, particularly the leaders. If there is an acceptance of certain words or ways of saying things, you should file that away for what you regurgitate later.
Cursing can be cathartic, enjoyable and provide the exact explanation you seek. But it typically isn’t appropriate in open business forums. You will find your own comfort zone as you work your way into a new culture.
My job several years back put me into a new situation, and it quickly became clear that cursing, even in fairly substantially-sized meetings, was okay. Men and women both let it fly. I found that interesting, and it might have been part of a certain cultural element of our business line.
In general though, keep your lip zipped when it comes to professional cursing. See what others say first, and if someone is going to step in dog poop, let it be them, not you. Even if you reach a point where it’s clear that cursing is okay, err on the side of caution. Save it for your friends. They’ll tell you when you’re over the line.
