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Simplify Language
Combatting misinformation with clarity
"Misinformation really is becoming a crisis. It’s becoming a crisis of trust. It can impact the safety of students." - Cathy Kedjidjian,...

Lee Shainis
Mar 201 min read
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Show me the data!
Many people take my Simplify Communication training because it impacts trust, access, and inclusion. Some are motivated by data around...

Lee Shainis
Mar 102 min read
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Slashes, acronyms, and more.
My previous newsletters explored big ideas, fear, and barriers. This one provides quick tips to make writing more readable and...

Lee Shainis
Feb 232 min read
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Communicating during times of fear or change
During times of change or conflict, we need to communicate in ways that minimize fear and distrust. Here are 4 examples of positive...

Lee Shainis
Feb 231 min read
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Why many people are not doing this work
The idea of simplifying communication isn't new, but many are talking about it for the first time. It's often called “plain language”,...

Lee Shainis
Jan 161 min read
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Choices
Do you want to use creative or humorous language in your newsletter that 90% of the audience will enjoy, but 10% won’t understand? Or...

Lee Shainis
Jan 121 min read
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Transform your presentations, trainings, and meetings.
I love leading trainings and presentations. I used to hate it, but now I have many proven tools I've learned from experience, feedback,...

Lee Shainis
Jan 91 min read
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Tips that might change your mission statement
Here are two tips that could change millions of mission statements 😂. 1. Use no more than 2 commas or 2 "and"s in a sentence that is 10...

Lee Shainis
Dec 11, 20241 min read
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Meal-snack-bite
How long do people spend reading a newsletter or email? Some want all the info and will spend 2-3 minutes. Most want only the essential...

Lee Shainis
Dec 9, 20241 min read
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Is ChatGPT going to take our jobs?
If you're not effectively using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and programs like ChatGPT or Gemini, you will be less effective and...

Lee Shainis
Nov 21, 20242 min read
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Permission to be simple
“My sisters and I are the first people in our family to have college educations. I had a founder I worked with once tell me that he did...

Lee Shainis
Nov 13, 20241 min read
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Why is it so difficult to simplify communication?
"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." - Mark Twain. You probably prefer a shorter version of...

Lee Shainis
Oct 30, 20242 min read
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Simplifying Builds Trust
Around 20 years ago, a friend who works at a financial institution said something about trust. He said “When people understand our...

Lee Shainis
Oct 23, 20241 min read
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Simplifying is essential for language justice and language access
It’s awesome that governments, schools, and other institutions are talking about language justice and language access. Many are...

Lee Shainis
Oct 17, 20242 min read
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How simplifying impacts data collection and data sharing
Data helps you to better understand your audience, make better decisions, and improve services. Sharing data effectively can generate...

Lee Shainis
Oct 11, 20241 min read
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Shift the Responsibility – Don’t ask “Do you understand?”
If I write something or say something and you don’t understand what I say or write, is that my fault or your fault? Who is responsible? ...

Lee Shainis
Oct 2, 20242 min read
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Being great at simplifying language requires 3 key things
Many people think using complex or unnecessarily long communication is a problem other people have. The truth is, few people have paid...

Lee Shainis
Sep 25, 20242 min read
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Two problems with the word “stakeholder”
I see the word “stakeholders” a lot. I want to make sure that you have more information to make conscious choices about using the word. ...

Lee Shainis
Sep 21, 20241 min read
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Fluffy or Brief?
We often make our written communication longer than it needs to be. When the goal of your communication is to inform your audience, most...

Lee Shainis
Sep 14, 20242 min read
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Years 1 and 2 at Simplify Language
Hello! My first two years with Simplify Language were amazing. I've learned so much, and I’m excited to share learnings and a short...

Lee Shainis
Sep 11, 20242 min read
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