In today’s inclusive and diverse workplace, it’s important to respect and affirm individuals’ gender identities and expressions, including their preferred pronouns. Pronouns are the words we use to replace someone’s name in a sentence, such as “he”, “she”, or “they” in English. Using correct pronouns is essential for creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
Microsoft is adding a new feature for adding pronouns to the profile cards in Microsoft 365. Users in your organization will soon be able to add pronouns directly to their profile cards in Outlook on the web (OWA) and Microsoft Teams.
This new feature is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 86382 (Microsoft Teams) and 115511 (Outlook on the web).
Pronouns will be shown next to the name in the top section of the profile card in Outlook on the web and Microsoft Teams. After a user adds pronouns to their profile, the pronouns will be visible to everyone in your organization (including guest accounts having account in your organization). Users can’t control who can see their pronouns in Microsoft 365 in your organization. So, it’s not possible to hide pronouns from certain users in your organization. However, pronouns aren’t visible to people outside the organization.
Turn Pronouns ON or OFF from Microsoft 365 admin center
The pronouns feature is OFF by default for your tenant and requires configuration to turn on. As a Global Microsoft 365 administrator, you can turn ON pronouns feature that lets all users in your organization add their pronouns on their profile cards in Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Teams and Outlook Web).
Follow below steps to turn the pronouns feature ON or OFF from the Microsoft 365 admin center:
- Go to Microsoft 365 admin center
- Select Settings from left navigation and then select Org settings (If Settings option is not shown by default, click on … Show all first)
- From Org settings page, select the Security & privacy tab
- Select Pronouns
- To turn ON the pronouns feature, select the Turn on and allow pronouns checkbox from Pronouns pane. To turn OFF the pronouns feature, clear the checkbox
- Select Save
Note
- If you change the Pronouns settings, it can take up to 7 hours to take effect.
- If you allow pronouns and stop allowing them later, saved pronouns by users will be deleted from Microsoft 365. The data deletion process could take up to 30 days to complete.
- If you turn ON the pronouns feature again before 30 days, any hidden pronouns that haven’t yet been deleted from Microsoft servers will become visible in Microsoft 365 profile cards in Microsoft Teams and Outlook on the web (OWA).
- Microsoft 365 stores user pronouns in a hidden folder in user’s Exchange Online mailbox along with other data.
- You can only enter up to 30 characters (including spaces) in your pronouns.
Add, update, or delete pronouns on Microsoft 365 profile cards
Follow below steps to Add, update, or delete pronouns on Microsoft 365 profile cards in Microsoft Teams and Outlook on the web:
- Open your profile card in Microsoft Teams or Outlook on the web (OWA). To open your profile card in Microsoft Teams, select your profile picture from the upper right corner of Teams. To open your profile card in Outlook on the web (OWA), select your name or profile picture in Outlook Mail.
- From your profile card, select + Pronouns or the pronouns listed below your name:
- To add or change your pronouns, select from the examples (only available in English), or enter your own. To delete, remove your pronouns. In the example below, Elvia Atkins has chosen She/Her. The preview window also shows the chosen pronouns:
- Select Save and then Got it. Changes will be updated immediately.
And that’s it! Now you know how to add, update, or delete pronouns on your Microsoft 365 profile card in Microsoft Teams. By using this feature, you can ensure that your colleagues and team members can address you with the correct pronouns, promoting inclusivity and respect in the workplace.
Ganesh Sanap Blogs 
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