“I’ve been very clear”

Politicians spend a lot of time these days insisting that they’re being “clear”, to the point where journalists are embarrassed to ask the same simple questions again and again.

Muddy, imprecise language is rife in politics because politicians find it useful for disguising true intentions, or hiding all they don’t know.

But muddy and imprecise language is rife in office discourse, too, sometimes for similar reasons, but more often because people just haven’t taken the time to work out, and articulate, exactly what they want.

“We need to look into X, Bob, can you handle that?” is the kind of statement I hear all the time. The boss thinks she knows what she means, and assumes Bob does, too, but does she? Does he? I’ve seen enough fiascos and debacles to suggest the answer is “rarely”.

Muddy and imprecise language can arise from muddy and imprecise thinking, and it usually leads to muddy and imprecise results.

Clear, precise thought and speech is harder and takes more time, but it’s worth it.

More on delegation here.