Clarity Rules

Yet all too often we let confusion reign.

Years ago, when I trained teachers to be more effective, I often said, “If a student leaves your class confused about what you taught, it’s not their fault; it’s yours.”

That’s a bit harsh, I know, but I truly believe the teacher owns the learning process much more than the student. A corollary to that is the adage, “A poor teacher blames the tech, the topic, and those being taught.” Much like “a poor sailor blames the wind.”

Many of us spend far more time in routine meetings than we’d prefer.

Are we taking ownership of the clarity of information we share with others, ensuring that our message is clear, specific, and actionable?

In my first CommMatters of the year, I’m delighted to share my seven rules for ensuring clarity:

1.     Prepare in advance – it’s much harder to be clear when you are speaking “on the fly.” Even just a quick sketch of your AIM will help keep you clear, focused, and (ideally) brief. (see CommMatters: Expanding AIM if you don’t know the AIM acronym)

2.     Develop a compelling theme – without a heavy lift, we can all find a simple and memorable way to frame the information. It can alliterative, or evocative, or catchy. It can also just be direct. “December Rocked, but October Sucked” will be more vivid than “Q4 Update” on the agenda.

3.     Create “Goldilocks” visuals – those that are “just right” in length, complexity, and text. Consider both your audience and your content as you develop a limited number of slides and/or handouts. Use only what’s necessary and be sure what you produce provides clarity and drives action. If I’m in person with a group, I may provide a one-page handout with a few key data points eliminated (say, for example, the price). As I see members of the audience write on the handout, I know I’m reaching them. Further, their handwritten notes will have greater recall weeks or months later.

4.     Check for understanding – directly ask the group if they grasp the concept you’ve just shared. Again, as a teacher, “Are there any questions?” falls flat, whereas “Have I explained this well enough for you to do on Friday’s exam?” is far more likely to surface questions and confusion. Ask if you’ve been clear and then wait for them to tell you before moving on.

5.     Inquire, “What did I miss?” – Greg McKeown described this technique recently. He told the story of outlining a problem and solution in-depth for a client on a whiteboard, then when he finished, he turned to the client and said, “Okay, what did I miss?” His transparent vulnerability was compelling. Once you’ve outlined a procedure or provided your analysis, turn to the group and directly ask, “What’s missing?” And, again, wait for their replies. This silence can be deafening, but being okay with the silence allows the group to mull over what you’ve shared before critiquing it.

6.     Share follow-up materials – in an accessible fashion. I try to kill as few trees as possible, so rather than lots of handouts, I will often use a Google Drive or an email to provide everybody with all the materials I covered (and sometimes even more). I much prefer doing this after the session rather than in advance because, at times, I’m not sure until the meeting’s over what precisely I covered.

7.     Verify action – if what you’ve asked of the group requires action on their part, then check to see that it’s been taken. Publicly praise those who submitted their edits or updated their profiles on time; privately remind those who’ve not yet done what you asked to please do so by a specific date.

Alright, I will admit, even following all seven of these rules may not ensure complete success, but you want to be sure you did everything in your power to ensure clarity and drive results. As we all trudge, march, or dance into January, I invite you to do a clarity check on your next routine update to colleagues or clients.

Commit to clarity and see what results follow.

Wishing each of you who reads this the very best for a remarkable 2024.

As always, jds

JD’s Recommendations: what I’m reading, hearing, and seeing:

Reading: Adam Grant has made it super simple to find and read new non-fiction titles with his amazing list of the 12 new idea books to launch 2024 . If you cannot read a few, perhaps listen to the audio book or find an executive summary.

Seeing: If you don’t have kids borrow some and go see Wonka at the theatre. This is a big screen treat that’s the prequel to the Gene Wilder (or Johnny Depp) film you may have seen as a child. A wonderful reinvention of the classic Roald Dahl characters with a new storyline.  

Hearing: Enjoy this inspiring conversation between Brownwyn Saglimbeni and Carrot Quinn about hiking, adventure, and embodied writing.

PS: I love that so many of you are finding value in my occasional newsletter. Some of you have asked why I don’t charge for Communication Matters. But I’d rather reach more people with CommMatters than derive any revenue. Substack doesn’t make it easy for us to offer this for free; it asks that you make a pledge when you subscribe. That’s not my goal, so it’s always free.  

If, however, you’d like to talk about my speaking, teaching, coaching, and consulting, drop me a note at jd@jdschramm.com. I’m happy to tell you how I make a living at this.