Lose "You Guys"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAqdAEDui-0

Hi you guys. I’m glad you guys are watching this video. When you’re finished, let me know what you guys think.

What’s wrong with those sentences? Not everybody watching this is a guy.

Now, I can hear some people saying, “Tracy, don’t be so sensitive. ‘You guys’ is just an expression. It’s so normalized that most people don’t even hear it. Or if they do, they let it go. It’s just the way it is.” That’s true.

And… words have power.

For several years, I was part of a women’s leadership program. Once a month, nearly 100 women gathered to hear speakers, learn in workshops, and network. And almost always, when the leader spoke, she’d say,

• “Thanks for being here, you guys.”

• “What do you guys think about?”

• “You guys are doing impressive work.”

And I remember thinking, “There are no guys in this room! Not one." And, this isn’t just a corporate habit. It’s cultural.

At the 2026 Academy Awards, Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. And, she was pumped. She walked up to the stage, gave her thank you’s and then said, “I’d like all the women in the room to stand up because I wouldn’t be here without you guys.”

And I said, “Whaaat?” (Right out loud) “No! Every person standing is a woman!” That’s how embedded ‘you guys’ is in the culture. And here’s the issue: when language becomes automatic, it becomes invisible. And when it’s invisible, it’s easy to overlook who it leaves out. Which, in this case, is half the population.

So, pay attention to who’s in the conversation or who’s in the room and if it’s not all men, lose ‘you guys.’ Because even when ‘you guys’ is unintentional, it can exclude people.  And that matters, especially if you want to build trust and credibility and connection.

Here’s the simple fix with Words to USE: 

• Each of you

• You both

• All of you

• Everyone

• Everybody here

• You all 

• Team

• Colleagues

• Or, for a more formal presentation, distinguished guests.

You work hard to build trust. Don’t let one casual phrase undermine your efforts. Because when your language evolves, your leadership does, too. And that builds confidence

Thanks for reading.