Majestic plural, be banned

Using passive voice versus active voice. It’s a problem in writing, but also in speaking. It doesn’t always play out in the same way (in writing, the trouble is usually a missing verb; in speaking, an incorrect pronoun is committing the crime), but it’s similarly heinous.

I don’t have many pet peeves but this one is particularly burdensome. Someone suggesting that “we” should do something is pretty much nails on a chalkboard for me. Typically the person making the request is not, in fact, including him or herself in the requested action. The result is degrading, or, at the very least just a bit nauseating.

Yes, I’m speaking of the “royal we”, luralis majestatis, or the “majestic plural”.

The most unfortunate manifestation of the “royal we” is in the workplace. A manager telling a direct report that “we should have caught that typo before it went to print” or “we should have known the client would react that way” is twisty and creates confusion. It diffuses blame, but more than likely there is still blame being laid in the masked comment. The person laying the blame just doesn’t have the conviction to be direct about it.

Perhaps it’s a consequence of more offices working in an open, team environment that’s not conducive to confrontation. Perhaps it’s the litigious culture we’ve created, where people don’t feel able to call individuals out when they deserve to be. Maybe this is a purely Canadian plague and a side effect of our compulsion to be nice all the time.

Case in point – I’ve met some people who’ve moved here from other regions and cultures and they didn’t have this problem. However, some times their tone and body language comes across as too harsh or direct, even downright mean. I worked with several wonderful and extremely bright people from several eastern European countries who’ve initially scared the crap out of me but after a while I adjusted to their approach. Once I did it became really refreshing to work with them, because a new level of honesty flourished and everyone felt much more comfortable that they were getting sincere, candid feedback.

I think we all appreciate working with direct individuals who express responsibility and accountability through their words and actions. I think work would be a bit less stressful in this environment, which means we’d all be a little more productive.

I strive to be very purposeful about my language, especially in the workplace, to ensure that I’m being inclusive, supportive and encouraging of my colleagues and direct reports. It’s very easy to become busy, get caught up in the minutiae and slip into passive aggressive mode. I can be accused of writing too long, run-on sentences. I’m also an adjective junkie. I’m a compulsive synonym searcher. But, I hope never to have the ‘royal we’ finger pointed at me, ever. Why, I’d just as soon speak in the third person. Julessea thinks this is is good advice for everyone.