Put it in Plain Words

I was watching this short video from TED and marveling at the achievement of branding expert Alan Siegel. We need to mean business when it comes to communications. I cannot recall the number of times I read an email intended for an HR or other scanning system, and not a person.

It's disheartening, especially since English is such a flexible language -- let an Italian tell you. And it's offensive to be on the receiving end of such a snooty piece, as if organizing the words in a passive voice and ornate fashion could distance you from the responsibility you still hold over your message.

Perhaps I cannot shake my classical training. I have indeed a degree in Latin and ancient Greek, and my Liberal Arts higher education is in linguistics -- I majored in English. Yeah, I learned it on Shakespeare, the poets, the many great writers that ever lived and shared their thought in this beautiful language. I keep learning and earning the expressions every single day.

Reflecting on how we connect, I can offer:

• strive for simplicity and economy of words with richness of thought
• seek connection without condescension
• look to emulate and not copy, making it yours is what makes it special

This doesn't mean cheapening of thought. Quite the contrary. I didn't start appreciating poetry until I was mature enough to understand how I felt about it. Such simple words, such impact.

I read a lot, much of it online. And feel the subtle nuances of words that seem to say welcome and instead say "go to hell", "I hold the keys". All shrouded under the guise of expertise. Putting things in plain words doesn't mean you dumb it down. It means your intent is to connect.

_____

Related post:

Words Matter - Upon Trajan's Column

© 2010 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Martin]

Great speach! Thanks so much for sharing it. Sometimes when I encounter those subtle nuances you mention in the last paragraph I force myself to think in a more positive way and try to accept that many people did not have time to write a short letter, and they wrote a long one instead, sometimes it helps, sometimes I stop reading them...

[Gail Nelson]

Valeria,

As a regular reader of your blog, it made my day to see Alan Siegel's TED video used to inspire your post today. I joined his company, Siegel+Gale, just a few months ago, awed by his lifelong dedication to simple,clear communication crafted with empathy for the receiver.

My favorite part of your philosophy is "look to emulate and not copy, making it yours is what makes it special." That's an important lesson for branding and marketing professionals everywhere.

Best,
Gail

[Adrienne]

I get why companies or individuals do this. For them using big words paints a picture of expertise and superior intelligence. However, communication is simply connecting with others through your beliefs, thoughts and perspective. People might start to listen or read your work because it sound super intelligent but they stay and keep coming back only if they see you are being authentically YOU!

Thanks for the post,
Adrienne

[Meg Wildrick]

Great post. When we opt for "simple," our POV becomes crystal clear. For those of us with strong content, this is a delight. For those of us with weak content, this is terrifying.

There may be a group of people who over-value pompous writing -- and who think dense = smart. But often people over-write because they under-think. Good writing is like hi def TV; it magnifies weaknesses.

[Jenn Whinnem]

Love this!

As someone who does communications for a living, daily I encounter what Adrienne described: people wedded to their jargon, afraid to abandon it lest they seem stupid in front of their peers. The sacrifice is, of course, clarity. It hurts my (BA in English) heart.

Thanks,
Jenn (a fellow poetry reader)

[Alessandra Farabegoli]

Keeping it simple and clear means to take the time to think and distill the real value of what you are offering, and not everybody can afford it ;-)
Jargon, involute phrasing, stale bureaucratic expression, are often a shell people use to avoid real connection with others.
It takes sometimes a bit of courage to call things with their name, but it's definetly worth :-)

[Mary H Ruth]

"... feel the subtle nuances of words that seem to say welcome and instead say 'go to hell' ..."

You nailed it right there, Valeria.

There's a passive aggression through written communications that often the writer doesn't realize. Which points to boorishness, which is rampant everywhere. I so appreciate true awareness, the rare times I encounter it (though often on this blog, BTW).

[Eric]

I'm big on the do more with less when it comes to words, especially with writing in an attention-starved online economy. The ironic thing is, as you can see with poetry, your words carry more weight simply because there are less of them, as well as if you can be more concise.

[Shannon Paul]

I love, love, love this post. I want to print it out and keep it handy at all times. Not just for the subject matter but because of how you really caressed the language.

So much of the supposed sophistication of language has really been about creating distance. Using language to connect seems so radical in business, but there are so many benefits to connecting.

Thanks for the reminder and the treat -- this was well-crafted, well-timed and an absolute delight to read.

[Narciso Tovar]

I think that people veer away frmo keeping things simple because...well, it sounds like you're *making* it plain. But the points you bring up here are very valid.

I believe that the simpler your message, the easier it is to understand. The more easy you are to understand, the more accessible you are to actually having a conversation...be it online or in-person. This is why (IMO) some of the best presentation and articles aren't going to come from people with tons of PhD's or letters behind his/her name...these pieces will have lots of words, but very little useful information....and very littel room for a meaningful connection with your reader(s).

At a time when we are bombarded with tons of useless crap, this post is a GEM.

~ Narciso Tovar
Big Noise Communications
@Narciso17

[Davina K. Brewer]

Valeria, Nice post. Brevity is the soul of wit for good reason. One of the hardest things to do is write smarter, sharper, clearer using fewer words and straight-forward language.

Writing, communication, conversation.. making it simple means making it relatable. That's what fosters connections, relationships. FWIW.

[Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR]

Thank you for your post. I think we have lost the passion of language and it has become sterile. Has 140 characters caused this?

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Martin - making the time is what earns the attention. Indeed, it takes all kinds. I have seen enough of the "superior" kind, hence the inspiration for this post.

@Gail - how wonderful that you have the opportunity to work with Alan Siegel! It's a small world, isn't it? And we're all somehow connected.

@Adrienne - honestly, I think it comes from insecurity and lack of clarity about what you stand for. Simplicity is hard to do, and it shines an even brighter light of experience on the people who use it with ease. Thank you for sharing your take on communication and connection!

@Meg - terrifying, I love that. Indeed, we hope we won't be found wanting. Somehow, substance still equates with volume in many circles. "often people over-write because they under-think" money quote, right there.

@Jenn - my favorite poets are the Italians (I'm biased) and Rainer Maria Rilke, some Pablo Neruda, This Love by Prevert is one of the most amazing poems I ever read. Jargon = safety blanket. Connection = risk.

@Alessandra - as a fellow Italian, you do see your fair share of obfuscation and linguistic posing. One of the reasons why I fell in love with English is the incredible plasticity of this language, and it's immediacy. Courage is a rare quality these days...

@Mary - the subtext, yes. People feel they can hurl words at you and you will just lay there and defend yourself. Passive aggressive behavior is an unfortunate byproduct of a misaligned idea of what success is about. Self-awareness would imply you need to see yourself for what you are.

@Eric - maybe the secret is how deeply you feel what you want to convey.

@Shannon - so much of these online interactions are about checking the box on the relationship thing... one cannot touch someone without being touched (all figuratively speaking) in return. To many, that is scary. There's accountability in that.

@Narciso - ahem, I do have one of those PH thingies ;) What does people in is invariably how they think others should see them. We're all a bit guilty of that, yes?

@Davina - we can strive. I take so long to write because I edit, too. That part I've gotten better at thanks to my daily blog writing and all the content I produce at work. I actually love to learn how a business/industry works and finding ways to carry the meaning without the penalty jargon.

@Ann Marie - if you are so inclined, the Upon Trajan's Column post linked here talks just about that.