Carney, El-Sayed: Seeking clarity on either side of the Gordie Howe bridge

On both sides of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ont., to Detroit, Mich., politicians are acknowledging the importance of clarity. (Courtesy of Gordie Howe International Bridge)

I’m a big believer in clear communication. I think we all know the feeling of not being totally sure we understand what someone is saying to us. The facial expression I make when this happens includes a squinting right eye, slight turn of the head to the left and a pursing of lips. It’s an expression that implies that I can hear the words you’re saying but am not convinced that I fully grasp the overall meaning.

The problem with a lack of clarity is that it clouds our understanding and weakens our trust. In some cases, it reduces self-confidence, too. If we’re confident, we’ll ask follow-up questions to seek clarification. If we’re not, we shut down just a little, lose interest and disconnect.

Clarity, on the other hand, empowers audiences. It gives the information they need, in a way they understand, to make educated decisions about issues that may impact them or their lives.

Clarity is also good for organizations. It ensures they are delivering the information their audience needs in a way that, hopefully, encourages that audience to take the decision the organization wants them to: buy more, buy again, say yes, vote in favour.

So it was interesting to see the issue of clarity come up in two different ways in recent weeks.

Clarity 1: Carney’s Gordie Howe bridge explainer

The first regards the Gordie Howe International Bridge, linking Canada and the U.S. via Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich. On July 11, while at the Calgary Stampede, Prime Minister Mark Carney described the revenues of the two countries this way:

“We are sharing after Canada gets back. So we get the revenues, then the servicing of the cost of the bridge and paying the debt of the bridge. Then what’s left over, there’s a split of that for 15 years. … So it’s a good deal for Canada and what’s really good is getting the bridge done on time, on budget and to build it out together.”

Pay attention to that word “after.”

On July 21, the proposed agreement in principle between the U.S. and Canada was posted on the bridge’s website. That agreement indicated Canada would contribute 50 per cent of net bridge- and crossing-related revenues for the 15 fiscal years of bridge operations.

Hmm.

Two days later, at a press conference, Carney was noticeably taken aback — startled? insulted? — when a reporter from CTV asked if his earlier characterization was “a lie, or are you downplaying your concessions to [U.S. President Donald] Trump?”

(Note to media training participants: This is one of those non-choice questions, in which the options presented are not necessarily accurate. Remember that you are under no obligation to accept the options. Block and bridge!)

“Let’s be clear about what the deal is and isn’t with regards to the bridge. And the first thing is: this is a good deal,” Carney said. After explaining the discrepancy between his answer and the agreement in principle, he then acknowledged that he “should have been clearer” and asked, “Could I have explained it better on a Sunday morning at Stampede with a cowboy hat on? Yes.”

That’s one point for clarity.

Clarity 2: El-Sayed’s campaign success

Coincidentally, the second important mention of clarity comes from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the winner of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. On August 7, just days after the win, he told the New York Times his campaign was unique because of “Coherence. I want to make sure that when somebody touches our campaign — in any way they touch us — that our message is clear, it’s concise and it’s consistent.”

“I can walk into almost any room, and I can say: ‘Money out of?’ and everybody’s like: ‘Politics,’” he added. “‘Money in your?’ ‘Pocket.’ ‘Medicare for?’ ‘All.’ People know what we’re about.”

That’s another point for clarity. Final score: Clarity: 2. Confusion: 0. And notice that clarity works better when it’s embedded from the beginning, rather than tacked on after the fact.

I started Willowtree Communications precisely to bring greater clarity to communications, both in what people say and how they say it.

Clarity is critical. It’s good for leaders and organizations and it’s good for audiences. And I don’t need to scrunch my right eye up. Everybody wins.