Please, stop calling people “resources.”

Ken Norton’s newsletter, Bring the Donuts, is an excellent source for current and aspiring product managers. The Feb 18, 2021 post, Stay Out of the Wind and Away From the Back offered great advice about “position in the field,” and how it might apply to PM’ing at a big tech company. But it was a footnote in the article that resonated with me most.

People aren’t resources. Please, stop calling people “resources.” Join me in this fight.

Yes! As a consultant who works with several Fortune 500 companies, I hear people referred to as “resources” frequently.

“We have a new resource starting next month.”

“How many resources do we need for Q2?”

“We’re losing one of our best resources.”

Please, stop calling people “resources.” It dehumanizes them. Instead, try being specific.

“Our new product manager, Christine, is starting next month.”

“How many front-end engineers do we need for Q2?”

“We’re losing one of our best people.”

While it may seem like a trivial detail, I think it goes a long way in showing people the respect they deserve.