Cykl artykułów został przygotowany przez LANG LTC - Akredytowane Centrum Egzaminacyjne Cambridge ESOL, organizatora zagranicznych wyjazdów językowych i szkoleń językowych.

 

Spotkania biznesowe - ekspert (za)radzi

Ask the Meeting Expert

Use of abuse

Dear Meeting Expert,

I participate in a number of meetings on a daily basis. There are few women working in my organization so very often during these meetings I am the only female among a group of men. Unfortunately what seems to have become an inherent part of our corporate culture is that my male colleagues tend to use offensive or abusive language. Being a polite woman I will refrain from quoting examples but I am sure you can imagine the most common ones. It is never or rarely directed at particular attendees, however while my colleagues seem to indulge themselves in using words that are commonly regarded as offensive, I feel increasingly ashamed to be a part of that gathering.

I am determined to do something about it but frankly speaking I am a bit afraid to confront my colleagues directly as their reaction is difficult to predict. That is why I would appreciate it if you could advise me on what course of action I should take. Should I take the bull(s) by the horns or should I grit my teeth and suffer in silence?