I sometimes get asked by leaders who want to fit in, or want to progress, whether I offer accent coaching as part of the public speaking coaching service that I provide. My answer to this question is always no.
Our accents are part of our cultural heritage and help to shape who we are. Changing them to fit in with a particular group is like denying part of ourselves. If a person can communicate in a way that is understood, then no, I don’t think someone should have to change their accent. I will coach someone to improve their verbal communication skills as opposed to changing their accent.
When I moved from Sheffield in the north of England to London in the south many years ago, I often had colleagues make fun of my northern accent. For me this wasn’t an issue because I gave as good as I got. However, for some people knowing that their accent is different to the dominant group, can affect their confidence.
Having an accent that is different to the dominant group can affect confidence to speak out
I have had clients for whom English is not their first language who found it challenging to speak up in meetings because they were worried about not speaking clearly, or not being understood. Invariably they have been bilingual or even multilingual whereas the rest of the people in the room can only speak one language.
When I have questioned them about other people not understanding them, it is often the case that no one has ever told them this. It has been their perception that people won’t understand, which is based on their beliefs. And when I highlight that they are multilingual whereas their colleagues across the table only speak one language, it gives them a boost.
This anxiety about the way they speak has also happened for clients with a regional accent, or from a different social background to the dominant group. They don't speak the ‘Queens English’ like their peers. This can invoke imposter syndrome and other self-limiting beliefs in them.
Whilst I don’t believe the majority of people deliberately berate someone because of their accent, there are some people that do. We saw it recently where Lord Digby Jones publicly criticised on Twitter, Alex Scott MBE (the BBC Olympic Presenter) for not pronouncing the letter ‘g’ at the end of her words.
For some people being criticised like this can have a negative impact on their self-confidence. Fortunately, Alex Scott has a high level of self-belief, and she is proud of her ‘working class’ roots.
Other similar situations that have been in the public eye include Steph McGovern who, when she was the BBC Breakfast presenter, was sent £20 by a viewer to fix her Northern accent. Or TV presenter AJ Odudu who is reported to have nearly quit TV because of the abuse she received about hers.
Over the years we have also seen reports of TV and radio presenters being sacked for speaking too posh. In 1999 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reported to have said he was sacked from BBC Radio 4 for this.
Code switching
People often make a judgement about someone based on their accent before they get to know the person or before hearing all of what they have to say. Many people do this without even realising. Such bias can be discriminatory and put certain groups at a disadvantage.
Code switching is the process of switching from one language or dialect to another in order to blend in to different social or professional situations. It is said to occur more by people of African heritage, or other non-white group, because what is considered to be the social norm in professional situations is dictated by the white experience.
Harvard Business Review
Whilst there may be some benefits to be gained through code switching, it can have a negative impact psychologically.
Whilst I don’t think that leaders should have to change their accent (unless it is something that they themselves want to do), as mentioned, I do believe that all leaders should ensure that their verbal communications are understood.
This may require speaking slower if people can’t grasp what you are saying if you speak too quickly. It may mean pausing appropriately to give people time to digest what you have said. It may require you projecting your voice so that you deliver your message with the right impact.
Whatever it is you need to do so your message is understood, don’t feel like you have to change your accent in order to fit in, or to progress. If the environment is not accepting of your accent, what does that say about the environment? And do you really want to be in an environment that is not accepting of who you are?
What do you think? Should a person change their accent in order to fit in or progress? Or should organisations increase awareness of unfavourable accent bias, and do more to make sure that they are more inclusive?
First published on LinkedIn.
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