One of the guiding principles of good communication is to be clear, straight and simple.
When you experience just the opposite, it’s a big danger sign.
- Beware! Someone is trying to get away with something.
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Here's a topical and awful example:
Like many, I've followed the Horizon Post Office scandal with a mix of horror and anger.
Those poor branch managers losing so much because of a dreadful cover up.
But a particular news report about the scandal made me think how the use of words can be a red flag for trouble.
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The story goes that managers at the Post Office didn’t want to talk about bugs in the Horizon IT system.
They realised that would have a powerfully negative impact on their attempts to conceal how unreliable it was.
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Everyone understands the word bugs in the context of computing:
It's simple and straightforward. It means problems, things not working as they should, issues of concern.
It’s absolutely the right word to use if you’re trying to be clear on what’s happening.
But it’s absolutely the wrong word if you’re trying to obscure what's going on.
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Instead of bugs, the word exception was used.
If you saw that in an instruction manual for a computer…
It probably wouldn’t ring alarm bells in quite the way as if you saw:
- This product has a series of bugs.
You wouldn't really understand what exceptions meant, and may not take the time and trouble to find out.
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You such trickery of language in politics all the time.
In fact, to be briefly intellectual for a change, almost 80 years ago George Orwell complained about it in an essay called Politics and the English language.
I remember noticing in parliament, years ago, when MPs talked about material inaccuracies in some statement.
I was puzzled at the time, until I did some research and discovered that MPs aren’t allowed to call each other liars.
Apparently it’s not honourable (however ironic that may be.)
So, instead of using clear and straightforward language…
It was effectively a way of covering up the truth. At least to a casual observer.
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And herein lies the lesson of this blog:
If you see a job opportunity which looks good, but uses words or phrases you don’t understand…
- Supply chain integrity, and customer nutrition and satisfaction officer.
You might not realise you'd be delivering pizzas for Deliveroo.
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Or likewise, with a claim in an advert for some product, or service…
- Enlightening trauma therapy among a family of similarly elevated souls.
You might miss the fact you're being tempted to try Scientology.
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And not least, of course, a political speech, material inaccuracies and all..
Beware. In fact, be very beware.
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Clarity in communication is an indicator of honesty and trustworthiness.
But words used in a way which seeks to obscure tells you a very different story.
