As clear as mud...

One of the things that has amazed me the most about moving back to Nigeria is the quality of the writing that you come across. Be it the news, a newspaper, a magazine or even a Nollywood movie, it is often a surreal experience. It seems to me that the only intention of the writers is to baffle you, as the audience. Unnecessary use of complicated words? Check. Inappropriate use of said words? Double check. Bizarre syntax? Oh yes! Sometimes, I picture the writers sitting at their desks, thumbing through a dictionary, looking for a new word to foist upon us as the unsuspecting public.

The title of today's post is the old figure of speech, which means something is unclear or difficult to understand. If you are the person meant to be doing the communicating, you can see why this would be a piece of feedback you don't want to receive. In order to communicate well, your message should be clear and that is usually best achieved by keeping it simple.

If you think back to the speeches that you remember the best or the messages that stayed with you the longest or the call to action that actually inspired you to do something, they all had something in common. They were clear, they were simple and you connected with them on a personal level. One of my favourite books of all time is The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. It's a small book, with no airs or graces about it, but it is a powerful story of love, betrayal and redemption, simply and clearly told.

When you write a speech or an article, edit and re-edit until it is as clear and unambiguous as you can make it. Run it by other people for their feedback too, because what seems clear to you, may be as clear as mud to someone else! Watch out for cross cultural issues too. A few years ago, Beyonce released an album called B'Day. Unfortunately, no-one told her it rhymed with 'bidet' the French word for a plumbing appliance used to wash one's bottom! I'm guessing that no-one wants to be interrupted mid-presentation by a sniggering audience, which could happen if you make a mistake like that.

Clarity of speech is one of those things that we all admire, but can be fiendishly difficult to achieve.  Good editing is the only way to get clear communication. Something that works for me, is to go back over my writing and remove any unnecessary words.  I know I have a tendency to be a bit wordy, so I really need to edit my work ruthlessly. If you can't trust your editing skills, then find someone who won't be shy about pruning your writing. It's one of those things that is hard but necessary.

Finally, always remember the personal element of any communication. As human beings, I think we are hardwired to respond to personal stories, especially ones where we have a connection with the characters. There is a reason why books and movies are written the way they are. In any story, we want a hero to root for, we expect them to have a challenge, to overcome that challenge and win the day (and the girl) at the end. When we read a book or watch a film, we invest in it. We want to be able to identify with it and that's what will keep us remembering that book or film, long after it's ended. Using personal stories in your communication helps your audience to connect with you and makes them more likely to pay attention to what you say.

I'd love to have your input on this post, so feel free to comment and tell me whether it was clear, simple and had enough of a personal feel to it. How would you edit it to improve it? Alternatively, would you like some help with something you've written yourself? Contact me on 0706 335 0864 and let's get started if that's you.


Until next time, speak up, because the world needs to hear your voice.