Of course Confucius was right about the importance of clarity in language

“If language is incorrect, then what is said does not accord with what was meant, and what ought to be done cannot be done.” A wise person, he argued, uses the right words, speaks clearly about what should happen, and leaves as little as possible to chance.

That is a rather mangled and truncated quote from Confucius’s doctrine of the Rectification of Names. But it captures the essence well enough: we need to use simple and clear language. In this instance, I’m going to apply that lesson to communications messaging but let me build my argument first.

The core idea of this Confucian doctrine is that people should adhere to their proper station in life. And the only way that can work is when instructions are given in clear language so everyone knows what is expected of them.

People should adhere to their proper station in life.

If words become ambiguous, the whole structure begins to wobble.

The flow of Confucius’ logic was that rites and music then cease to flourish, justice becomes arbitrary, and society eventually grinds to a halt because no one knows how to behave.

Whether or not Winston Churchill ever said “one hour of preparation for each minute of delivery” – much is attributed to him that he did not say – he certainly spent a long time crafting his major speeches. His speech in May 1940, shortly after becoming prime minister, was not the product of spontaneity. He laboured over every phrase because he wanted to be unmistakably clear about what he was asking the country to do: “We will fight them on the beaches” and so on.

The time he spent choosing his words was time his audience did not have to spend deciphering them.

According to the American journalist Edward R Murrow, Churchill “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle”. Businesses are not, thankfully, engaged in existential wars. But the principle still applies. If you are unclear, people won’t buy what you’re selling or subscribe to the ideas you are promoting.

If you are unclear, people won’t buy what you’re selling or subscribe to the ideas you are promoting.

Most of us spend our working lives focused on our own concerns. We think about other organizations only when we have to. And we do not want to waste time working out what they are trying to tell us. Which is easier to understand: “an exterior glass maintenance professional responsible for your building’s facade clarity”, or “a window cleaner”?

That is why one of the first things we do with new clients is spend time on narrative. What are you selling? Why should the buyer care? And what do you want them to do next? Getting this right takes time and effort.

Ronald Reagan drew a useful distinction between what is simple and what is easy; Mark Twain apologized for writing a long letter because he did not have time to write a short one. Those two ideas are central to a good narrative. So my thought for the New Year is this: do not be fooled into thinking that good messaging has to sound complicated. On the contrary, the simpler it is, the easier it will be for your audience to understand, and the more likely they are to act on it.