Unfortunately, there is no course available at any higher education institution for Acronym. There’s no CBT (computer-based training) at your company either. While you may be up to speed on the generic acronyms used by most organizations, most dialects of Acronym are company or industry-specific. Learning Acronym is generally a BBF (baptism by fire) once you start working.
The first few months in any new organization or industry are highly challenging as you acclimate to Acronym. Being the only person not knowing a language can be frustrating (imagine walking around Paris and not knowing any French). But not being able to speak Acronym presents another level of frustration. Unlike any other language, with Acronym, everyone around you generally expects you are already fluent in Acronym! And for fear of potentially looking foolish, most people are afraid to ask what an acronym stands for. Trust me, not a good feeling. A deer in the headlights look and no idea what the conversation is about. A 24/7 WTF feeling!
Unfortunately, established workers generally do not take deciphering Acronym into consideration. So here’s some basic Acronym etiquette:
· Make use of acronyms only if it will be used
multiple times in context (generally more than 3 times).
· Be sure to write out the full meaning of the
acronym the first time it is used and include the acronym in parentheses.
· Don’t overuse acronyms. If you find your
presentation deck riddled with acronyms, it may be better to write them
out. There is such a thing as acronym overload!
BTW, until you become a SME on Acronym, IMHO, you should put together a LOA (list of abbreviations) for reference ASAP to CYA! No BS!
Related Reading:
Overuse of Acronyms
When to Use Abbreviations
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