George this is great. We all fall into this trip -- I see younger organizers try to show their insider knowledge by using jargon and acronyms; I see more experienced organizers use jargon and acronyms as shorthand. But the language we use within our teams is likely to be the same language we use with the public. The most effective organizers I know never use acronyms, never say something fancy when something simple will do, they don't let words get in the way of building understanding, trust and (eventually) power.
George this is great. We all fall into this trip -- I see younger organizers try to show their insider knowledge by using jargon and acronyms; I see more experienced organizers use jargon and acronyms as shorthand. But the language we use within our teams is likely to be the same language we use with the public. The most effective organizers I know never use acronyms, never say something fancy when something simple will do, they don't let words get in the way of building understanding, trust and (eventually) power.
Great piece, George! Keep em coming.
I'd love to see some examples of jargon-laden NGO-speak if you have any handy.