RE: Re: OT - poor word choice re: Managing Extreme P rogr amming

Hi George,
 
> Elsewhere Steve Ropa said:
> > As a manager, I often refer to myself as "overhead".  People 
> > seem to enjoy that.
> 
> Perhaps, but that doesn't remove the offense of calling 
> someone "resource"
> any more than referring to yourself as "massa" removes the 
> sting of calling
> a slave "boy."
> 
> If I use an insulting name for someone who has power over me 
> and over whom I
> have no power, I'm being foolish, but the insult will 
> generally be lightly,
> or briefly, felt--if at all.  If I use an insulting name for 
> someone over
> whom I have power and who has no power over me, the insult 
> will generally be
> deeply felt and linger a long time--perhaps forever.
> 
>  - George
Please allow me to respectfully disagree.  An insulting name is hurtful, no matter how much "power" I have over someone.  The assumption that I(as manager) am less susceptible to caring about someone else's opinion is a destructive one.

I also think I need to point out something that I should have pointed out before.  I have never and will never refer to an individual as a Resource. My point was just that it is very difficult to find a term that doesn't anger or irritate someone, and that more than just the word used needs to be considered.  Another example: I often refer to the programmers that work with me as "my team".  Now this could connote that I assume some sort of ownership, that could irritate someone.  To the best of my knowledge, it currently does not offend any of my team members, but I have had people complain at other companies.

Steve

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