Stuttering Put Simply: Your Stuttering Analogy in the Workplace
- Mia Woltman
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
As too many of us may have experienced, stuttering is often misunderstood in professional environments. Enough people, especially those who parade their suits around the office and earn considerable salaries, assume that smooth, fast, and uninterrupted speech is the golden standard for communication; anything that wavers from this norm must be a sign of uncertainty, nervousness, or lack of competence. Even some people in settings that are less high-stakes may base their understanding of stuttering on the various myths that degrade the true experiences of People Who Stutter.
Analogies can nurture healthy workplace mindsets by giving colleagues or employers a new way to understand what stuttering actually is and isn’t, without the long-winded scientific vocabulary or context. Unless our coworkers are willing to study the neurological research associated with stuttering and spend time reading about the diverse experiences we endure, the relatability of stuttering may be challenging. It is our responsibility as PWS to spread awareness and educate the public using simple words that encourage connection-making. Advocacy in the professional setting can look quite casual.
Children who stutter may discover age-appropriate books that already offer analogies to help them understand their bodies’ unique way of speaking. A popular children’s book circulating the shelves of libraries is “I Talk Like A River,” (2020) written by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith. This story’s character reflects Scott’s childhood experience. The boy listens to the river, noting how it’s “bubbling, whirling, churning, and crashing.” Whether you believe your stutter to be similar to the textured terrain of a river or like the speech bubble that is colored with chalky, white swirls on the cover of “When Oliver Speaks” by Kimberly Garvin and Saadiq Wicks (2017), analogies cause you to know your stutter in simple, imagery-provoking words.
A common exercise to “ponder” and “visualize” your stutter is to paint a canvas using the colors representative of the feelings that arise from a block or repeated sound. It may be rare that adults are assigned this task, but if you take the time to reflect, this practice may be just as insightful for adults navigating various relationships, important responsibilities, and the bustling workplace.
Stuttering Analogies
Here are several analogy-based perspectives that help reframe stuttering as a natural variation to communication rather than a problem to fix. While reading, brainstorm which one best suits you and your stutter! The point of creating an analogy is to convey an individualized/personalized experience:
Stuttering Is Like Waiting For An Elevator
You press the button, and sometimes the elevator arrives instantly. Other times, there is a pause on another floor before coming to you. Either way, you trust that it will show up – just like a stuck word or sentence.
Stuttering Is Like A GPS Recalculating
A GPS may briefly pause while recalculating, but the route still works. Stuttering moments can feel like the brain choosing the next “path” for the word.
Stuttering Is Like A Musical Rest
In sheet music, a rest isn’t a mistake. The rest is intentional space that shapes the flow and rhythm of the piece being played. A silence doesn’t diminish the message.
Stuttering Is Like Snow Falling
Some snowflurries drift in perfectly, others land in little clusters. Overall, the pattern is natural and beautiful. Not all moments of speech look the same.
Stuttering Is Like A Loyal Old Car
It may take an extra moment to start, but once it’s going, it’s steady and reliable. A slow start doesn’t define the entire ride. Stuttering often appears most at the beginning of words or conversations.
Stuttering Is Like A Plant Growing
Some plants bloom quickly while others bloom slowly. Communication unfolds at individual speeds; growth and contribution aren’t diminished by timing differences.
Stuttering Is Like A Puzzle Piece
Once that puzzle piece that needs an extra second to click into place fits snug between the others, the picture is complete. Speech may need an extra beat. No one throws away a puzzle because one piece was a little more challenging than the rest.
Stuttering Is Like A Flickering Candle
The candle’s flame may hesitate, but it doesn’t go out. External pressure – not internal weakness – creates the tiny flicker.
Stuttering Is Like A Turnstile
You pause, push, and continue. Pauses are part of the mechanism.
Stuttering Is Like Raindrops On A Window
The raindrops might pause, merge, or reroute. Then, the raindrops continue on their paths. Stuttering has a natural unpredictability.
Stuttering in the workplace isn’t a barrier to communication. It’s simply one of the many different approaches to speaking. By using analogies to explain the experience, we foster room for colleagues to understand stuttering with more accuracy. Not to mention empathy and equanimity. In the end, better understanding leads to enhanced collaboration, stronger teams, and a culture where everyone is heard. We should allow Scott’s character to positively shape our mindsets. The boy proudly exclaims, “This is how my mouth moves. This is how I speak.”