Page 160 - The Voice of Authority

Translate Concepts Like “Vision,” “Strategy,”
and “Initiatives” to Specifics

If you’re writing or speaking to an audience larger than
one and using these vague terms, people are going to have
different tasks in mind for their next week’s to-do list. Vi-
sion in Asian corporations often refers to plans to be exe-
cuted 20 to 50 years into the future while vision in Amer-
ican companies may refer to next quarter.
It’s not just the lower-ranking employees you address
who’ll want more specifics. Political candidates receive as
much criticism for vagueness on implementing their cam-
paign promises as they do for their positions on contro-
versial issues. People demand the particulars.

Remember That Facts Aren’t Reasons—
Don’t Just Show a Scoreboard

Have you ever researched a “fact” on the Internet and
found contradictory data? For example:
What’s the literacy rate in the United States? According
to the United Nations Development Programme Report
2005, the U.S. literacy rate is 97 percent. The U.S. Depart-
ment of Education says it’s 90 percent. The latest National
Adult Literacy Survey in the United States reports it is be-
tween 77 and 79 percent.
How about holiday spending? Family Life Communica-
tions research firm says that the average U.S. household
spends $490 each year on Christmas gifts. The National
Retail Federation reports that the average consumer
spends $738 on holiday gifts. MOPS (Mothers of
Preschoolers) says that the average household spends over
$1,000 for gifts during the holidays.
The fact is that facts can be false, wrong, misleading, or

148 The Voice of Authority