I Start Explaining, and People Switch Off

From Huh? — 10 Times Your Message Gets Lost at Work—and How to Get It Across

David needs to know whether a planned launch can still go ahead.

Maya knows the answer. She also knows about a supplier issue, a testing concern, a reporting change and the support team’s preparations. She wants David to understand that her team has thought it through.

So when he asks, “Can we still launch on the planned date?”, she starts explaining how they got here.

David listens for a moment, then asks again: “Sorry, Maya. Has the launch date changed?”

This is a fictional exchange, but the moment is familiar. You know your subject. You’re giving accurate information. Yet the other person still cannot find the answer they came for.

Why more detail can make things worse

When someone looks confused, a natural response is to explain more. Perhaps the missing detail will make everything click.

Sometimes it does. But if the listener cannot tell where your explanation is going, another fact gives them one more thing to hold in mind. They are still waiting to learn which facts matter to their question.

Maya’s supplier history is relevant to the project. David may need it later. Right now, he needs three things: Can we keep the date? What is the condition? What decision must I make?

The order in which Maya discovered the problem is different from the order in which David needs to understand it. She worked from the testing issue towards a solution. David needs to hear the solution first so he can make sense of the details that follow.

Treat a repeated question as useful information

David’s second question tells Maya exactly where the connection has broken. He is not asking for a fuller supplier history. He is asking about the date.

At this point, Maya can pause and answer him directly:

“Yes, we can keep the date if you approve a staged release today. One component would follow later. The main risk is extra support requests in the first week, and we have a plan for those.”

Now David has a clear picture. The date is possible, there is a condition, and there is a risk to consider. He can ask for the supporting detail he needs before deciding.

Notice that Maya has not hidden the problem or reduced it to a misleading “yes”. Her answer is brief because she has selected and ordered the information David needs first.

Give the listener a destination and a route

Before answering a workplace question, take a moment to work out where the listener needs to arrive.

What are they trying to understand or decide? What must they know before they can do that? Which details can wait until they ask?

Then make the route audible. In Maya’s case, it might sound like this:

• Answer: “We can keep the launch date.”
• Condition: “We need your approval for a staged release today.”
• Risk: “One component will follow later, and support requests may rise in the first week.”
• Next step: “Would you like me to take you through that risk before you decide?”

That order fits this conversation. It is not a rule that every explanation must be short or follow four steps. A different listener might need background first. The skill is recognising what this listener needs and showing how each part of your answer connects.

And if you realise you have taken a detour, you can simply say, “Let me come back to your question.” That sounds natural because it is: people adjust their explanations in real conversations.

The next time someone repeats a question you believe you have already answered, resist the urge to start your explanation again. Listen to what they asked a second time. It may tell you precisely which part of your answer they could not find.