Clear explanations without unnecessary detours

Your listener needs to know where you’re going

Imagine hearing this message: “Yesterday I spoke to the supplier, then I checked the stockroom, and we also got a request from a customer.” The listener knows what happened, but not what it means. A clearer opening would be: “We need to choose a replacement material today because the original won’t be available in time.” The details can then explain the specific problem.

As a practical guide, use this order: main point, reason, specific example, next step. For a complex topic, you can add an important limitation. For example, the replacement material will let you meet the deadline, but its finish is different. Leaving out that difference would make the message shorter at the expense of a sound decision.

The CDC Clear Communication Index recommends that material contain one clear main message and an understandable call to action. This tool was developed for health communication. Here, we use its principle as a way to organise a message; it is not proof that the same structure will resolve every personal conversation.

Explain a technical term when it’s necessary for understanding. If you’re talking about reducing errors, show which errors you want to reduce and how you’ll know. An example should clarify a point, not replace it. After delivering the main message, leave room for questions. Follow up on the details your listener needs; you don’t have to mechanically finish your entire prepared explanation.