Speak Plain Language, Not Riddles: Why Simple Communication Is Your Real Superpower

Authors: Angela Cleveland & Kayla Lord

Picture a big family dinner. The table is covered with your favorite foods: warm rolls, a bubbling green bean casserole, and a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. Every chair is taken, and the room is filled with the sound of laughter and clinking silverware. Then, your aunt leans in with the question that comes up every time you see her: “So…what do you do for work again?”

Do you say, “I solve mission-critical problems for our country with the latest AWS platforms and agentic coding.” Or, remembering that your aunt is a retired teacher, do you say, “I build custom software for the government?”

Option 1 will likely get you that polite, glazed-over smile, followed by a quick check on who needs a drink refill.

Option 2 will likely get you “Oh cool!” and a comfortable transition into the next topic.

In the tech world (and honestly, in almost every specialized industry), it can be easy to slip into technical jargon without even noticing it’s happening. A quick session to solve one problem turns into a session spent decoding all the riddles that came up along the way. Before we know it, we’ve created an escape room with no way out.

Nobody should have to problem-solve their way through what you’re trying to say. Plain language doesn’t mean dumbing things down. It means everyone in the room can follow along and collaborate effectively. 

The Jargon Shield

Tech has always moved fast. AI seems to have supercharged it. New frameworks, shiny tools, and industry terms pop up every day, and feeling like you are behind is normal. Sometimes we reach for jargon as a shield, to prove we belong. Imposter syndrome feeds on the tiny voice in our head whispering: If they suspect I’m not entirely following this conversation, I will lose all credibility.

Imposter syndrome thrives on the premise that only certain types of people belong at the table. If you are in the conversation, you have been invited to the table! And once you’re there, everyone at the table should be able to hear each other, even from opposite ends and from different perspectives.

When you drop the jargon and just say what you mean, you aren't showing weakness. You're giving everyone else in the room permission to take a deep breath and actually hear what you are saying rather than quietly worrying about what they are missing or don’t know.

Assumptions: The Sneaky Progress Killers

When we work across different disciplines—designers talking to developers, engineers talking to product managers, data scientists talking to sales—it is easy to forget that what’s obvious to us is a complete riddle to someone else.

Before you jump into a conversation or hit send on that message, take a quick mental pause and ask yourself:

1. What assumptions am I making about what this person knows?
2. Am I speaking plain human language, or am I serving up a word puzzle?

If your core point is hidden under three layers of technical specs, peel them back. Focus on the baseline: What problem are we fixing, why does it matter, and what do we need to do next?

Making It Safe to Say "Wait, What?"

If we want a culture where people speak plainly, we also need a culture where people feel safe raising a hand and saying:

"Hey, I actually have no idea what that technical term means. Can you break down the problem we’re trying to solve in plain language?"

Admitting you don't know something shouldn't feel like walking the plank. When team members (and especially leaders!) feel comfortable asking for clarity without fear of looking foolish, imposter syndrome loses its grip.

That comfort has a name: psychological safety. Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, who popularized the term, defines it as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” In practice, team members can say “I don’t understand” without worrying about how it makes them look. When Google studied 180 of its own teams to learn what made some more effective than others, psychological safety came out on top. In Google’s words, it “was by far the most important” of the five team dynamics they identified.

Anyone can help build psychological safety!

You can say:

• “I’m not very familiar with that term. Can you walk me through it?”
• When someone else asks a question: “Thanks for asking that. I’m sure you weren’t the only one wondering.”
• “Can you say that again in another way?”
• “What does that acronym stand for?”
• “Let me repeat back what I think I heard to make sure I’ve got it right.”

A Quick Reality Check on Active Listening

Asking for a plain-language breakdown is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for zoning out. If you were scrolling on your phone for ten minutes, this isn't an invitation to say, "Can someone recap everything in plain language for me?" A healthy team culture relies heavily on active listening. Psychological safety protects genuine learning gaps—it doesn't cover for multitasking through the entire meeting!

Plain Language > Riddles

True expertise isn't measured by how complex you can make something sound. It’s measured by how easily you can help someone else understand it.

The next time you're prepping for a presentation, writing documentation, or just hopping on a quick call, test your message against the family dinner standard. Ditch the riddles, speak plainly, and make it easy for people to work with you. The best answer at the dinner table is usually the simplest one. Turns out the same is true at work. Skip the riddles, say what you mean, and save your energy for the second helping.