Clarity In Written Communication

The ability to create clarity when there’s no shortage of chaos, opinions, and competing priorities is a rare skill. In any reasonably competent company, this skill alone will help take you quite far, fairly quickly. Concretely, this means creating clarity on the main problems, clarity on the right solutions, and clarity on the action plan & priorities. Very few people can do this well even though most people possess the intelligence necessary to do it. This is because most people in the workplace have been conditioned to add more information, sound more clever, satisfy more stakeholders, and feign more precision & certainty than is possible. Few understand that clarity in a chaotic situation can only emerge from subtraction, never from addition. Clarity comes from communicating what stands out as most important, why it is most important, how it will be achieved, and last but not the least, giving people a way of thinking about why it is okay, even great, that we aren’t doing All The Other Things.

🚫 I know this post won’t be popular. But it needs to be said. You’ve probably seen dynamic Hormozi-style captions. Those fast-moving, flashy, high-energy subtitles influencers swear by. They’re everywhere. And yes, they drive views. But what gets attention isn’t always what serves the audience. Here’s the problem. They're not accessible. Let's break it down: - Non-standard colors make text hard to read and cause eye strain. - One or two words at a time are too fast for many viewers. - Motion effects like seesawing cause nausea and distraction. - Karaoke-style pacing forces viewers to follow a rhythm they didn’t choose. - Emphasized words in different colors dilute the message. - ALL hurt readability. Isn’t the message the most important thing? Let the video and its content be the star. If creators want pizzazz, they can add flashy text outside the captions. That’s why I advocate for closed captions. The kind that lets viewers control their captioning preferences. Captioning best practices are simple: * Plain sans-serif font. * Off-white text on off-black background. * Sentence case. * No motion. I know it’s hard to convince creators to change. Influencers are showing them the money. But accessibility isn’t optional. It’s essential. I’ve seen how inaccessible captions can shut people out of the conversation. That's not okay. I’ve worked with creators and audiences who rely on captions. This isn’t theoretical. It’s real. I made a short video to show the difference. Watch it and tell me: Are we prioritizing style over substance? What do you think? Can accessibility and engagement coexist? Reach out if you want help making your content more inclusive. I consult with creators, marketers, and teams who care about accessibility and impact. 🔔 Tap profile bell (You may need to do it again. LinkedIn reset it.) 👉 Follow #MerylMots for past posts #UX #Communication Video description: Identical side-by-side talking head videos of Meryl. Left has boring captions. Right has different dynamic caption styles.

𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. I came across a video about why clear documentation matters, and although it was lighthearted, it captured a challenge I've seen repeatedly while working with organizations. Most teams believe they have documented their processes. What they've often documented are the steps, while leaving out the judgment behind them. Experienced people fill in those gaps automatically because they know which shortcuts to take, which exceptions to ignore, and which decisions require extra attention. New colleagues don't have that advantage, which is why the same document that looks perfectly clear to one person can be frustratingly incomplete to another. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲. The strongest organizations don't become resilient because they hire exceptional people. They become resilient because exceptional people make their knowledge transferable. They create documentation that explains not only what to do, but also why it matters, when to adapt, and how success should be measured. That's becoming an increasingly valuable leadership skill because every new hire, every cross-functional project, and every technology initiative depends on the same foundation. Clarity. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? #Leadership #KnowledgeManagement #FutureOfWork #Management #Communication Source: Noelidavid

It's not how good your idea is. It's how clear it is. How to speak 10X clearer ⬇️ Most people ramble and as a result their ideas stall. That’s why I’ve developed the Clarity Code — my system that's helped 300+ CEOs communicate even the most complex ideas. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 1: 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 3 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 1/ Being boring  ↳ Boring is hard for the brain. Interesting is easy for the brain.  ↳ Fix: ask “How can I make this a little more interesting?” 2/ You are literally hard to understand  ↳ Poor articulation. Not speaking loud enough.  ↳ Bad audio, bad mic, hand in front of mouth.  ↳ Fix: Proper virtual set up. Practice clear articulation. 3/ Overloading the message  ↳ Muddled thinking. Curse of knowledge.  ↳ Wearing complexity as a badge of honour.  ↳ Fix: ask “What is the One Thing I want my audience to take away?” 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 2: 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 5 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 1/ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  ↳ What – So What – Now What  ↳ Past – Present – Future ↳ Problem – Solution – Benefit 2/ 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝  ↳ Goal – Problem – Solution  ↳ Excite – Disturb – Assure  ↳ My Story – Our Story – The Future 3/ 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 ↳ “Running a company without a budget is like driving a car without GPS in a city you don't know.” 4/ 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞  ↳ Abstract words are hard to understand for our brains.  ↳ Specific examples are easy to make sense of and remember. 5/ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ↳ Clarity depends on what you say and how you say it.  ↳ Slow down and pause before your key message.  ↳ Avoid monotonous monologue and embrace vocal variety.  𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 3: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞? 𝐓𝐨𝐩 3 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 1/ The BBQ Test ↳ Can you explain it to someone at a BBQ – and keep their attention? ↳ Cheat code: No jargon. No slides. Just say what you mean. 2/ Headline test  ↳ Does your key message sound like a headline?  ↳ “Q3 Business Update.” – NO!   ↳ "Business Growing but Challenges Ahead." - YES! 3/ The Recording Test ↳ What sounds good in your head or looks good on paper can sound clunky and stilted.  ↳ Record → Review → Refine How to speak 10X clearer on Speak Like a CEO: 🎙️ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e-3ze4jN 🎙️ Apple: https://lnkd.in/eWb6H3FV

"The Prompt Engineering Playbook for Programmers" My latest free write-up: https://lnkd.in/g9Kxa7hG ✍️ The difference between a vague "fix my code" request and a well-crafted prompt can mean the difference between generic, unhelpful advice and precise, actionable solutions that accelerate your development workflow. My "Prompt Engineering Playbook" has actionable strategies to help you get the most out of AI coding assistants. If you missed it, or need a refresher on crafting prompts that deliver real results, now's a great time to dive in. Inside, you'll find: ✅ Effective patterns (role-playing, rich context, iterative refinement) ✅ Smart debugging strategies with AI ✅ AI-assisted refactoring for better code ✅ Building new features step-by-step with your AI pair programmer ✅ Common anti-patterns to avoid (and how to fix them) Here's what separates developers who struggle with AI from those who use it effectively: 🎯 The Foundation Rich context: Never just say "fix my code" - specify language, framework, error messages, and expected behavior Clear goals: Replace "this doesn't work" with "this function should return a sorted array but returns undefined" Break it down: Don't ask for entire features - iterate from skeleton → logic → optimization ⚡ Refactoring game-changer ❌ Vague: "Refactor getCombinedData function" ✅ Specific: "Refactor to eliminate duplicate fetch logic, parallelize requests, and optimize data merging. Preserve individual error messages." Result: AI delivers parallel fetching, efficient data structures, and maintains debugging capability. 🎭 Secret weapon: role playing "Act as a senior React developer reviewing this code for performance issues..." "You're a TypeScript expert - refactor following modern best practices..." This simple technique dramatically improves response quality and specificity. ⚠️ Avoid these anti-patterns - Overloaded prompts ("build a complete app") - Vague success criteria ("optimize code" vs "reduce memory usage") - Ignoring AI clarifying questions - Inconsistent style across conversations 💡 Bottom line With AI, the more context and direction you provide, the better your results. I hope it's a helpful read. #ai #programming #softwareengineering

15 years ago, I wrote "Write Better, Sell Better". The tagline that defined my career. Since then, I've written copy for Fortune 500 companies, projects that made millions, and taught copywriting at the university → Yep, writing is my life. But you don't have all semester long to learn. This post contains my 7 biggest writing lessons: (Save and repost this 60-second class ♻️) --- 1. Clarity is 90% of your writing Clarity beats cleverness 10 times out of 10. Remember: First, write clearly. Then, write creatively. Most focus on "creative" right off the bat = big no. (If you can do both, jackpot) --- 2. Use signposting to showcase authority I teach this technique to every single client. (This sentence you just read was a signpost) Signposts are short "signals" to your expertise and results. Think of them as signs on the side of the road, which allow you to "trust" the journey you're on. Can you notice where else I used it in this post? 😉 --- 3. Too much copy? Make it choppy. Here are 2 examples (the second one is better): Sometimes, we write super long sentences that we have no time to breathe and neither do our readers. Sometimes, we write super long sentences. We have no time to breathe. And neither do our readers. Chop it up! It's easier to read. --- 4. Write unselfishly. Edit relentlessly. Think about it. Writing is 80% editing. You are tweaking, optimizing, and making things sound perfect. One bit of advice: Don't hold back. Edit (ehm, delete) anything that isn't on-topic. I've deleted probably 40% of this post. --- 5. Use sensory words. Add texture to text. That had to hurt! → That had to "sting"! Having a bad day? → Having a "rough" day? A seamless process → A "silky-smooth" process All of the 2nd descriptions above can be "felt". It's how your readers "touch an emotion", not just "read text". --- 6. Never write to "everyone" Remember this for all time: "Everyone" is not your audience. Sales happen when your prospect can clearly "see" themselves in your writing. So how do you go about this? --- 7. The "Dear son" writing method Pick "one" person to speak to → I speak to my son. For you, it could be your best friend, the old you etc. I start everything with "Dear son" and end with "Love, Dad". In the end, I simply delete these 2 parts. Doing so creates such a powerful connection with your readers + a consistent tone of voice. With every word. Where there's connection, there's trust. And where there's trust, there's sales. Words to live by. --- Write Better, Sell Better = that's the whole game! Let me know which lesson you enjoy the most. Professor Jay, out. (Repost this for your network ♻️)

A few years ago, I was in a high stakes meeting with colleagues from Japan. I presented my points confidently, thinking I was making a great impression. But as I scanned the room, I saw blank expressions. No nods. No engagement. Just silence. I panicked. Had I said something wrong? Was my idea unconvincing? After the meeting, one of my Japanese colleagues pulled me aside and said, “Sumit, we really want to understand you, but you speak too fast.” That was my light bulb moment. For years, I assumed that mastering English and business communication was enough to build strong global relationships. But the real challenge wasn’t just the language - it was the rate of speech! Most of us don’t realize that speaking speed varies drastically across cultures. Here’s an eye-opener: ·      In India, we typically speak at 120–150 words per minute. ·      The global standard for clear communication is around 60–80 words per minute. ·      In Japan, where English is not the first language, this rate drops even further. So, what happens when we, as fast speakers, communicate with someone who is used to a much slower pace? Our words blur together. The listener struggles to process. And instead of making an impact, we create confusion. We often assume that if people don’t understand us, we need to repeat ourselves. But the truth is, we don’t need to repeat - we need to slow down, simplify, and pause. If you work in a multicultural environment, here are three things that can dramatically improve your communication: a.   Control your pace: Consciously slow down when speaking to an international audience. What feels “normal” to you might be too fast for them. b.   Use simple language: Smaller sentences. Easier words (vocabulary). c.    Pause & check for understanding: Don’t assume silence means agreement. Ask, “Does that make sense?” or “Would you like me to clarify anything?” I’ve seen professionals struggle in global roles - not because they lack expertise, but because they fail to adjust their communication style to their audience. I’ve also seen leaders who thrive across cultures, simply because they master the art of respectful, clear, and paced communication. If you want to succeed in a global workplace, rate of speech is not just a skill - it’s a strategy. Have you ever faced challenges due to differences in speaking speed? Let’s discuss. #GlobalCommunication #CrossCulturalLeadership #EffectiveCommunication #SoftSkills #CareerGrowth #WorkplaceSuccess #HR

I was on a call recently with someone who doesn’t usually work in the non-profit space. Smart guy. Asked good questions. At one point, he said what he found hardest was not defaulting to jargon. Then he gave examples of the words he was trying to avoid. “Impact.” "Empower." “Strategic opportunity.” I laughed. Because… Welcome to the world of nonprofit communications. So I shared a small cheat I use all the time (one anyone can use, not just comms people). If you’re about to say something like: “We’re here to make impact for children” Stop. And replace the jargon word with what you actually do. So instead of “impact”, you say: “We help children eat three meals a day.” That’s it. Take the abstract word out. Put the real action in. Plain language isn’t dumbing things down. It’s respecting your audience enough to be clear. And clarity is what helps people understand, remember and act. I’ve added a small carousel with examples you can steal, showing how to replace common non-profit jargon with plain, human language. Save it. Screenshot it. Use it in your next proposal or website rewrite.

I’m Not Being Difficult - I Just Need Clarity. - I’m not being awkward - I’m not trying to cause trouble - I just need clarity For years in the workplace, I was made to feel like I was “difficult” because I’d ask for more detail: - A meeting invite with no agenda left me panicking about what I’d missed - Being told to “just pull something together” meant hours of stress, because I didn’t know what “something” looked like! - “We need this ASAP” Is that today, tomorrow, or next week? - “Make it look better” Better how? Cleaner? More detailed? Different format? - “Do what you think’s best.” Until it turns out it’s not what they had in mind. - Hearing “you should have just known” made me feel like I was always one step behind Vague instructions, half-answered questions and unspoken expectations aren’t a test of competence, they’re a test of mind-reading. And that’s a recipe for anxiety, not productivity. For me and for many autistic and neurodivergent people, clarity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a lifeline. But clarity doesn’t just help us… It helps everyone! – Clear instructions save time – Direct communication avoids confusion – Specific expectations lead to better results You don’t need to write a novel or over explain, you just need to say what you actually mean. Because when you remove the guesswork, you unlock the best in people. Not just the neurodivergent ones... everyone! Perfectly Autistic #Autism #ADHD #Neurodiversity #Leadership #HR

Over a million people viewed my post on unread UN reports. The irony wasn’t lost on me. A post about UN reports was read more than the actual UN reports!🫣 That post unpacked the problems (if you missed it, you can have a look at the link below). This post is about the solutions that came from the comment section. Here’s what the LinkedIn community had to teach the UN: 1️⃣ Use the “Dip, Swim, Dive” Framework Dip = 30-second hook for opening paragraphs and social media Swim = executive summary that actually summarises. Dive = full technical report for specialists. Most people never dive. But everyone needs to dip. 2️⃣ Lead with Stakes (Heart), Not Just Stats (Head) “735 million people went to bed hungry last night” resonates more than “Global food insecurity affects 735 million individuals.” Same data. Different impact. 3️⃣ Hire Audience Translators Not only language translators but 'audience' translators. Journalists who turn policy into stories. Creators who make data shareable. The UN hires economists and climate scientists. Why not communication experts who speak 'layperson'? None of this requires dumbing down 'technical' content. It requires opening up. Because here’s the part that gets missed... Clear, accessible communication isn’t just a branding fix. It’s a social justice issue. When reports are dense or riddled with jargon, we don’t just lose readers, we silence stakeholders. Neurodiverse audiences. Non-native speakers. Frontline actors. The very people whose insights should shape decisions. Because every unread report isn’t just wasted research. It’s wasted time, wasted money, and... wasted chances to act before global problems get worse. LinkedIn, it seems, just wrote the United Nations’s communication playbook. 👉 See original post here: https://lnkd.in/eFEjrwYE 🔥Follow me for content that is inclusive & accessible