John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication

Idea 18: Be clear

What is conceived well is expressed clearly,

And words to say it will arise with ease.

Nicholas Boileau, French poet and critic

Clear thinking manifests itself in a clear utterance: if your thoughts or ideas are a bit confused, vague or fuzzy, then they will be that much less easily understood or perceived.

Clarity is the cardinal principle of power or effectiveness in both speech and writing. Therefore good communication begins in the mind. Thus the application of this principle has to begin a long way back from the boardroom or executive office. It begins in the struggle to achieve clarity in the uncertain weather of your mind. It entails using your intellectual skills of analyzing, synthesizing and valuing to ensure that ...