Rethinking ‘guys’ for inclusivity

Can we remember when 'guys' became common in addressing a group? This word choice has been a part of our lingo for years and is understood and accepted to involve everyone, regardless of gender. It is prevalent in blue—and white-collar environments, classrooms, and social settings.  

Until recently, it has been a part of my everyday conversation. 

So, what changed?  

Throughout my career as a woman in a male-populated industry, I have used the phrase 'one of the boys' to define how I want to be treated and included in the workplace. Yet, the phrase inherently drew a line in the sand. I might get treated like one of the boys, but I could never be one of the boys because my gender identity didn't fit that definition.  

Belonging is a fundamental human need. As an apprentice in a male-populated industry, I believed that being like 'one of the boys' was the highest form of inclusion I could achieve in the workplace. My teams have always supported me in feeling included, but neither I, my peers, nor my leaders recognised that something as simple as a word choice could be a barrier to inclusion.  

Yet, 'guys' is used everywhere, not just in our trade and blue-collar environments.  

It wasn't until I attended inclusion training that I understood the subtle but powerful difference a word choice - one small action - can make to create inclusion.  

Reducing our use of the term 'guys' when speaking to gender-diverse groups isn't about political correctness. I have used the word for years myself. Within our communities, we understand the intention of the word is inclusion. Instead, reducing our use of the term 'guys' is about consciously choosing how we want to make people feel in our teams and communities.  

When we use the term 'guys', we accept that the intention is for women to be included in the word choice. But acceptance isn't the same as inclusion. Inclusion is about making people feel like they belong. Just like my understanding that I could be like 'one of the boys' but never be 'one of the boys', when we use the term 'guys', while our intention is inclusiveness, it still has a male context. That context can only partially include women. So, the word 'guys' doesn't create inclusiveness.  

If we want to support all people in considering trade and non-traditional pathways, we need to help them feel included beyond a doubt. Ditching the term 'guys' isn't about policing word choices; language is more complicated than black-and-white definitions. But it is about showing up as leaders and actively choosing to create inclusive, supportive environments.  

So, what can we say instead of 'guys'?  

While 'everyone' is an accurate choice, the fewer syllables, the better in Australia! We can use words like 'team' or 'crew' because they don't have any gendered associations. But there are many options! The most crucial part is choosing what language you want to use to create inclusion rather than using a word by default.  

Changing a word choice like 'guys' takes time to happen. It starts with awareness. If you begin to notice every time you use the word 'guys', while you may feel disheartened to recognise how common it is in your daily conversations, the recognition is the most crucial step! That moment of pause when you recognise you've used the term after you've spoken it out loud will gradually become a pause beforehand. Once you pause before you say the word 'guys', you're on track to creating a new habit that creates inclusion.  

Together, ditching the word 'guys', we can create workplaces where everyone feels like 'one of the team'!