Stop these institutional mistakes for readability
Want to make sure you’re not eradicating clarity in your organization?
![What is clarity in writing What is clarity in writing](https://www.wyliecomm.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/what-is-clarity-in-writing.png)
Slaughter these problems instead, suggest Martin J. Eppler, Ph.D., and Nichole Bischof. They’re the authors of “Complex to Clear: Managing Clarity in Corporate Communication.”
Top 3 clarity killers
According to participants in a survey by Eppler and Bischoff, the top three reasons corporate communications are hard to understand:
- Information overload. Including too many details in a communication vehicle (mean=3.61/5.0)
- Approval process. Involving too many people in creating the communication vehicle (mean=3.36/5.0)
- Death by tweakage. Inserting errors and inconsistencies and making too many changes to over time (mean=3.36/5.0)
Institutional clarity killers
These recurring managerial issues often lead to unclear communication, according to Eppler and Bischof:
- Too many cooks. The approval process results in inconsistent, overlapping and stylistically diverse messages. Example: An intranet article that’s been written by half-a-dozen “writers.” Driver: Lack of ownership. Solution: Give one owner the authority as well as the responsibility for the piece.
- Too big to fail. Everyone gets their own essential detail into the vehicle, which is now redundant, unclear and overloaded with information. Example: A marketing brochure that includes every grunt and groan about the project or service. Driver: “Iterations without consolidation.” Solution: Consolidate and redraft.
- Re-use abuse. Cut-and-paste segments are outdated, redundant and inconsistent. Example: A blog post that contains unedited paragraphs from a partner company’s website. Driver: Time. Solution: Fact-check and rewrite cut-and-paste passages.
- Swiss Army knife. Documents that attempt to serve multiple audiences but really serve none. Example: A press release for investors, journalists, community members and employees. Driver: Time and money. Solution: Divide and conquer. Write one piece, then tailor it to target audiences.
Clarity killers by project
Some topics and vehicles bring with them additional communication challenges. Are you communicating:
- The corporate vision and values? Clarity killer: Making these top-line messages abstract and generic. Simplicity solution: Add examples, stories and concrete details.
- Strategic direction? Clarity killer: Using the structure of the strategy, such as a balanced scorecard or strategy map. Simplicity solution: Develop an accessible visual metaphor for the audience, not for the creators.
- Social media? Clarity killer: Using jargon and communicating down a one-way street. Simplicity solution: Write in the language of the reader. Invite and listen to feedback.
Which of these clarity killers is your organization guilty of? How can you resuscitate clarity in your shop?
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Source: Martin J. Eppler, Ph.D., and Nichole Bischof, “Complex to Clear: Managing Clarity in Corporate Communication,” University of St. Gallen, November 2011
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