I recently was invited to a vendor lunch and learn. Here is the subject -
OCP Platform - ACS and ACM - ODF Advanced
I didn't go. I don't know w...
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My observations on this over the years:
There's no one-size-fits-all way to fix it, but I think this also helps to make it easier and more accessible for all š
Your first bullet rang a bell for me. While I agree that we should feel safe to ask, I believe we should take it a step farther. The Communicator has information that they want to convey to the Recipient. It's the Recipient's responsibility to listen and ask questions, sure... but it's the Communicator's responsibility to ensure the information has been delivered effectively! So the Communicator should always strive to deliver more than the "bare minimum message".
Also love the idea that the tools can assist us in being faster while preserving clarity. Wonder if those replacement rules could be sort of "inner-sourced" within a company that struggles with alphabet soup?
Absolutely. It's a two-way street, because I've also encountered similar acronyms and abbreviations that have different meanings based on the context e.g.
CI
It's not impossible that all three above could feature in the same meeting and then it is up to the communicator to ensure that contextually these are explained well enough.
I think acronyms naturally form as part of a group/community's communication style, so there's no getting away from it. What may seem "commonly used" to you could still mean absolutely nothing to another group. We're also really keen on shortening #allthethings, see: abbreviations and contractions!
That said, totally agreed on the subject for the lunch & learn. It seems like it wasn't constructed by someone with Communications as part of their skillset.
So my opposing argument: It's not the acronyms that's an issue but rather that someone tried to make a sentence using only acronyms. :P
<pedantry>Most of your examples are initialisms, not acronyms
</pedantry>I am of the firm belief that any initialism can be an acronym if you try hard and believe in yourself.
This is the comment I was expecting at any moment. Thanks for bringing the pedantry.
Would you sign in for my AAAAAAA (American Association Against the Aggressive Adaption and Abuse of Acronyms)?
Sorry, I could not resist... š
IKR?
When writing a paper or other longform communcation, I allow myself to use acronyms/initialisms if I define them the first time they appear.
Or flipped a bit
Well said, SUA!
Aa = Absolutely agree.
Amen! I keep getting lost in them.
CNAM!!!