Why Everyone Communicates Badly (Including You): And How to Fix It
Communication is hard, not because we lack things to say, but because we often say them in ways that confuse rather than clarify. Whether it’s corporate jargon, cultural idioms, or overly complex explanations, the gap between what we mean and what others understand is vast.
Communicating simply may be one of the hardest things to do. Our speaking and writing patterns often follow a genetic and communal trail. Trevor Noah once joked about how Nigerians embellish English with poetic gymnastics, giving the example of someone describing bad traffic as “the irritable bowel syndrome of the 9th Avenue road network.”
That put a smile on my face because, honestly, what is that to a country that understands the concept of stomach infrastructure? If you grew up in Nigeria in the ’90s, you probably remember phrases like gumption or №6 (often with a finger tap to the temple). Some expressions carry these peculiarities, unique to family but make no sense outside it. Others scale up regionally, nationally, and even professionally, becoming cultural markers.
But here’s the problem: what feels normal to us may be incomprehensible to someone else.
The Case for Simple Communication
There’s an old saying: If you can’t explain it to a five-year-old, you don’t understand it well enough. Albert Einstein is often credited with this, and whether he actually said it or not, the point stands: simplicity is the ultimate sign of clarity. Simple communication isn’t just about dumbing things down; it’s about making sure your message is fully understood. And that starts with proper audience profiling.
Top communicators and leaders, from Steve Jobs to Winston Churchill, have emphasized that the most effective messages are the ones that land immediately. When people struggle to decode what you mean, they either lose interest or interpret it their own way. Neither is good.
One way to achieve clarity is by using a bare language approach, avoiding big words and sticking to generally understood phrases. Another method is to mirror the linguistic idiosyncrasies of your audience. People are more likely to pay attention when you speak like them.
But simplicity isn’t just about language; it’s also about structure.
Top-Down Communication: Getting to the Point First
In high-stakes communication, whether in executive meetings, media soundbites, or elevator pitches, clarity is just as much about what you say as it is about how you structure it.
The top-down approach ensures that the most important information comes first, followed by supporting details only if necessary. This is crucial when speaking to decision-makers who don’t have the patience for long-winded explanations.
How It Works in Practice:
- Executives & Decision-Makers
- Start with the action or decision needed → “We need approval to launch X.”
- Provide just enough reasoning to support it → “This aligns with our strategy by addressing a market gap.”
- Only if necessary, include deeper analysis and assumptions.
- Elevator Pitches & Public Speaking
- Instead of: “We’ve spent years developing a revolutionary AI tool that optimizes business processes…”
- Say: “We help companies save 30% in operational costs using AI. Here’s how…”
This is illustrative wording. A numerical claim needs evidence.
This structure ensures that even if attention drops, the most important message lands first.
Three Simple Rules for Clarity
- Substitute the poetic for the precise.
Metaphors and analogies are great, but they don’t always translate well across audiences. An anecdote that dissuades crime in one culture might unintentionally inspire resilience in another.
- Trade ambiguity for straightforwardness.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say. If your words can be misinterpreted in a million ways, they probably will be, unless you’re an artist, a poet, or a politician.
- Replace jargon with vernacular.
Industry speak is a reality in professional circles, but outside those circles, it alienates people. Not everyone “circles back” to “touch base” on “moving the needle.” Speak in plain language.
Simplicity in Complexity
Some ideas need complexity. Legal contracts, scientific research, and philosophical arguments often demand layered explanations. But even within these fields, the best communicators distill complexity into digestible forms. The key isn’t dumbing down; it’s adjusting the complexity to the audience.
Practical Case Studies
Two public announcements show why a message needs to answer the questions its audience will bring to it.
Price Reduction: Specific Details
Take the Dangote Refinery announcement reported on 26 February 2025. It specified when the price reduction would take effect, named retail partners and listed prices by region. The useful lesson is in the structure: what changes, from when, where and at what price. These details give people something they can act on.
Public Health: Answer the Access Questions
Nigeria’s October 2023 HPV vaccine introduction offers another test of clarity. The programme provided free vaccination for girls aged 9–14, with a rollout through schools and communities followed by routine delivery in health facilities. A message about access needs to answer practical questions:
- Which vaccination sites are covered by the programme?
- How can those far from a health facility access it?
- Who is eligible for free vaccination?
The launch information described school and community campaigns, health-facility delivery and mobile vaccination units. The communication task is to make eligibility, cost and access routes clear wherever the message travels. A promise of free vaccination still needs to tell its intended audience who qualifies and how to reach the service.
This is why policy communication must prioritise clarity. A public announcement needs enough practical detail to guide the people it is meant to reach.
Final Thoughts: The Communicator’s Golden Rule
Don’t make people work to understand you.
Before you speak or write, ask:
- Who is this for? (Adjust complexity accordingly.)
- Will they get it immediately? (If not, simplify.)
- What’s the clearest way to say this? (Cut fluff.)
At the end of the day, the best communicators aren’t the most eloquent; they’re the most understood. Whether you’re pitching an idea, explaining policy, or just texting a friend, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
So next time you communicate: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don’t just talk; help ensure people understand.
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