Teams often like prioritizing being technically correct, using complex language, and delivering strategy-packed updates. But in reality, what truly matters is being understood.
As the author Moshe Engelberg aptly puts it, “When you’re clear and concise, you show respect for people’s time and give them the clarity they need to take action.”(Inc.com). It empowers people to engage, align, and act effectively.
Why clarity gets sidelined
There’s a cultural bias that values being right over being clear, assuming complexity equals sophistication. But muddled messaging erodes trust and stalls momentum. Brené Brown captures it powerfully on her blog title:
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”(Brené Brown)
Avoiding clarity in hopes of sparing discomfort backfires, often leading to confusion, disengagement, and wasted effort.
Ambiguity is a slow productivity killer
When expectations aren’t clear, impact crawls. One study found that precise communication led teams to experience 25% fewer project delays, thanks to reduced confusion and clearer accountability.(Same Team Partners)
Clarity not only improves outcomes, it also drives efficiency, alignment, and velocity.
Building clarity takes intent
Creating clarity requires thoughtfulness. It's never the default. Overcommunication is clarity’s evil twin: always well-dressed, always invited in. While well-intended, it often muddles messages instead of sharpening them. Email chains no one reads, Slack threads that never resolve and meetings that generate more decks than direction. As a recent expert insight reminds us, “People crave clear, meaningful communication, not a flood of messages.”(Decision Makers Hub)
Effective communicators eliminate noise, lean into brevity, and hone messages to their essence.
Clarity builds trust, connection, and performance
Clarity in communication transcends clarity of message, it builds trust. Francesco Pecoraro writes, “Clear communication is essential for fostering understanding, building trust, and ensuring successful collaboration.”(francescopecoraro.com)
When expectations and intentions are clear, teams work with confidence instead of second-guessing one another.
Final thought: Make clarity a skill instead of an afterthought
Seeking accuracy is commendable. But clarity is catalytic. Clear articulation transforms brilliant ideas into aligned action and fuels progress.
Strive to not only be right but to also be clear. Because real clarity often means doing the harder thing, delivering the tougher message… and doing it well.
Sources
- Engelberg Moshe. “Fewer Words, More Impact: The Power of Being Clear and Concise”, Inc. com(Inc.com)
- Brown Brené. “Clear Is Kind. Unclear Is Unkind”(Brené Brown)
- “Avoiding ambiguity isn’t just a productivity hack, it’s a strategic advantage.” (Data on fewer delays)(Same Team Partners)
- “People crave clear, meaningful communication, not a flood of messages.”(Decision Makers Hub)
- Pecoraro, Francesco. “The Importance of Clarity in Communication: Why It Matters More Than Ever”(francescopecoraro.com)
