Beyond Clarity

Mike McCurry, an old friend who Wiki reports as Bill Clinton’s former press secretary — and history records as one of the best to ever hold down the podium — doesn’t call bullshit on me.

At least, not exactly.

But after sharing recent thoughts on the subject of clarity and how it’s “currency” in an attention-is-everything economy, he was interested enough to gin up the kind of perspective-expanding viewpoint that comes from someone who’s been there, done that, and been damned impressive along the way.

In brief, his take is that clarity is just one part of the picture. “My standard,” he writes, “revolves around 5C’s”: Credibility (“maintaining a reputation as the straight shooter”), Candor (“admitting when you’re wrong”), Clarity (“knowing what you’re saying and keeping it simple”), Compassion (“knowing your audience and where they are in the conversation”), and, Commitment (“saying it over and over until the message sinks in”).

“It ain’t brain science,” he annotates, “but (it can be) profound.” Which is hard to gainsay, particularly coming from someone who’s practiced this highly specialized art form at the highest and most intense levels.

Of course, not every organization that needs to navigate public minefields will find itself in the rarefied glare of that white-hot spotlight. But I think his list makes hella good sense, as long as you apply it in the context of the problem to be solved.

For example, while those of us who are more on the brand narrative side of public affairs might use different words — “reasons to believe” for credibility; “authenticity” for candor — the need to be crystal clear in strategy, tactics, audience empathy, and delivery — seems unarguable.

International or hyperlocal: the fundamentals are the same. 

Agree?