Last Friday evening, before the US marked Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19 in remembrance of his legacy as a civil rights leader, I heard a talk given by Eric Ward. An activist with nearly 40 years of experience at the intersection of justice, democracy and culture, Ward is known for speaking with clarity, heart and vision. One line from his talk stuck with me: “Our job is not to be loud. Our job is to be clear.”
Ward used this phrase to encourage his audience to use their voices for tolerance and respect. In addition, and as a communicator, I couldn’t help thinking of this line in a broader context as enduring guidance for the work we do every day for our companies and clients.
Clarity underpins all thoughtful, strategic, high-quality communications. A compelling narrative uses straightforward language that is easy for stakeholders to take in. We avoid corporate-speak and jargon. This kind of language confuses, obfuscates and can be intimidating. Conversely, simple language signals transparency and makes the complex less so. It builds confidence in the information being delivered and the messenger doing the delivering.
Still…what is it about jargon that makes people use it so much? A survey published in National Geographic of more than 800 working professionals across eight countries found that 58% feel their fellow employees overuse jargon, if given the opportunity, nearly half would eliminate its use because unpacking the meaning of ‘jargon causes stress and slows down productivity.’ And yet, according to the survey, ‘we persist.’ One reason cited is that shared jargon is social and can foster a sense of identity and community. (For fun, check out this piece in the Financial Times about ‘speaking Davos-ian’ at the World Economic Forum).
But when language is unclear and full of sub-text, it excludes, and when that happens, it builds walls, not bridges.
We’re trained to craft clear, strong narratives for companies and business leaders. While AI tools available can help here for sentiment analysis and other data, we humans do the heavy lift. Accordingly, comms professionals will always be relied on for narratives and messaging companies and institutions large and small need in every situation, from helping scientist-founders be understood by lay-customers or CEOs bring to life earnings. We keep company communications free of inside-y type phrases or ‘speak’ that stakeholders – internal and external—may not ‘get.’ This role for comms is critical whether under the best of circumstances or those that are less ideal, such as the times of uncertainty we’re living and working in today. Clear messaging signals stability, credibility and trust.
But we must aim higher. And it’s not about being louder.
Well-crafted, understandable narratives are step one. Yes, while amplification is important, often part of our remit, and also something at which comms is especially adept, step two is supporting narratives with actions. Because otherwise messages, no matter how beautifully crafted, are nice, understandable, but empty rhetoric.
According to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer just released at Davos, trust is in decline and business leaders need to become ‘trust brokers’ to ‘overcome people being increasingly insular.’ The report goes on to say that broad, universal messaging is increasingly ineffective. Language needs to be specific, relevant, consistent, understandable, and brought to life with the ‘tangibles’ that close the gap between words and the behaviors of companies and its leaders and the realities stakeholders experience directly.
There’s so much communicators do now, and can and will in the future, to help companies deliver powerful, understandable words and actions that ‘rebuild trust from the ground-up.’ In this, our job is to be clear – in words and action. Volume follows.
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