The email made no sense.
I was collaborating on an educational project. My colleague had some comments about what I had done.
I had no idea what he was talking about. Zero.
Maybe I was missing something. I am of a different generation, after all. I forwarded the message to some younger colleagues.
They were equally clueless.
(Yes, that did provide me some measure of comfort.)
As a lawyer, I am supposedly trained to interpret complex material and decipher complicated arguments. It’s surprising how often I am left befuddled.
It’s not just me.
When one of my children was starting high school, I went to a parents’ meeting. One of the parents was giving a talk about alcohol use. This class was going to be different than the ones that came before.
(That turned out not to be the case, not surprisingly.)
The parent leading the discussion was a prominent citizen. His talk was all biz speak of the early 2000’s. Lots of stuff about paradigms, boxes and incentivization.
A woman seated next to me leaned over and asked:
“What the f*** is he talking about?”
Good question.
Turned out she was also a lawyer.
If attorneys can’t figure out what you’re saying, it’s a good guess that not many others can either.
Write and speak clearly.
Purge jargon.
Be brief.
Make your point. Then shut up and sit down.
Communicate effectively.