Picture you are dining in a hip new restaurant and you order a $17 fancy hamburger.

The waiter asks, “How do you want your hamburger prepared?” You answer, “Medium.”

Your meal arrives and due to the Spoiler Alert Blog Title you know that this top sirloin hamburger arrives bordering on red to raw.

Clarity = mutually shared comprehension of your legal brief, your financial projections, your Board of Directors presentation, or your critical email.

Lack of clarity = time sucking confusion, the quick click of your favorite computer key … DELETE, a potential negative outcome on that legal brief, AND a slightly raw hamburger patty.

Three ways to communicate with clarity:

#1  Use a universally understood set of metrics, and define unfamiliar words. Don’t say “medium rare”. Say “pink”.

#2  Be aware of Fuzzy Words like soon, young, tall, good or high. There is no single quantitative value that defines these words.

One time a friend of mine, while recuperating from a surgery, encountered some complications. Her significant other replied by phone, “I’ll come over soon.” She understood this as, “He will get in his car now and will speed but will not run red lights.” He arrived after finishing his work about two hours later. Not good. NOT a shared comprehension.

#3  Communicate in an accurate and timely manner. Do your homework. Get the facts right and provide your info when needed.

Clarity means making your content easy to understand. Your listeners — at your presentation, or reading your email, or in your meeting — are dealing with their own pressures, piles and people. When you communicate with clarity you will save time, headaches and money.

Then you’ll have time to eat that perfectly prepared hamburger.

© 123RF Stock Photo

© Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.

Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog.