Communication Lesson: Precision is Overrated

May 19

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation. — Saki

We work in a field that demands precision. We need to get paychecks right every single time. Same goes for medical benefits. Sick days. STD. When we communicate about those, we need to use exact numbers. However, being overly precise in other aspects of our communications is often what causes huge misunderstandings for employees.

Contrary to what some company lawyers might tell you, capitalizing words doesn’t make them any more powerful or easy to understand. Nor does choosing sentence structures designed to dazzle law professors or our HR colleagues. Communication is about getting across ideas, not wedging every subordinate clause you can think of into your writing.

I’m not advocating being wrong. The communication lesson of the day is that precision is overrated. Get the numbers right, tell the unvarnished truth, and then…communicate. Think about who’s reading what you wrote. If you have people editing materials and they’re not asking themselves about the intended audience, no amount of precision will save them.

About the Author

Frank Roche

Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.

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Comments

Stress Training Mark says:

May 19, 2009 at 12:01 pm

The intention is the important part to me. Facts can be used to deceive and a little inaccuracy can add clarity.

All the best from Brighton,
Mark

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rob kopf says:

May 19, 2009 at 12:44 pm

I think you hit it on the head, particularly in the last sentence. “(if) they’re not asking themselves about the intended audience”. So often pieces are written for the buyers of HR materials (HR staff) instead of users (employees).

Reply
- Frank Roche says:
  
  May 19, 2009 at 12:54 pm
  
  @Rob, thanks! I’m afraid too often it’s HR editing for HR, or senior managers editing for what they like. Communication is all about the audience, as you well know. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
  
  Reply