Urban Dictionary - training wheels for inclusion?

Slang and culture dictionaries can help us understand others without forcing them to completely code switch for all our interactions.  We don't want to remove bans on insulting or demeaning speech.  We do want to let people use their native phrasing and nuance and find the tools that bring us to their world.  

The Urban Dictionary and others have a bunch of terms that don't belong in the workplace.  They also have a lot in them that pushes some of us at least one step closer to the sphere of others.

Consider inclusion separately from diversity. Research shows that valuing diversity is not enough to reduce discrimination toward minorities. In addition to focusing on diversity, organizations need to create inclusive environments for employees to feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. 

"The Cost of Code-Switching" Harvard Business Review. 

   

 As time moves on, I've found that team norms are broader and broader in all the areas that aren't enforced by company guidelines.  It is because people come from different places, are of wildly different ages, and have different ways of expressing themselves.  Traditionally we have smashed out some of that and forced people to code-switch when at work.  This might be good if it reduced the islands of isolation to create a fully functioning way of communicating. It turns out it just makes people uncomfortable and is one of the reasons whole groups of people find work from home less stressful than the office. This means everyone should do their part to understand other communication and behavior styles fro the good of their team, their company and their country.