“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,