Plain Language isn't just about words. It's about people and putting them at the center of what we do.
It's easy to get used to being on the "inside" of government. We speak a common language, use jargon as a shortcut, and we are familiar with how systems and government work. Navigating our processes seems easy, but for anyone on the "outside," it's a different story.
One of our first instincts when we're communicating should be to dismantle this inside-outside dynamic.
Remember what it was like to be new at something? In a recent plain language workshop, a participant said when she was first starting her professional training: "I thought I was stupid because everybody else was talking about things I didn't understand, but now I realize it wasn't me, it was them."
Every time someone comes to your agency for service, they're new. This is the moment when they'll either appreciate the way you make it easy for them to find what they need, or they'll be frustrated when they can't.
How do we put people at the center?
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Walk a mile in their shoes. Put yourself in their place.
To use empathy effectively:
Forget what you "know" and approach the situation with a beginner's mind. Your jargon and familiar terms are part of the inside-outside wall. Use common terms.
Focus on what's most important to them in the situation. Your internal reasoning or justifications are not top of their mind - the need that brought them to you in the first place is what they're focused on. Give them that information first.
If you're sending a memo about a change that will apply to employees if they meet a certain criteria, put that information at the top of the memo, not the bottom.
Put their needs at the center, not what you think they need to know.
How do you know you're doing this well? Ask.
Usability Testing
Even with the best intentions, it's difficult to know when we're in sync with our constituents unless we ask them.
Usability testing can begin with some simple tests. Have someone who isn't familiar with the content - a co-worker or someone who might use the service you're working on - talk you through their experience using your document.
If you're revising an application form, have someone fill it out, sharing their questions or "I'm not sure what to do here" thoughts as they go. If they do something you didn't expect, ask why.
This can also work with websites. If you're updating information about permits, for instance, ask a builder or contractor and a homeowner to sit down in front of your test site and try to find what they need. It's surprising to see where someone thinks we put information compared to where we think they'll look for it.
We tend to present information in ways that reflect our organizational chart (we know that this function is part of that department, so we put it on their department page). But would you expect someone who needs a stormwater document for their building permit to instinctively know that your stormwater division is in your public works department, not planning?
It's easy to slip into thinking that your user needs to "just learn" how to use your information. That's backwards. Usability testing shows you how to match your content to your users thinking.
Usability testing can be extensive and extremely helpful on large scale projects - and professional help can be invaluable - but don't overlook the opportunity to get a second set of eyes on anything you produce.
If we can keep these two ideas in mind as we communicate - empathy and usability - we're on our way to reducing barriers and putting the people we serve at the center, where they belong.
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