Committing to Partnership

Client

Industry

Role

EdAllies

Policy

Strategic Communications Director

Brief

Annually update the organizational style guide.

No brief.

Solution

Developed an industry-leading style guide, prioritizing language that eliminates bias from our lexicon and celebrates the identities of all people and communities.

Services

Research, Voice and Tone, Style Guidelines

Process

Language is our most efficient tool for expression, communication, and relationship building—but companies rarely interrogate whether their style guide is in alignment with their organizational values and mission. I pushed to develop an industry-leading style guide that incorporated voice and tone guidelines and prioritized language that eliminates bias in direct alignment with the organization's mission and values.

Collaboration //

Committed to centering narratives through an equity lens, I partnered with organizations and communities across Minnesota to define our organizational language and guidelines around culturally specific language, identities, accessibility, and more—engaging stakeholders as active participants not just in policy work but in EdAllies' communication strategy.

Organizational language about specific groups, identities, and experiences is now defined by people from those groups. They shape the guidelines for how they are represented publicly in organizational communications and in policy work.

Result //

Users and partners are thrilled with the new approach to organizational language. I’ve presented on our strategy and process with organizations and at two conferences.

“We are responsible for holding each other accountable to the style guide and working to eliminate racism, single-story narratives, and overall harm through the language we use.”