Have you forgotten how to KISS?

Simplifying communications

Do you remember the phrase Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)?

Though I think Keep It Simple & Succinct is more appropriate.

Andy Haldane of the Bank of England recently said there is a need for central banks to use simpler language. According to this BBC report, one of the quotes in this speech is “…..the way trust is built has been fundamentally reconfigured. Where once trust was anonymised, institutionalised and centralised, today it is increasingly personalised, socialised and distributed.” Hmmmmm.

To be fair, at least Andy Haldane acknowledged the irony of his own speech.

Simplification is not just about how many words but also what words are used.

We can all learn

Over the years I have had to read or write industry articles, compliance reports, consultation papers and any number of business communications, from committee papers to policy documents and training material. I am probably guilty of using unnecessary jargon on occasion – I have even found myself using business speak at home with phrases like “how are we going to take this forward?” and, quite rightly, this does not impress my family.

Lessons can be learnt from experience but you do need to take some time to step back and think about how you can simplify your communications.

A few tips for simplifying language in the work place:

Explain abbreviations

Avoid abbreviations where possible or at least explain what they mean the first time they are used. This is a basic rule but often forgotten.

A day does not seem to go by without me coming across an abbreviation and having to ask “what does that mean?”

2. Word replacement

Think about what words or phrases can be replaced by a simpler (not always shorter) word. Here are a few examples:

Replace “Uncomplicated” with “simple”

Replace “very difficult to achieve” with “a challenge”

Replace “convoluted” with “complicated”

Replace “standardised” with “consistent”

Replace “ball park figure” with “guess” or “estimate”

Replace “acquiescence” with “consent”

It won’t always be appropriate to change a word or phrase, it will depend on the context and point you are trying to make.

If the shorter word or phrase makes the message clearer and easier to understand, then use it.

3. Omit unnecessary words and information

Think about the length of the sentence, does it contain unnecessary information that just draws out the message so that, by the time you get to the key point, you have lost any impact on the main point you are trying to make?

See what I did there?

It could have simply read “avoid using long sentences and exclude unnecessary information“.

4. Consider the intended audience

If the audience is likely to include someone not as close to the subject as you are or the document is part of an audit trail, ask yourself:

Would this be understood by someone not familiar with this piece of work?

Jargon should be avoided and if you have to use technical language, ensure the meaning is explained where appropriate.

5. Practice

If you really want to simplify the way you write, you will need to practice and take time to think about what you are trying to say and the best way to say it. This can seem impossible when your inbox is overloaded, your “to do” list appears endless and those reports/papers needed to be submitted yesterday.

A good way to start is by picking up an old document (ideally a lengthy paper/report) and think about how it could have been simplified. Look for abbreviations, jargon or lengthy sentences and see how much can be simplified, explained or removed. This could be a useful exercise for a team to work on together.