Turning Complexity into Clarity

Welcome to the LIFT Your Impact newsletter, where you gain insights on leadership, communication, and storytelling. And great news! You can now order my new book, Lift Your Impact, here in the UK and here in the US! For bulk orders contact our team!

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In these newsletters, we’ve talked about lifting your values, vision, potential, storytelling, and stakeholders. All of these are important for making a bigger impact. But even the best ideas can fail if your message isn’t clear. When people don’t understand what you want or why it matters, your mission can lose direction.

The key to success is clarity.

Today, we’ll look at tools that can help you simplify your message and make it more powerful. These tools are especially useful when your message is complicated or when people seem confused. Let’s explore how you can make sure your message connects with everyone you communicate with.

The Power of Clear Communication

One of the best ways to make your message powerful is to make data or ideas meaningful to others. Robert Cialdini, an expert on influence, showed how small changes in the way you share information can lead to big results.

Here’s an example: when you stay at a hotel, you’ve probably seen signs in the bathroom asking you to reuse your towels. Most of these signs talk about helping the environment, but this kind of message doesn’t always work. Why? Because people don’t feel personally involved or connected.

Cialdini and his team decided to test how different messages could inspire guests to take action.

Step One: Highlighting Social Norms

First, they changed the sign to say: “Most people reuse their towels at least once during their stay.”

This small change increased towel reuse by 26%. Why? Because it made people feel like they were part of a group. When people see that others are doing something, they are more likely to follow along.

Step Two: Making It Personal

Next, they made the message even more specific: “Most people who have stayed in your room reused their towels at least once during their stay.”

This small change had an even bigger impact, increasing towel reuse by 33%. By focusing on the guest’s individual experience, the message felt more personal and important. People felt more responsible for their own actions.

What This Means for Your Message

These experiments show something important: people respond better when a message feels personal and relevant.

Whether you’re sharing data, telling a story, or asking for change, think about how to make your message:

1. Relatable: Show how your idea connects to the lives of the people you’re talking to. What’s in it for them?
2. Part of a norm: Explain how others are already doing what you’re asking. This creates a sense of belonging.
3. Personal: Speak directly to your audience. Use examples or stories that feel specific to them.

For example, instead of saying: “Our new programme will help the company grow,” try saying: “Your participation in this programme will help the company succeed and grow your own career.”

How the News Makes Messages Clear

The news often uses these techniques to explain big, complicated problems. For example, when covering global issues, a newscast might show statistics or maps to explain the big picture. Then, they share personal stories from individuals to make the problem feel more real and understandable.

You can use the same approach. Start with the big idea or data you want to share, and then add personal examples that your audience can relate to.

Final Thoughts

As leaders, it’s important to make your ideas easy to understand. Clear communication isn’t just helpful—it’s powerful. When you make your message simple, personal, and meaningful, you can inspire action and create real change.

Take the time to make your ideas clear and relevant to the people you’re talking to. You’ll see a big difference in how they respond.

Thank you for joining me for another LIFT Your Impact newsletter.

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This, and many other tools, exercises, and stories can be found in my new book Lift Your Impact, which is available here in the UK and here in the US! Bulk purchases can be made here.