Clarity Begins Before the Words

By Susie A. Taylor | Story Strategist | Susie Taylor Marketing | Join the World Referral Network for FREE!

An email starts as a simple message.

Then it becomes three paragraphs.

A sentence gets softened. Another gets added for context. A third explains the explanation.

Soon, the writer is working hard on the wording without being completely sure what the message actually is.

Before choosing the words, do you know the message?

We often begin with language instead of intention.

We want to sound polished, persuasive, thoughtful, careful, or diplomatic. Those things can matter. But they come after clarity.

The real message may be much simpler than the first draft.

Maybe what you are actually trying to say is:

I need help.

I disagree.

I appreciate you.

This needs to change.

I want to understand.

When we do not identify the core message, we often bury it under explanation.

Sometimes that happens because we are trying to be kind. Sometimes we are avoiding discomfort. Sometimes we are not yet clear ourselves.

But too much cushioning can make an important message harder to recognize.

Clarity does not require harshness.

It requires knowing what matters most.

Before an important email, conversation, or decision, try writing one sentence:

What I'm really trying to say is…

Don't worry about tone yet.

Don't edit it for diplomacy.

Just finish the sentence as plainly as you can.

Once you know the message, you can decide how to express it with care, context, and respect.

If you cannot summarize the point simply, that may be useful information. You may still be figuring out what you think, want, need, or hope the other person will understand.

Better words usually follow clearer thinking.

Before you ask how to say it, make sure you know what “it” is.

#Communication #Clarity #Writing #Relationships #SelfAwareness #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalGrowth