We are told constantly that communication must be simple. The mantra "Keep It Simple Stupid" is repeated in every corporate style guide and training session. But for any leader managing a complex system, simplicity is often a liability dressed up as a virtue. It is the cheapest and fastest way to write a message, but it rarely delivers the necessary context.
Simplicity is the act of subtraction: taking a complex idea and reducing it to its minimum word count. Clarity, however, is the act of strategic inclusion: delivering the nuance, context, and the reason people need to do it.
The push towards simplicity usually sacrifices the "why." Communicators cut out context just to make the message feel shorter, which creates a dangerous vacuum. Employees receive instructions but lack understanding of their purpose, timeline, or impact on the rest of the organization. This forces them to fill in the blanks with assumptions, which quickly leads to people interpreting things differently and slows everyone down.
A message that is too simple may be instantly understood but incorrectly applied. A message that is clear may take an extra thirty seconds to process, but it ensures alignment and prevents costly errors down the line. We should not be aiming for the lowest possible reading level; we should be aiming for the highest possible level of correct execution.
Effective leaders understand that they need their teams to be competent, not just comfortable. Stop asking if your message is simple enough to skim, start demanding that it is clear enough to use.
The goal is not for people to read your message quickly; the goal is for them to act on it correctly.
