Grade Level Communication

In writing and publishing, there is the idea of “readability”. The “Flesch Readability Grade Level” calculation scores the level of readability of a piece of writing based on grade level. 

From Paul Smith’s Lead with a Story: “Long, complex sentences with bigger words result in a higher ‘grade level.’ But unlike a school exam, a high score here isn’t better. The score doesn’t reflect the intelligence of the ideas, just the complexity of the writing style. So a high score doesn’t mean you’re smart. It means you’re a bad writer.” 

He continues “. . . articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times typically score between grade level 8 and 10 on this scale. That’s about right for impactful, decisive business communication. Even popular fiction writers like John Grisham and Tom Clancy write around a 7 or 8 on this scale, which is one reason their books are such good reads . . . Unfortunately, many businesspeople write at a 12 to 15 on this scale, which is much too complex . . . It shouldn’t be a chore. Save their brainpower to think about the meaning and impact of your idea.” 

What would happen if we in Christian media adopted the same idea on the understandability of spiritual communication? Imagine a system where we keep the “intelligence of the ideas” but we work toward clarity of understanding with our words, images, ideas. And we use grade levels to do it. Deep meaning delivered with clarity. 

To paraphrase Paul Smith: “Long, complex sentences with narrowly understood words result in a higher ‘grade level.’ The score doesn’t reflect the profoundness of the ideas, just the complexity of the writing style. So a high score doesn’t mean you’re smart. It means you’re a bad Christian communicator . . . Unfortunately, many Christian communicators write at a 12 to 15 on this scale, which is much too complex. It shouldn’t be a chore. Save their brainpower to think about the meaning and impact of your idea.” 

At Finney Media, we help with this. We believe in profound spiritual meaning delivered with widely understood, heart-connective words and ideas. We’ve done research to better understand what is widely understood so that it’s not a chore and that we save their brainpower to think about the meaning and impact of your idea . . . and that they hopefully take a step in the direction of Jesus!    

This year at Thanksgiving, Tom Hanks will bring us the story of Fred Rogers—Mr. Rogers to most—in a movie called It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  The mark of Mr. Rogers was kindness—in words, in how he listened and in how he focused his attention. 

In our new book Wisdom for Effective Communication; The Little Book of Big Ideas, we have a chapter that zeros in on this Christian grace.  Especially during the holidays and especially in our raucous times, we thought it good to remind us all just what that means.  Here’s an excerpt from the chapter entitled ‘Use Kind Words”. 

Excerpt from Wisdom for Effective Communication; The Little Book of Big Ideas:  

Saying sweet nothings. Buttering up. Flattery. Is this affirmation? Well, at my firm, and in my personal life, I say no. 

Dictionary.com defines affirmation as: confirmation or ratification of the truth. 

Here’s my take on it: Affirmation is saying what is true and kind without a critical “but.” It’s speaking the truth in love. 

Flattery is stretching the truth. “You’re so good that you make everyone else look bad!” 

Criticism is a truth that is negative. “You should have taken more time with this project, and now it’s a mess.” 

But consider affirmation. There is always something to be recognized, something that says, “you matter” and “you are important.” 

“You did a remarkable job locating all the quotes.” 

“Your birthday says to me that God had a purpose for you to be here today.” 

“How is your little girl? I remember how well-behaved she is for a four-year-old.” 

Affirmation is a salve in a wounding, critical world. It creates a welcoming atmosphere and sets you up to have a better reception for whatever communication will be taking place.  

I didn’t naturally realize this, and I certainly wasn’t born with the inclination to affirm. But over the years I noticed things. And I learned. 

I’m still learning.  And this holiday time will be another practice session in kindness.  I invite you to join me. 

You can purchase Wisdom for Effective Communication; The Little Book of Big Ideas on AMAZON.

By Chuck Finney with Jan Shober, taken from a chapter titled “Not About You”      

Want a revolution in your communication? Ask people about themselves. Ask your partner, listener, friend, grandchild, or date about likes, wants, visions, or desires.  

This game-changing move will dramatically up your communication effectiveness. 

I remember my first date with my wife Lynda. I reeled off stories and chatter the entire time—all about myself. My hometown of Cincinnati, my sports teams, my radio history for goodness sake! What a bore! Lynda was unimpressed. She considered saying no to a second date. Who wants to be with someone who only cares to hear his own voice?    

Things have changed significantly for me since those fateful first days of dating. 

I landed at a station that was tuned into the listener—to win more listeners. The program director brought what was then a new concept to the station. He reminded the team, “Our difference is that we talk to listeners and play what they want.” At that time (this was pre-computer), research consisted of using the telephone book and calling folks to ask them if they would participate in a survey. People would then rate the music they liked. And, here’s the intriguing part: That music was different than what was on the national charts. Way different!  

You know what happened? Our station, an AM music station, beat a competing FM station for audience size. That never happens! But, we were listening to our listeners.      

Another talented friend worked with me in the early 90’s. When our station hired him from legendary News/Talk KMOX in St. Louis, one of the things I was aware of was that KMOX dominated radio listening in St. Louis. And, stations like that always do things the listener loves. But, we broadcasters have a hard time understanding some of these things if we aren’t from their market. I asked what one of those things was on KMOX. He told me I wasn’t going to believe him. “Y’know what they do that people love that would surprise you? The Lord’s Prayer! People go crazy over it being on the radio!”  

Pre-order your copy of “The Little Book of Big Ideas: Wisdom for Effective Communication” and get it to your Kindle when it’s released on November 12th.

Listen to this exclusive audio interview from author Chuck Finney:

Many secular communicators use Christian values in their storytelling. Think about Disney and Budweiser—dogs and horses and lately even stepdads!

They use Christian values such as love, peace, generosity. These values resonate with us because we might be storytelling toward a similar value.

What is their goal?  To sell tickets or in Budweiser’s case to sell beer. To get you to buy their product.

Christian story uses similar values or themes. But, our goal is very different. Our goal is to help our listener/viewer/reader take a step toward Jesus! We long to help a reader/viewer/listener think differently about their connection with Jesus.

We hopefully tell the story in a way that reaches people of varying levels of spiritual maturity, so that someone who is a devout believer could understand and want to follow Jesus more closely, in the same manner as someone who isn’t even in church right now.

Paul David Tripp is a Christian counselor and author. He tells the story in Instruments In The Redeemer’s Hands about a counseling session where the husband and wife sit down and she starts crying before he even finishes praying. Her angry husband is impatient.  They dive into the discussion and she starts talking about her story. The husband gets mad, jumps up and walks out. Heads to his car.

Paul prays with the wife and says, “I’m going to go track down your husband.”

Paul chases him out to the parking lot. He says, “I understand that you are angry and hurt and this is really hard. But, I’m going to go back in and rejoin your wife.”

As he’s walking in, he realizes that the husband is right behind him. The man says, “I can’t keep running away!”

Months later, after significant improvement in their relationship and their ability to talk to each other, the husband shares from his heart about that fateful day in the parking lot.

He says, “I don’t have any idea what you said that day. I only remember that you came after me!”*

Thank you, Lord, for this example of how we’re supposed to be with the people in our lives, with the people to whom we minister. Help us to reach others with stories that bring them closer to you!

*Story summarized from Paul Tripp’s book TITLE.Google Paul Tripp Marriage books and you’ll see the options.