Say Yes or No

"Not all of us are going to be great orators and writers, but being able to articulate our ideas intelligently is critical to our success."

The two most powerful words in any language are "yes" and "no." They're often the first words we learn. They are powerful because they are clear.

"Words," Rudyard Kipling once said, "are the most powerful drugs used by mankind." I agree. And using the "right" words, the words that express exactly what we want to say, is the key to effective communication.

Words stir emotion and move people to action. People like Martin Luther King, John Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and Abraham Lincoln were not given to vague, sloppy language. They didn't use fluffy jargon. Their language was specific. It conveyed their convictions and their feelings.

The English language contains more words than any other—over 600,000. German, a distant second, has only about half that number. We certainly have no shortage of explicit words. And yet, we seem to lack precise, powerful, clear communication.

In the midst of the information age, and with all the tools we have to enhance communication, we still misunderstand one another far more than is necessary. We experience it all the time—the missed appointment, the job that needs to be redone, the hurt feelings—all because what was said was not clearly understood.

A number of studies have revealed that a person's vocabulary has more to do with income and position than almost anything else. It has been documented that presidents of companies have a better vocabulary than vice presidents and vice presidents have better vocabularies than mid-level managers. It seems to hold true right down the line. The ability to communicate well translates directly into income and responsibility.

One of the first steps we can take to improve our ability to communicate is simply to be clear on what it is we want to say. What result do we intend? What is the essence of what we want to communicate? It may seem ridiculous to offer this as a first step, but often we start to say something without being clear ourselves on what our intentions are.

Ambiguity and lazy language make poor use of our minds because our minds deal best with specifics. If you give yourself a specific objective and articulate it with precise words, the goal is already half accomplished.

There is something magical about a keen intention matched with clear communication. Perhaps they are the same thing.

I once heard someone say that if a man can't write his idea on the back of a business card, his idea isn't clearly enough defined. I think there's something to that.

It's true for organizations, also. An organi- zation with a clear purpose and unclouded objectives will never be mediocre. This clarity is the beginning of excellence.

It's rare for people to just say yes or no. We seem to need to qualify our responses to the point that we dilute and weaken our meanings. Try just saying yes or no without qualifying or explaining. It's not easy, but it's so powerful.

Most of us have had the thrill of finding the perfect word or words to say exactly what we want. We know how to do it, but we're lazy. We've formed bad habits. Good communication takes conscious effort. It takes intention. It takes practice. It is, however, worth it.

When you're about to start a meeting or begin a conversation with someone, ask yourself, "What do I want to say? What specific outcome do I want? How can I make myself easily understood?"

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