We Use "Specialized” Language Too Much

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We use “specialized” language too much.

All too often, when speaking with others not in our fields of endeavor, we break into the specialized vernacular of our industries. We certainly do it in medicine:

“Mr. Jones, the pathology’s back on your neoplasm. It’s a glioblastoma. We accomplished a gross total resection, but you will need adjuvant therapies for further cytoreduction and palliation. We would recommend a DNA alkylating agent and a sub-lethal combination of fractionated whole brain and focused-beam radiation therapy. Have a nice day!”

And it’s not just physicians. Lawyers, businesspeople, engineers, contractors, plumbers, mechanics, and the like, all can break into language that is decipherable only to those inhabiting their professional universes.

Specialized Language Has Its Place, But...

Granted such speech has a purpose. It can make professional interactions very efficient. And it kind of feels good once mastered. Fluency signifies that we are part of the club, a member of the guild. It elevates us above the great unwashed masses around us.

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It also serves to give us a sense of control in fraught interactions. It can smooth over holes in our knowledge (dazzling people with our B.S.). It takes less energy than explaining everything. And, in medicine, at least, it can act as a buffer for feelings of our own vulnerability when confronted with terrible things that happen to others.

But for those on the other end of the conversation, it’s often frustratingly, maddeningly, infuriatingly, obfuscating and confusing, and it throws up barriers between us and them.

So when seeking to connect with others, or to convey important information, wouldn’t it behoove us to avoid the super-specialized language of our industries and speak as plainly, simply, and understandably as possible?

Communicating in Simple Language

But how can we step out of our specialized tongues and present our thoughts and concepts more plainly? Here are a few suggestions:

Ask early what your counterparts already understand about the topic at hand. This should give you a read on their level of “sophistication” in the subject matter and help you hone down your message to the key points you wish them to absorb.

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Listen to your audience. What do they want or need from you? You may deliver the epitome of eloquent orations, but if you have not attended to your audience’s concerns, musings, and queries, they will leave feeling disappointed, perhaps even disrespected.

Know your message(s). You have entered the conversation for a reason. While you must attend to your audience’s needs, it should be clear in your mind what points you wish to impart to them. Most times, keep said critical points(s) limited to three or fewer.

Interpret and simplify complex concepts. This should be a central focus whenever dealing with counterparts who don’t share your degree of knowledge of the concept at hand (even in your own field of endeavor). You can always add layers of complexity once they are up to speed.

Follow Winston Churchill’s advice to use short words and sentences. Don’t seek to awe your audience with your unparalleled vocabulary.

Churchill would also tell you to paint a picture in your audience’s mind(s). That is, support the central concept—even if quite abstract—with tangible, palpable, relatable, images. For example, when I discuss a brain tumor with a patient, I tell them that it’s like a weed—I can take out the plant part of it, but there will be roots left over that will require further treatment.

Use analogies and similes. They can be very effective. As can cliches—they’re cliches for a good reason.

Personalize your message. As a friend in medical school admissions advises applicants, “No one cares about what specifically you have done, they want to know how what you have done has affected you.” Adding personal, emotional coloring to your interaction draws in your counterpart(s) and humanizes you.

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Assess how the communication is going. Don’t just plow through all that you feel needs to be divulged if you clearly have lost your audience. When disclosing very bad news to a patient or their family, we find they can only handle and absorb one or two critical pieces of information at a time.

Break up fraught communications into several shorter conversations. Repeat critical points often, over time.

Slow down. Take your time. Let things sink in. Be patient with your audience.

Stay on theme. No meandering. Not prolonged unrelated vignettes.

Be direct, honest, and brave, particularly when delivering bad news. No beating around the bush, no euphemisms. Tell it like it is, and be willing to say “I don’t know” when you don’t know.

When appropriate, compliment. Notice an attribute of your audience and mention it. Everyone likes their qualities and efforts to be acknowledged. I often complimented the families of the very ill on how brave they were—because they were.

Humor is often very powerful and useful. Best when self-deprecating. It can humanize you and set a pleasant tone. But it can also turn your audience off in a heartbeat if it is too snide, cynical, sarcastic, dark, or nasty.

Finally, before any important conversation or talk, do some practice runs. Try never to deliver it cold. And do it out loud. It is a much different experience hearing your words hang in the air from reading them on your computer or imagining them in your head.