Clarity in Corporate Communication
Beyond these individual beliefs, there are also bureaucratic reasons for unclear communication. A few of these organizational causes for excessive complexity are highlighted below. This provides organizations with a simple diagnostic tool for detecting and reducing clarity problems. This is known as the clarity problem pattern approach.
can you identify and reduce cHow organizational clarity problems? In order to enable corporate communicators to detect clarity problems in their own organizations, we have documented a number of typical problems in so-called clarity problem patterns. These problems, along with their root causes and countermeasures, have been identified through our case study research in various organizations. A clarity problem pattern is a recurring managerial problem that leads to unclear communication and can be resolved through systematic action. A description of such a recurring problem consists of a simple (and memorable) pattern name, a concise description of its main symptoms, a description of the problem driver or root cause, and an explanation of how the problem can be overcome. Checking if your organization suffers from any of these patterns can provide a starting point with which to improve the clarity in your own working context. Too many cooks Description: A document has been created by involving different departments with equal power over the document. The individual sections are inconsistent, overlapping, and have used different styles. This creates confusion when the document is used in communication.
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Example: Unclear cut-and-paste strategy document. Problem driver: Lack of ownership and consolidation. Solution: Assign clear ownership rights to one coordinator (with clearly defined input parameters for others and deadlines) who can ensure there is one consistent style, format, and level of granularity. Work in small teams that will share their solutions with key stakeholders and solicit feedback selectively. Too big to fail Description: A document has grown to a point where everybody agrees with it (because their part is in it), but no one wants to modify it even though it contains several unclear or redundant passages. Example: A legal contract or agreement with different partners. Problem driver: Iterations without consolidation. Solution: Analyze, segment, consolidate, and redraft. Show the conversion from old to new to the involved parties. Re-use abuse Description: Communicators re-use or recombine old text segments that are outdated and do not fit together well. This leads to inconsistent, outdated, or redundant messages, which creates confusion. Example: A crisis report confuses employees as it uses outdated scenarios and terminology. Problem driver: Time pressure and saving sunk costs. Solution: Establish quality checks on message modules that are to be re-used, and add expiration dates to them.