Clear Writing, Better Executive Decisions
Pop quiz: If you had 30 seconds in an elevator with your CEO or department head, could you explain why your next big project deserves funding—without using vague phrases or jargon? If you hesitated, you're not alone. Most leaders can describe their end goal, but making your whole pitch in clear, simple language? That's where the real challenge begins.
A dangerous myth keeps floating around boardrooms and Teams chats that executive-level writing must be complex, formal, and packed with fancy words to get the job done. Here's what research tells us about how people, including highly educated professionals, actually process written information:
72% of readers preferred plain language in corporate disclosure documents
64% felt plain language text was well-written (compared to traditional complex versions)
60% read and understood a 100-word paragraph in less than 30 seconds—almost twice as fast as the non-plain language version
A separate study found that technical experts prefer concise, easy-to-scan content when searching for work-related information online.
In this post, I describe:
How clear writing improves decisions
Why smart people still use clunky phrases and jargon, and
Who gave some of the best advice I’ve heard on using plain language in business writing.
I also leave you with a challenge to improve your communication, as well as a link to more resources.
When "It Was Decided" Became the Pause Button
I once worked with a senior executive who insisted on understanding the “why” behind recommendations from her team. Whenever she saw the phrase, "It was decided that..." she would return the document with giant notes: "Who? Who decided this?"
We saw this frequently in proposals for new regulations. For example: "It was decided that the appropriate safety limit is XYZ." Sounds official and well-intentioned, right? The team said they were told to write this way because they were submitting a formal request. But the executive insisted on knowing who made decisions, based on what information.
When we dug deeper, we often discovered the "decisions" were actually internal recommendations by subject matter experts and still needed further vetting. We also found important angles (issues outside the scope of those specific experts) had not been considered.
The executive’s persistence in getting clear answers improved more than the writing — it improved accountability. Once the team knew she would call out vague phrases, people started asking more questions before sending their proposals for approval, and the analysis was more complete. They identified (and abandoned) weak proposals sooner, and their recommendations got approved faster. Not hiding behind passive language created a more accurate record of who decided what and why, and it helped senior leaders make better decisions.
Why People Write Like This (And Why It Backfires)
I have worked with dozens of people, including folks with PhDs in subjects I can barely pronounce, who have forgotten more than I could hope to know about their specialties. Most learned to write in academic environments that favour impersonal, cautious language that accounts for scientific uncertainty. This approach works well for a thesis that will be scrutinized by a scholarly committee. It works less well for convincing busy executives to support your funding request or policy proposal.
This style of writing took hold in the corporate world because it sounds intellectual — people get to show how much they know. Subject matter experts tell me their work is too technical to simplify. Policy and program teams tell me, “It’s okay, the people who read it understand the issues.” Unfortunately, content like this reflects what the writer wants to say, not what matters to their readers. In the moment, it feels easier because saying things simply is hard work. But clunky language can be a sign that writers are “thinking on the page” and still need to clarify their message. In the long run, that slows your progress.
Even so, I have watched oodles of smart people write long documents with dense explanations and awkward sentences. They outline multiple scenarios with pros and cons, then team leaders provide a recommendation. The last page includes space for a signature, where a senior executive can sign if they agree. Simple enough — if you’re comfortable making decisions without clearly seeing how the dots connect from A to B.
Team leaders tell me they share all the information so decision-makers can make a decision. But is that really true, or have the teams just offloaded responsibility for understanding the issues to someone else? Those same team leaders also tell me how frustrated they get when their proposals stall.
How Warren Buffett Set the Gold Standard
Legendary investor Warren Buffett shared “one unoriginal but useful tip” for effective communication in the preface to A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents, a guide for companies that submit documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission:
“Write with a specific person in mind. When writing Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report, I pretend that I’m talking to my sisters. I have no trouble picturing them: Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English, but jargon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed. To succeed, I don’t need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sincere desire to inform. No siblings to write to? Borrow mine: Just begin with “Dear Doris and Bertie.”
If one of the world's most successful business leaders can explain billions of dollars in assets and complex market dynamics in plain language, what's stopping the rest of us?
The Bottom Line
Complex writing isn't a sign of sophisticated thinking or a worthy initiative. It's often a sign of writing habits that don't translate to business, unclear thinking, or simply not taking the time to consider what your reader actually needs.
The most successful leaders communicate with clarity, and they respect their readers' time by doing the hard work of clear thinking before they start writing.
Stop hiding behind complexity. Start saying what you mean.
For the next week, look at every email, memo, or document before you share it. Find one complex word or phrase and try replacing it with something simpler. Pay special attention to passive phrases like, "It was decided that..." or "Mistakes were made." Ask yourself: Who decided? Who made mistakes? Then rewrite it clearly. Replace industry jargon with simpler words that are easier to read.
And if you’re up for it, try taking Warren Buffett’s advice. Your readers will thank you for it.
Need more tips on how to revise a complex document? Download my free e-book “How to Say What You Mean: A Guide on Using Plain Language to Improve Executive Communications.”