What happened to the words YES, NO, I DON’T KNOW – that they are becoming less and less common in discussions of all kinds?
How not to communicate?
I must admit, this has gone too far. Every radio interview I’ve listened to recently sounds something like this:
Question: Do you think the situation will develop in this direction?
Answer: First and foremost, we need to understand…
Another conversation:
Question: Do you agree that this would be a good solution?
Answer: I think we should focus more on something else…
Yet another discussion:
Question: Does it make sense to do this now?
Answer: There are many factors we need to consider…
And so on and so forth.
What’s the end result? A lack of clear messaging—just chaos, empty words, and talking for the sake of talking.
How to answer closed-ended questions?
A crucial appeal to everyone who is asked closed-ended questions:
Answer directly and in line with the structure of the question itself.
Especially if you’re asked such questions during a public interview. If you are invited as an expert, act like one.
It’s a really simple rule: If someone asks us a closed-ended question, let’s be polite and try to respond directly:
YES (or rather yes)
NO (or rather no)
I DON’T KNOW
This will save listeners a lot of time. And it will make us sound like real experts.
The Essence of Simple Communication
Start with a clear statement, then move on to details. Don’t begin with unnecessary background or excessive introductions.
Listeners, interlocutors, and audiences expect specifics right from the first sentence. Don’t make them wait—because the longer they wait for a concrete answer, the less they trust us.
I talked about simple communication in my TEDx talk HERE. And HERE you can check out our training on effective and simple communication.