The murky waters of jargon filled communication…how inviting….
With my entry into the corporate world in 2014 came the entry into a world of jargon filled communication. "Innovation", "real-time", "internet of things", "machine learning", were some among many terms used to demonstrate a speaker’s business savviness but reveal little information. Coupled with the equally vague management terms such as "collaboration", "synergy", "circling back" and “wordsmithing”, a sense of unease grew in me on not knowing what was truly being said when communicating with colleagues. In response to this I did what was natural. I too submerged myself in the mirky waters of this jargon filled communication style. If you cannot understand them join them.
It was not until I came across the author William Zinsser's book “On Writing Well' did I realize how common my situation was in the working world. The over reliance on jargon, vague expressions and management speak across companies has become as routine as a cup of coffee to start the morning. Zinsser has a chapter in the book specifically dedicated to this trend in business.
Here are some of my key takeaways from the books chapter on Business Writing along with quotes of Zinsser’s that I particularly liked:
Writing Comes in Different Forms
Warning: Recognition of the skill for writing may trigger flashbacks of critical grades.
Emails, proposals, summaries, and reports are all different forms of communication that require writing. The convenience of sending an Excel workbook to make one’s argument may seem reasonable, but it generally requires additional explanation behind it to be effective. The same goes for PowerPoint presentations. Writing may seem like a skill that was long forgotten since the days of the college essays or critical High School teachers, but the truth is these different methods of conveying information are writing. Embrace it so you can improve it.
Be a Person, not a Company
“But just because people work for an institution, they don’t have to write like one.”
Look at the smiles that a little personality brings.
In previous Newsletters of Ablesoft’s we tended to emphasize our technical abilities, professionalism, and certifications across the varying articles we sent out. These are sound traits to convey, but only when they are read. Over time, we noticed the more we inserted our employees and our personal stories in the articles we wrote, the more views we would see. If someone is going to read our articles, they are more interested about the ideas of the people behind Ablesoft and not the company itself.
Embrace the simple language
“Be natural...(readers) are suspicious of pretentiousness, of all the fad words that social scientist have coined to avoid making themselves clear to ordinary mortals.”
I am still guilty of using vague language at times. In part, it is inevitable that those words will sneak into a response to a prospect, customer, or in certain marketing materials when referencing more technical concepts. It is habit to avoid. Simple language does not reflect a simple mind, but rather a more organized one that is clearer to understand by its recipient. Be kind to your colleagues, customers, and prospects and consider using concise language.
Make the Effort
“Any organization that won’t take the trouble to be both clear and personal in its writing will lose friends, customers and money.”
This continues from my previous point on recognizing office communication as ‘writing’. It takes time to organize one’s thoughts and lay out their reasoning as to why a person, either an employee or customer, should consider what they have to say. If in the writing of the email or proposal there isn’t a sense of purpose to it, why should it be read? Taking the time to be clear is challenging, and it is something that many sacrifice for the sake of speed, but what could truly be sacrificed is your recipient’s willingness to pay attention.
Writing takes time, can be incredibly frustrating, and generally does not have the immediate recognition of a well delivered presentation. But with practice it helps bring organization to one’s mind and a deeper kind of satisfaction that only comes with patience and practice.
Thanks for reading.
-Ben
If interested in reading the full chapter. You can read the PDF version by following this link: On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction (richardcolby.net)