Remembering any name is hard, and it’s harder when they’re uncommon, but it is worth the effort to try, even if you find the name hard to pronounce.
People’s names are closely tied to their identity, and mispronunciations can weigh more heavily than you think. Oftentimes people may try to make it easier for others by using a nickname or letting co-workers or their boss continually mispronounce their names, but this generally brings on feelings of resentment, according to the department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
People often perceive continual mispronunciations from the same person as subtle insults, put-downs, or invalidations, and whether intentional or completely accidental, those types of microaggressions can affect a person’s mental health.
However, even though mispronunciations, corrections and adjustments can take its toll on people with uncommon names, it’s important to make the effort to learn and use the proper names of all your co-workers. You may be surprised how much you can help, and how little effort it takes.
Names can be difficult. You might get it wrong multiple times — and that’s OK. It’s your intentionality that matters. If you just met a new co-worker and you’re going to interact with them a lot moving forward, take the time and effort to at least try to say their name correctly.
If you’re unsure about a pronunciation, or which name someone prefers to use, don’t guess. Ask, and if you find yourself forgetting the answer, apologize and ask again.
Often times, people will just be comforted and pleased by the fact you took initiative. Just don’t make an executive decision without asking. That choice should always lie within the hands of the person whose name it is.
