Clear with AI. Vague with People. Time to Fix That
We’ve learned to speak clearly to AI—but we still struggle to do the same with people. That’s a leadership gap. And it’s costing time, clarity, and trust.We’ve learned to speak clearly to AI—but we still struggle to do the same with people. That’s a leadership gap. And it’s costing time, clarity, and trust.
We’ve Trained Ourselves to Be Clear—With Machines
We’ve gotten used to giving AI tools exact instructions. Whether it’s writing an email, pulling a report, or scheduling a meeting, we know vague prompts don’t work. So we slow down. We define what we want. And we’re deliberate with our words.
Think about how you speak to a machine:
- “Summarize this document in 3 bullet points for an executive audience.”
- “Create a bar chart showing Q2 revenue by department, excluding Product.”
- “Schedule a 30-minute Zoom meeting next Tuesday at 10 AM with Ana and Maribel about the marketing launch.”
You’re clear about the outcome, format, and context—because you know ambiguity leads to the wrong result.
You’ve trained yourself to give clean, structured input. Because AI requires it.
That behavior shift shows we can be clear. The question is: why don’t we apply the same clarity with each other?
But With People, We Still Default to Fuzziness
When we speak to colleagues or teams, we often go back to soft phrasing and incomplete direction. We say things like:
- “Let’s clean this up.”
- “We should probably follow up.”
- “This needs some work.”
We assume people know what we mean. We want to sound collaborative, not too directive. But that’s a false kindness—because vague direction wastes time, leads to rework, and frustrates even the most capable team members.
Why Clarity Feels Easier With AI Than With People
With AI, we don’t expect it to “read between the lines.” We know it won’t understand nuance unless we spell things out. So we adapt our communication.
But with people, we assume shared understanding. We assume they’ll ask if something’s unclear. But in fast-paced, hybrid, and cross-functional work, that rarely happens. People are juggling noise, switching contexts, and guessing your intent.
Even great teams can’t act on foggy input.
People Deserve the Same Clarity as Systems
Your team isn’t made of machines—but they still benefit from structured direction. Being clear isn’t controlling; it’s empowering. It creates alignment, autonomy, and accountability.
You don’t need to “talk like a robot.” You just need to respect that precision helps humans just as much as it helps machines.
What Vague vs. Clear Looks Like
Here’s what it looks like when leaders move from fuzzy to focused communication:
| Vague Instruction | Clear Direction |
|---|---|
| “Let’s improve this deck.” | “Please reduce this to 8 slides, simplify slide 3, and add one on customer feedback.” |
| “Someone should follow up.” | “Luis, can you email the client by Friday with the revised timeline?” |
| “Loop in Legal.” | “Please share this draft with Legal by Thursday so they can review the terms in Section 2.” |
| “This needs more detail.” | “Add two sentences explaining the Product impact and why this is urgent.” |
These aren’t radical shifts. They’re minor edits that make a big difference.
A Strategic Framework for Clear Communication
Before you send a message, assign a task, or give feedback, run it through this checklist. Think of it as your leadership-level prompt structure:
1. Intent – Why are we doing this?
Link the task to a goal, risk, or decision.
2. Action – What needs to happen?
Describe the task clearly. Don’t just hint at the topic.
3. Ownership – Who’s responsible?
Assign one accountable person to avoid diffusion.
4. Deadline – By when?
Set a clear timeline—even if it’s rough.
5. Success Criteria – What does “done” look like?
Clarify format, audience, or review steps.
Example:
“Luis, please condense this report to 2 pages, focus on Q3 insights, and send it to Product by Friday 3 PM. We’ll use it Monday to make roadmap decisions.”
This message takes 15 seconds longer to write—but saves hours of back-and-forth.
A Simple Framework for Clarity—For AI and People
You’re already using a framework with AI—you just didn’t label it. Every time you give AI a prompt, you naturally clarify:
| AI Prompt Element | Human Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Define the output format | “Can you write this as an email?” → Action & Success Criteria |
| Set the context | “This is for a client presentation.” → Intent |
| Give constraints | “Keep it under 200 words.” → Success Criteria |
| Set time-based expectations | “Generate this based on Q3 data.” → Deadline or Scope |
| Clarify tone or audience | “Write this in a formal tone.” → Intent & Success Criteria |
Now apply the same clarity to how you lead:
- Tell people what you need.
- Explain why it matters.
- Define what good looks like.
- Set timing and ownership.
You already know how to prompt well. Just bring that same discipline into every conversation and request.
Final Thought: Clarity Is a Leadership Multiplier
Here’s the paradox: AI was supposed to learn from us—but we’ve ended up learning from it. One of the most useful things it’s taught us? That clarity drives performance.
Machines require it. But people deserve it.
When you communicate clearly, you:
- Eliminate unnecessary friction
- Create faster execution
- Reduce cognitive load
- Build trust and ownership
Clear input = clean output.
For AI. And for people.
Leaders who master this don’t just get better results—they create better teams.
Call to Action
Make your next message 10% clearer.
Before you hit send, ask:
- Is it actionable?
- Did I define who, what, and by when?
- Did I explain what “done” looks like?
You’ve already learned how to prompt AI.
Now use that same skill where it matters most—your team.
Because clear communication isn’t just smart. It’s modern leadership.
Start today.