Why Naming Is the First Step to Change

Language. Identity. Emotion. Work.

We’ve all been there: sitting in a meeting, feeling like something’s off—an unspoken tension, a recurring dynamic, a word that sticks. And yet, we say nothing. Or we can’t say anything—because we don’t have the words.

But here’s the thing: what we can’t name, we can’t change.

In organizations, silence is not neutral. It’s cultural. It shapes who gets to speak, who gets to belong, and who stays invisible. That’s why language—far from being just words—is a tool of power. And why naming is a radical act.

Language Isn’t Just How We Communicate—It’s How We 

Construct Reality

Michel Foucault, a French philosopher best known for his work on power and discourse, argued that language doesn’t just reflect reality—it produces it. The way we talk about performance, leadership, productivity, or even “professionalism,” isn’t random. These words carry assumptions, histories, and rules about what’s acceptable and what’s not.

At work, language sets the boundaries of belonging.

• Is someone described as “aggressive” or “assertive”?

• Are you “too emotional” or just emotionally intelligent?

• Is English the default, and everyone else has an “accent”?

These aren’t minor details. They shape access to promotions, influence, psychological safety, and even mental well-being.

Freud, Lacan & the Emotional Power of Naming

Freud suggested that repression happens when we push painful thoughts or feelings out of awareness. But it’s not until we name them that healing—or change—can begin. This idea lives on in psychoanalysis and trauma therapy, but it also applies to organizational life.

Lacan, building on Freud, claimed that identity itself is formed through language—through the symbolic order. In other words: we become who we are partly through the words and categories available to us.

That means if your workplace doesn’t have language for burnout, microaggressions, or emotional labor, those experiences might go unnamed—and therefore dismissed, tolerated, or internalized. Language gives structure to emotion. Naming is an act of making the internal external.

Gramsci and Who Gets to Name

Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci introduced the idea of cultural hegemony—how dominant groups maintain control not through force, but by shaping norms, ideas, and common sense. In organizations, this plays out in subtle ways:

• “That’s just how things are done here.”

• “You need to toughen up.”

• “We don’t talk politics at work.”

These aren’t neutral rules—they reflect a dominant worldview. Naming this hegemony challenges the idea that the way we work is natural, inevitable, or neutral.

When someone says, “I don’t feel safe bringing my full self to work,” it’s not a personal issue—it’s a cultural one. Naming it is the first step toward accountability.

Why Naming Matters for Culture and Mental Well-Being

Let’s be clear: organizations are emotional arenas. People bring their hopes, fears, identities, and past experiences with them. Yet many work cultures still operate on emotional silence: leave your feelings at the door, don’t take things personally, smile more.

But unspoken emotion doesn’t disappear—it festers.

When people can’t name what’s happening to them—be it marginalization, burnout, or even joy—they disconnect. From others. From themselves. And from the organization. That disconnection is costly. Not just for well-being, but for engagement, creativity, and inclusion.

When we make space for naming—emotions, identities, structural dynamics—we create cultures that are not only more human, but also more effective.

“Name It to Change It” Isn’t Just a Catchphrase

It’s a practice. A mindset. A starting point for transformation.

So what can you do?

• Reflect on what goes unnamed in your organization.

• Pay attention to who gets to define what’s “normal,” “professional,” or “valuable.”

• Introduce or advocate for language that includes rather than excludes.

• Make space for naming emotion without judgment.

• Practice noticing when you feel something but don’t have a word for it—and get curious.

Because naming isn’t just about communication.

It’s about liberation.

Let’s name the feelings, the power dynamics, the quiet disconnections—and the dreams too.

Because when we name it, we can change it.