Do personal pronouns matter?  You bet they do.  “How can we help you?”  It is the response customer-service workers utter more than any other.  And when I hear that generic “we,” I am tempted to respond, I want you to help me resolve my issue, not some “we.”  It is you I have on the phone.

According to a study recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, companies that trained employees to use “I” in responding to complaints realized much greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The importance of “I” carries over into the law.  Clients want to know who is behind the opinion whether it relates to a coverage issue; the economic value of a personal injury case; or, indeed, any recommendation concerning legal strategy.

Of course, the best opinions are rooted in objective fact and reasoned evaluation of data and legal precedent.  But the key component of any opinion is often the judgment of the author.  Yet all too frequently, lawyers fear using the phrases “I think,” or “My recommendation is.”  Sometimes the reluctance stems from law school training.  But sometimes it stems from the fear of being wrong–of making a bad call.

Yet the essence of what we do, claim professionals and lawyers, is make judgment calls.  And I, for one, resist standing behind the We pronoun unless, in fact, the decision taken was based on a consensus strategy developed between insurer and counsel, a practice I urge in all cases.

Thinking in terms of “I,” I find, frees you to use all your life’s experience to form judgments about credibility and the many intangibles that must be taken into account to predict an outcome.  Thinking “corporately,” on the other hand, inhibits the ability to assess what often resides just below the surface of awareness.

But now I sound a note of caution, heeding the wisdom of the ancient English proverb: “Two heads are better than one.”  I am a fan of collaboration–so long as it’s not used as an excuse for not speaking one’s mind.

And that’s it for this This and That.  If you have any pronouncements on pronoun use, please email or call Dennis.