“There’s no great art
in confusing the reader.”
—Isaac Bashevis Singer.
This is one of my
all-time favorite quotes.
It’s one I learned during my years
at Stanford University when I was
studying writing and literature.
And it’s a quote
I still reference today
when working with leaders,
entrepreneurs and teams
who are crafting their communications.
If those you need to reach—
whether a direct report, a customer/client
or a ballroom of thousands of people—
are not grasping your message,
then it’s incumbent upon you
to find a different way to express it.
Some professionals intentionally
“confuse the reader” in an attempt
to make their role seem more valuable.
This is rampant, for example,
in the financial services industry
where advisors often toss out a ton of jargon
in an attempt to elevate
the perception of their importance.
But in what ways
are we each doing the same?
And how can you language your insights
—through layman’s terms, metaphors,
images, analogies—so that those
who need to “get it” actually can?
The mark of a professional is knowing
what to say,
what not to say,
and how to make the complex clear.
Risk Forward & Rock On,
