The Art of Explanation

The Art of Explanation is the title of a book by Ros Atkins, BBC News’ Analysis Editor and creator of the BBC’s explainer videos (Ros Atkins on…)

Clients sometimes ask for reading recommendations and this is a book I would unreservedly recommend. Ros Atkins is a skilled communicator and a master of clear explanation. He has credibility on the topic because he has spent his career explaining complex and fast-moving news stories to an audience. He has honed his skills of explanation because he knows that the audience can switch him off and turn to their phones instead; he knows that being informative is not enough - he has to be engaging and relevant as well. 

Explanation is something we all do – and frequently when the stakes are high: 

• in an interview - why we are right for a job 

• in a meeting with a client - why they should accept our advice 

• when applying for funding - why the panel should grant our application. 

It’s often a form of persuasion.

The book merits a full read but for those of you who don’t have time, here are a couple of takeaways. In the section, “The Anatomy of a Good Explanation” Ross Atkins makes 10 points, all excellent, but I’m sharing 3. I’ve chosen these 3 because I’ve seen these points make a huge difference to the clarity and persuasiveness of an explanation:

• Essential Detail

• Context

• Clarity of Purpose

Essential Detail 

“Detail is good” writes Ros Atkins. Simplicity of language is helpful, but simplicity of content can sometimes leave us falling short. Detail for its own sake is not good. To be helpful, detail needs to be relevant.  

What is the essential detail required to make the point or argue the case? 

What does this audience need to know? 

If your content is relevant and helpful to your audience, they will pay attention. 

Non-essential detail blurs the picture and makes it harder for the essential detail to be communicated. It’s tempting to include detail we’ve researched or prepared, but if it’s not necessary, take it out. 

Context 

“Context is everything in explanation. Nothing in the human experience exists in a vacuum”. (Ros Atkins)

Context is key to understanding why something matters. It’s background, but it’s important background. It’s key to making people care. For example, if you take a faulty item back to a shop, it’s important background that you only bought the item last week and have used it once. If you are explaining a recommended course of action to a client, they are more likely to listen if they see that you have understood the context of their desired outcomes and financial circumstances. 

People tend to listen to what they think is important. 

Clarity of Purpose

“…if you’re not sure exactly what you’re trying to do or say, people tend to notice” (Ros Atkins). 

We’ve all been there and we’ll all be there again at some point. But if you’re in a situation where your explanation really counts, it’s important to know what you are trying to achieve – what exactly do you want people to know by the end of your explanation? What do you want them to decide - or accept?

Start with that end point and then go back to the beginning and work towards it. That way you’re less likely to include non-essential detail or irrelevant context. 

Lessons from the courtroom

When I was training advocates in trial preparation and courtroom advocacy, we used to encourage them (once they had read all the papers) to identify their “case theory” and write their closing speech first. What do you want to be able to say to the court at the end of the trial? Once you’ve worked that out, then prepare your questions to witnesses and submissions to the court. Otherwise, it’s like setting out on a journey without knowing the destination. 

You can apply this to any field of work. Identify your “case theory”: in a couple of sentences, why should you get the job? why should the panel grant you funding? etc. As you write your presentation, continually cross-check what you are writing against your “case theory”.  

In conclusion - not a word wasted: essential detail, relevant context and clarity of purpose. 

This is not easy – we are all learning all the time, but it’s rewarding when we communicate well with each other. Good luck!