Who’s on First, and Are We on Second? Using First-Person Pronouns Like a Pro

Abbott & Costello Stamp
© Can Stock Photo Inc.

This month’s blog post is inspired by a recent e-mail from one of my advisor friends: “Hi, communications expert.” (He was off to a great start!) “Can I get your thoughts on whether it would be better to use ‘I’ or ‘we’ in the [project]? As a sole proprietor, I struggle with this periodically; perhaps you do, too.  Sometimes I come down on one side, sometimes on the other.”

 What’s in a Name?

Even before Abbott and Costello pitched their familiar “Who’s on First, What’s on Second” routine, naming conventions on who we are as authors have amused and confused us in our personal and professional communications. And by the way, it’s not just a conundrum for sole proprietors. Larger firms face similar challenges. Large or small, you’re still a gathering of individual characters with individual viewpoints to air and share. Continue reading “Who’s on First, and Are We on Second? Using First-Person Pronouns Like a Pro”