Have you ever tried to explain something at work and seen blank faces staring back at you? You're not alone. Many of my clients have told me about their frustration when colleagues don't understand them. It's no surprise; they often find themselves using long sentences and rarely used words.
One client complained that his team couldn't follow his instructions during a crucial project. He realized his choice of words and long-winded sentences were causing confusion. Another client, a manager, found that her subordinates were struggling to understand the company's new protocols because they were described in such complex language.
These stories highlight a common problem: the need for clear and simple communication. When we make things too complicated, it can lead to misunderstandings, mistakes, and even affect the overall success of a project or product.
When Is Simplifying Complex Concepts Most Crucial?
Employee Induction: A new recruit, possibly from another country, should grasp their role quickly. Clear language accelerates this process.
Product Launches: The marketing team, often dealing with diverse markets, should understand a product's USPs without linguistic challenges.
Stakeholder Meetings: Investors from different corners of the globe must understand why they should invest. Complexity can alienate; simplicity can persuade.
Patient Interactions: Whether through packaging, leaflets, or direct communication, patients need to comprehend dosage, side effects, and benefits of their medication. If they misunderstand, non-adherence or misuse can occur, risking their health.
Collaborative Research: In multinational pharma projects, researchers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds converge. Here, clarity ensures that findings and insights are seamlessly shared, promoting synergy and accelerating discoveries.
Regulatory Submissions: Regulatory bodies worldwide scrutinize drugs for safety and efficacy. Simplified and clear documentation aids faster reviews, potentially leading to quicker market access for crucial medications.
Training and Workshops: Pharma professionals often engage in continual learning. When trainers simplify complex research, new techniques, or compliance protocols, attendees absorb information more efficiently, ensuring they're updated with the latest industry standards.
Techniques to Break Down Complexity
Broad Overview First:
Simplifying Complex Concepts begins with offering a broad overview before delving into detailed specifics.
Before delving into the molecular structure of a new drug, begin with its primary purpose. "This is a pain relief medication." Only once this is clear should the intricate details follow.
Before diving into the statistical analysis, effect sizes, and confidence intervals of a trial, start with the general outcome. "Our latest clinical trial showed that our vaccine is effective in preventing the targeted disease in most cases."
Once this foundational point is understood, details about the trial's methodology, sample size, and specific results can be introduced.
Use Universally Understood Comparisons
Situation 1. Describing to new research recruits how antibodies work in our system.
Why Simplify: To provide them with a foundational understanding before introducing complex immunological processes.
Original: "Antibodies are proteins that can bind to specific molecules on pathogens, neutralizing them or marking them for destruction."
Simplified: "Imagine antibodies as the body's security guards. They recognize and 'tag' unwanted intruders, making it easier for our defense system to spot and deal with them."
Situation 2. Communicating to investors the reason for delays due to regulatory submissions.
Why Simplify: To make investors, who may not have a background in pharmaceuticals, understand the complexity and necessity of the regulatory process.
Original: "The review of our submission by regulatory bodies involves a detailed examination of our clinical, pre-clinical, and manufacturing data, causing delays."
Simplified: "Getting approval is like a thorough home inspection before buying. It takes time, but it ensures that everything is in order and meets all the necessary standards."
Situation 3. Describing to marketing the significance of proper labelling and packaging according to regulatory standards.
Why Simplify: To ensure the marketing team, who may not be familiar with regulatory constraints, understands the importance of accurate labelling.
Original: "Labeling must comply with regulatory guidelines concerning the information about indications, usage, warnings, and ingredients."
Simplified: "Labeling a product is like packing a suitcase for an international flight. Everything must be in its place, declared, and in line with rules to ensure a smooth journey through customs."
Situation 4. Explaining to junior staff the need for accurate and complete documentation in regulatory submissions.
Why Simplify: To stress the importance of detailed documentation without overwhelming with the legal and technical requirements.
Original: "Full documentation, including clinical trials, quality control, and pharmacovigilance, is vital for successful submission."
Simplified: "Imagine our documentation like building blocks for a tower. Each piece must be precise, or the entire structure could fall. Missing or incorrect information could cause our submission to fail."
Short, Direct Sentences
Situation 1. Writing an SOP for cleaning equipment in the lab.
Why Simplify: To ensure all technicians, regardless of their training background, can consistently clean the equipment to the required standard.
Original: "Prior to commencing the disinfection procedure, it's mandatory to pre-clean the equipment using a 70% isopropanol solution, subsequently ensuring all residues are thoroughly rinsed."
Shortened: "Before disinfecting, clean the equipment with a 70% isopropanol solution and rinse off any leftovers."
Situation 2. Creating a protocol for a new clinical trial.
Why Simplify: To ensure all participating centres, researchers, and even subjects understand the requirements.
Original: "During the double-blind phase of the trial, neither the clinical staff nor the participants should possess knowledge regarding the allocation of placebo or active treatment."
Shortened: "In the double-blind phase, neither doctors nor participants should know who is getting the placebo or the actual drug."
Situation 3. Writing a report on a drug's side effects post-market release.
Why Simplify: Clear communication ensures that stakeholders, from regulators to marketing teams, understand the findings.
Original: "Following the post-market surveillance, we have ascertained a correlation between the drug and elevated instances of non-serious gastrointestinal disturbances among a subset of the patient population."
Shortened: "After monitoring the drug post-release, we found that some patients experienced mild stomach issues."
Friendly Terms Over Jargon
Situation 1. Writing a report on a drug's side effects for healthcare providers.
Why Simplify: Doctors and nurses need to quickly understand potential risks to give the best care.
Original: "Post-administration of the drug, there's a documented occurrence of transient hepatic enzyme elevation in some patient subsets."
Shortened/Friendly: "After taking the medicine, some patients showed temporary liver changes."
Situation 2. Drafting an SOP for handling and disposal of hazardous materials in a lab.
Why Simplify: Lab technicians need to quickly and correctly comprehend safety procedures to prevent mishaps.
Original: "Upon completion of the experiment, any residual biohazardous waste must be decontaminated using the autoclave machine, followed by disposal in the biohazard-specific waste container."
Shortened/Friendly: "After your experiment, clean any leftover dangerous waste in the sterilizing machine and then put it in the special biohazard trash bin."
Situation 3. Writing a report on patient compliance during a clinical trial.
Why Simplify: The team assessing the trial's success needs to understand potential deviations from the protocol.
Original: "Throughout the trial's duration, we observed a noteworthy deviation in patient adherence, possibly due to the complexity of the dosing regimen."
Shortened/Friendly: "During the study, many patients didn't take their medicine as instructed, likely because the dosing steps were complex."
Situation 4. Drafting guidelines for reporting anomalies in drug manufacturing.
Why Simplify: Quick identification and resolution of issues depend on clear reporting from the manufacturing team.
Original: "In the event of a detected anomaly in the batch production, it is imperative that detailed documentation ensues, followed by an immediate escalation to the quality assurance department." Shortened/Friendly: "If you find something wrong with a drug batch, write down the details and tell the quality team right away."
Rely on Visuals
When explaining a drug's efficacy, a simple bar chart comparing it with competitors speaks volumes. Visuals need no translation.
In Conclusion:
Making things simple is not "dumbing down." It's shining a light on knowledge, making it bright and clear for everyone to see.
Whether we're speaking to a colleague, a patient, or the public, clear communication is the key.
When making our words more approachable, we make the world of pharmaceuticals more accessible to all.
Looking for a way to enhance your English communication skills?
Join our conversational club for pharma professionals to discuss this and other interesting topics.
