This was originally posted 7 years ago. Opinions, facts and reality may have changed.
I’m aware enough of myself to know there are some lines I use again and again. Though, having that knowledge doesn’t appear to be enough to stop me using them. Though it’s not always a bad thing.
One of my favourite is “it’s not rocket science”. A wonderful phrase and (almost) the title of one of my favourite work-related books.
In a new business meeting last week, I caught myself using it three or four times when outlining my take on how I’d fix particular marketing problems they were having.
I wasn’t suggesting that the solution was so simple, anybody could see it – that runs the risk of being insulting. I was refining a seemingly-complicated issue down to its constituent parts, and then outlining a broad strategy to achieve agreed aims. Demonstrating my understanding in clear, plain, easily-understood English.
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” – Albert Einstein
Sometimes it’s just not rocket science.