How to Kiss

I have worked as a Consultant and Business Analyst for many years. When providing training for junior Business Analysts the one misconception which becomes apparent with almost all newcomers to the industry (and unfortunately many experienced Business Analysts) is that the belief exists that ‘complicated is good’. It’s not just with Business Analysts that this weird ‘syndrome’ exists but with many professions.

The Plain English Campaign in the U.K. has set an excellent example and has gained great momentum in getting otherwise complicated jargon filled text (often consumer related contracts) to be written in, well, plain English. The underlying principle is simple; Keep it Simple and Straightforward (KISS).

So, here are a five tips to enable better business communication (both within organizations and with customers) :

1. Use Plain and simple language that everyone will understand.
2. Don’t use abbreviations unless absolutely necessary.
3. Don’t use acronyms unless you have to.
4. Demonstrate concepts with examples.
5. Examples should be simple to understand (use common activities that all the audience perform as the example).

The basics are the foundations of business! Professionals KISS and so should all of us.