Micro Scope

The deeper you are into a particular topic, the more granular and detailed your observations are. This is a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because those little details matter when it comes to effective work and expertise within the topic. It’s a curse because that level of granularity is an insulation against effective communication.

If you pick a topic you’re an expert in and voice your most nuanced opinion, then people who aren’t in your world won’t know what the heck you’re talking about.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Find a person who knows nothing about your topic, but who is generally smart and friendly.
2. Remember that they are smart. This is important.
3. Tell them about your topic, and let them keep asking questions and requesting clarifications until they understand. Remember that they are smart – they’ll seem dumb to you. But that’s because you’ll be in your zone of genius, and not theirs. You’d seem equally dumb trying to understand their thing.
4. When they finally have a grasp of what you’re talking about, ask them to give you a summary. Check it for accuracy, but not detail. They’ll be missing nuance, of course. You just don’t want them to be totally wrong.
5. There, now that’s how you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t get it.

This is a vital process to master. If you can’t communicate outside of your tiny, tiny little bubble, then it becomes a tomb.