I ran across a Ted Ed video today, "The Power of Simple Words," a concept with which I wholeheartedly agree. As a former journalist, I know it's a lot of hard work to communicate in a way that people can readily understand. I didn't always feel this way, though.
As a longtime lover of language, by my mid 20s, strings of words and sentences liberally rolled off my tongue.
Then one day an honest buddy reminded me that communicating with people at all levels takes far more skill than simply spouting off lots of fancy words.
It's pretty offputting, I realized, to be stuck in the company of a smartypants, wondering whether the person is trying to impress you or attempting to pull the wool over your eyes. Down-to-earth communication skills are just as important for companies and organizations as they are in individual relationships. While it's crucial to provide the details people may want in order to choose a product or service, those details should be presented clearly, without taking away from the main points, and without trying to intimidate the other person.
Regardless of the size of your vocabulary, sometimes it's just nice to be around real people who are smart enough to simply talk or write about what they need to say. No smartypants tactics required.
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