Simple communications are crucial now—and always

There’s no shortage of lessons communicators can extract from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but one really stands out.

Simple communication wins the days. It’s a painful lesson when it plays out on the national stage. As we’ve seen, public health communications that lack simplicity can carry life-or-death consequences.

But the underlying principles that guide effective communications in times of great urgency apply in more ordinary times as well. In fact, they should always apply. When communicators follow a few simple tenets, they can deliver information better, and make more immediate—and memorable—connections with their audiences. Leading with simplicity is to lead with humanity.

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What defines simplicity in communication? Let’s look at three key factors:

Clarity

Clarity is about erasing ambiguity. It means asking: “Can my target audience immediately grasp what I’m saying?” “Would anything in here cause them confusion?”