Key Quote:
“Communicating complicated material to nonspecialists requires you learn a delicate dance. You need to exemplify clarity while simultaneously keeping your audience engaged” (p. 107). — Frank Pietrucha
Key Points:
How Digital Technology Is Changing Communication. When you are using multimedia, don’t lose sight of the goal, which is clarity. “Leave your audience blinded by thought-provoking ideas and dialogue, not the dazzle of your presentation” (p. 14). Keep in mind that people are less willing to spend time wading through reams of material – communicators in the internet age need to find “a quick, snappy, powerful way to convey information” (p. 22).
Know Thy Audience. Take the time to understand who your audience is and what they need to know before you launch into your message. Specialists who are communicating with laypeople about technical subjects should make sure the audience knows the purpose and impact of the knowledge being shared. And be mindful that “different audiences need different information” (p. 50).
Know Thy Subject. You must have a deep understanding and mastery of your subject to effectively communicate about it. “In the words of the highly quotable Albert Einstein, ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” (p. 77). And, as far as delivery of your subject goes, “bad writing and ineffective speaking can kill your project before it gets off the launch pad” (p. 83).
Guidelines for Effective Communication.
The CIA follows a few basic guidelines for communication with government officials including “lead with the conclusion,” “use big words sparingly,” avoid jargon and acronyms and embrace “shorter sentences, shorter paragraphs, shorter chapters” (pp. 109, 111, 115).
Humanize Your Communications. In general, people are more receptive to clear and tangible messages than complex and abstract ones. Do use discernment as you seek to reach people – content can be “dynamic,” personal, and even “relaxed,” but it should still be professional (p. 120).
Getting an Audience to Care. Humans are programmed to seek out meaning before they become interested in details, and we are more likely to listen to something that directly affects our own life. “To explain anything to an audience, you first have to earn their attention. Hook them with an emotional plea, a good story, or a promise of a better future” (p. 156).
Building Blocks and Analogies. When it is time to explain a complicated concept, two tools can help explain things in a way that lay people can understand. Using building blocks (or layering) is the practice of adding slightly more complicated concepts as you move through your material and gradually build up to a high level of understanding. Analogies are useful for helping people make the connection between a difficult concept and something they are familiar with.
Visual and Interactive. “Our minds were wired for visual communication long before the written or spoken word” (p. 193). As a leader, when you are working with designers, a collaborative approach will yield the best results – engage in giving and receiving counsel and feedback with the people who are visually telling your stories.
Key Concepts:
Why Isn’t Everyone a Supercommunicator?
Communicating well is work, takes time, and requires mastery. Taking a complicated or niche subject or concept and explaining it in a way that everyday people can apprehend requires a deep understanding of the subject and the ability to convey meaning. Jargon, complexity, and minutiae can all detract from your basic goal of communicating simply and with relevance. Even slick, glossy multimedia presentations will not help if you are not communicating meaningfully and with simplicity.
As an example of poor communication, Pietrucha recalls the way that science and media outlets
reported on a modern historic scientific event – the Higgs boson discovery. In 2013, scientific researchers made one of the biggest discoveries the science world has seen in decades: the Higgs
boson (nicknamed the “God Particle”). It was clear this discovery was groundbreaking. Yet when asked, educated lay people who kept up with current events could not explain why it was significant. As Pietrucha sought to get to the bottom of what this discovery signified, he could find no one
who was clearly communicating what regular people needed to know about the particle. Finally,
he stumbled upon one video lecturer who used an analogy to explain the new discovery’s meaning and impact in a way regular people could understand, and the proverbial light bulb popped on.
How We Consume Information Is Changing
The Internet is causing our brains to evolve and absorb information differently. “Our calm, focused, undistracted, linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in information in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts” (p. 21).
As Pietrucha states, “the Internet encourages a more distributed and plastic form of thinking,’ leaving us new ways to experience information” (p. 21). As a result, deep reading is becoming a lost art. Instead, readers in the age of the Internet scan to find the information they need and then move on.
Reasons Why Smart People Misread Their Audiences
Miscommunication happens frequently, and it often results from a lack of awareness. Pietrucha finds that people miscommunicate for the following reasons:
• They communicate as if they are speaking with peers. Just because the people you work and associate with understand technical jargon does not mean the rest of the world will.
• They live in a bubble. Some people do not understand the context in which they are speaking – they do not understand that others do not know what they know. This results in disconnected communication.
• They are too busy. Communicating with broad audiences is difficult. As a result, people do not adapt their message to a wider audience because it takes time and effort.
• They are driven by ego. Knowing more about a topic than the rest of the world can feel extremely empowering. To demonstrate their intelligence, people speak in technical jargon to impress others.
What Can Communicators Do to Improve?
Layer Complex Messages
When trying to explain a very complex topic, employ the building block or layering technique. By using multiple layers – each layer building up complexity gradually upon the audience’s current knowledge base – leaders can effectively communicate what seems at first to be a difficult concept. When the brain is unable to form connections between new information and stored knowledge, the new information cannot be assimilated. Layering forms connections.
Pietrucha uses films as an example. In movies, we drop into a world with very little information. A good movie layers information and details over the course of the film, resulting in the audience connecting with the characters despite knowing very little about them.
Employ Short Bursts of Information
Pietrucha found that people prefer to read no more than 1,000 words at a time. As a communicator, it is imperative to keep this in mind and incorporate it into your messages. Short, concise bursts of information are replacing long-winded paragraphs and essays.
Target Messages to Different Audiences
In many business situations, one message (for example, information about an upcoming merger) needs to be conveyed to multiple audiences (for example, the board, employees, customers, etc.). As a result, many people try to convey the message to everyone in the same way.
Instead of one message, targeted, focused communications to each audience should be employed to enhance effectiveness and understanding.
Look for Shared Experiences
Some experiences in life are universal. To make your message more personal when communicating to large audiences, consider including references from the following list of categories Pietrucha includes in his book.
• “The human experience.” There are certain things all people can relate to simply because we are all human. Examples include awkward middle school years, balancing work with family, losing a loved one, and countless others.
• “A slice of life.” Being stuck in traffic, going to the grocery store, and making breakfast for the kids before school are some good examples of daily events we share.
• “Popular culture.” While talking about the Kardashians in front of a board may not be the best practice, people do know celebrities and famous individuals. Referencing them can create a bond and connection in a large group.
• “Sports.” Calling a big pitch to clients “our Super Bowl” or a long string of negotiations “our World Series” can impart the significance of an event.
• “History.” Everyone knows where they were when the Berlin Wall fell or on 9/11. Using these landmarks in time can bring people back to that time in their lives and provide more context for your message (p.73).
Take a Note From the CIA
Efficient, to-the-point writing is a necessity when working for the Central Intelligence Agency. Lives depend on it. Below are the CIA’s six rules for effective intelligence writing from The Analyst’s Style Manual (pp. 105-106).
• “Put your main idea up front.” Inform your readers right away about what’s important and why.
• “Write short paragraphs.” Keep the reader’s interest and reduce the overload of information for the reader by writing short, well-developed paragraphs.
• “Use active voice.” Create mostly active sentences – avoid the passive voice.
• “Use short, conventional words.” Conventional, but precise, concrete words are best.
• “Write short sentences.” Limit sentences to what you say aloud in one breath.
• “Be correct, credible, and complete.” Make sure your work is as error-free as possible.
Utilize the Power of Testimonials
Testimonials encompass two “supercommunicator” tools: storytelling and emotion. Humans are biologically wired to process and understand stories. The more powerful the emotional response, the more powerful the memory.
Testimonials “serve as character references. They’re statements that testify that the person making claims or explaining the science is credible” (p. 143).
Use Visuals
According to Pietrucha, our brain uses about half of its available energy to process visual stimuli. As communicators, shouldn’t we utilize that? When communicating complex messages, visuals can assist in audience understanding and retention.
“You’ll keep your audience’s attention longer if you offer them a variety of learning opportunities” (p. 222).
Pietrucha, Frank (2014). Supercommunicator: Explaining the Complicated So Anyone Can Understand. New York: American Management Association.
“Communicating complicated material to nonspecialists requires you learn a delicate dance. You need to exemplify clarity while simultaneously keeping your audience engaged.”
Pietrucha found that people prefer to read no more than 1,000 words at a time. As a communicator, it is imperative to keep this in mind and incorporate it into your messages. Short, concise bursts of information are replacing long-winded paragraphs and essays.