THE ONE THING

1. How to Avoid the "Curse of Knowledge" in Leadership Communication

Enemy number 1 in communication is called the "Curse of Knowledge.”

This is a cognitive bias where you assume everyone knows what you do.

For example, when a CFO in a meeting says: "Our EBITDA margin remains robust, and our capex dip is within acceptable limits," they assume that everyone listening in is fluent in financial terms and understand what they’re talking about.

The best anecdote to explain the Curse of Knowledge is called the “Tappers & Listeners” study (more in this HBR article).

It's a tricky problem to solve, and its effects are worse in virtual teams due to a lack of face-to-face interaction.

The takeaway

One simple fix to address the curse of knowledge is to use clear, straightforward language. Avoid fancy jargon and avoid any assumptions about your audience.

“Explain it like everyone is 15 years old” is a helpful reframe that will trick you into simplifying your messages.

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Does A Cause B or does B Cause A?

Here are three facts:

1. The canary is a bird

2. The canary is native to the Canary Islands

3. The Canary Islands are named after an animal

Quick Quiz: What animal are the Canary Islands named after?

• A bird

• A dog

• A cat

If you guessed bird, you’re wrong. The right answer is dog—from the Latin term Canariae Insulae, meaning “Islands of the Dogs.”

It’s a fun twist on cause and effect: the canary bird got its name from the islands, not the other way around.

The takeaway

Cause and effect are often mixed up in the corporate world. Remember that correlation does not always equal causation. So to make better leadership decisions, take the time to dig deeper and verify assumptions with hard data.

QUICK UPDATE

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WORDS I LIKE

4. How to Be Less Confrontational When Disagreeing

Diplomacy is important in business.

Saying “I disagree” could sometimes come off as confrontational.

Instead try phrases such as:

• “I see this differently.”

• “Here are my concerns.”

• “Have we considered the following repercussions?”

Those could help with delivering the same message, but in a more diplomatic way.

THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: Write emails that are five sentences or fewer

• Why: TLDR stands for “Too Long, Didn’t Read,” so you’ll be doing everyone a favor by being concise. Plus shorter emails are read more often and are responded to more frequently. So shorter emails are a win-win.

• Example: If you need to write a longer email, break it down into two sections: Quick Summary & Details. And keep the summary section at 5 sentences or fewer.