Picture this: Two passionate table tennis players, Alex and Janet, are practicing in the the office recreation room, completely absorbed in discussing their technique and equipment. In the adjacent room, Sarah, a new office employee, is completely unaware of the context of their conversation.
Alex (adjusting his paddle): “I’m having trouble with these loose balls lately. I think it’s because of my inverted rubber – it’s not giving me the grip I need.”
Janet: “Have you tried the long pimples? They take some getting used to, but the control is amazing.”
Sarah’s eyes widen as she continues to listen through the wall.
Alex: “Love-all! Let’s work on that soft upward brushing technique you showed me. I need to master that light touch.”
Janet: “The key is reduced friction. You’re going too early – that’s why you’re not being able to finish properly.”
Sarah nearly drops her coffee.
Alex: “What about thickness (of the sponge)? Does it really make that much difference?”
Janet: “Oh absolutely! Listen to the contact when I do this. It’s all about pushing through and getting a rhythm.”
This humorous scenario illustrates a crucial point about technical communication. While these terms are perfectly legitimate in table tennis – describing everything from equipment specifications to game play techniques – they can be hilariously misinterpreted when overheard without context.
This scenario perfectly demonstrates why we need to be mindful of our technical vocabulary when communicating with clients or those outside our field.
Just as our table tennis players unknowingly created an awkward situation with their specialised terminology, professionals in any field can accidentally create confusion by using industry- or task-specific jargon.
The Moral Of The Story
The key to effective communication lies in simplifying our syntax and vocabulary when speaking with those outside our technical sphere. This doesn’t mean dumbing down the content, but rather using plain language over technical terms whenever possible.
Providing clear context for specialised terminology to avoid potential double meanings or misinterpretations means adapting our communication style to our audience.
While technical terminology is crucial for precise communication within your field, it’s equally important to be able to translate that knowledge into accessible language for others. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a situation as awkward as our table tennis players – completely oblivious to how their technical discussion might actually come across.
And as for Sarah? She never looked at the office ping pong table the same way again.
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