Peer to Peer Magazine

52 PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | WINTER 2016 FEATURES Harmonic Tones Create Symphonic Messages The Lesson: Unless you are bucking for the Ernest Hemingway award for economical writing, use complete sentences that convey interest in the subject. Inform your reader, and demonstrate your respect for their time spent reading your message. Lesson 3: The "Curse of Knowledge" Can Impede Good Communication The Problem: Your subject-maer expertise can be one of the biggest barriers between your intent and your message. You know too much to convey concepts in an easily understandable way. Instead, you come across as a snobbish know-it-all with disdain for your readers. I am being dramatic to emphasize the underlying concept that your knowledge of a topic is blocking your ability to communicate it well. IT professionals are oen the poster children for this "curse of knowledge." Even without the acronyms and technobabble that are part of an IT person's speech, the clichéd phrases and gibberish make others roll their eyes. They are tired of hearing about the "firmwide rollout" and the "enterprise solution," and being told about "leveraging big data analytics in the firm's competitive and collaborative business plans." The problem is not just with our IT folks; every professional area within a firm has its own language. That special language might work at aer-hours cocktails or in your weekly department meeting, but it likely does not translate well in your communication to those outside your area of expertise. The Lesson: We all agree you are the smartest person on the planet on the topic of [fill in the blank]. But when you are writing to provide information, do not make me feel inferior. Explain things in language I can understand, and help me feel conversant on the topic. The Examples and Corrections: Too numerous to mention; they are everywhere. Examine the next communication you write, and read it with the eyes of a novice. Question every word that is common to your area of expertise. Lesson 4: The Deadly Wall of Text The Problem: We learned in lesson two to avoid truncated communication, and we should be equally sensitive to over-explaining. In the legal profession, lengthy, obfuscating, falsely erudite language is common. I just used "obfuscating" and "erudite" in the same clause –– man, I am smart! Be sensitive to inflated vocabulary and repetition of concepts expressed in slightly different terms. Be concise and clear. The Example: The Executive Commiee is pleased to announce the firm's strategic plan for 2017. Our focus is on the evolution of a global competitive strategy –– the emerging innovation and integration potential derived from data analytics, disruptive technologies and process improvements that align with our business- driven initiatives. By establishing structured and unstructured information management and emerging technology strategies, we will Unless you are bucking for the Ernest Hemingway award for economical writing, use complete sentences that convey interest in the subject.

• Cover