Tell the Time, Don’t Build the Clock

How to Overcome the Curse of Knowledge and Connect with Executives

There’s a habit many experts fall into. I know it well because I lived it.

It’s called the curse of knowledge—the tendency to over-explain once we know something deeply. We forget what it’s like not to know. So we share the whole story, thinking it adds value. But in doing so, we often lose the people we’re trying to reach, especially executive leaders.

They don’t need the process. They need the point. They don’t want the blueprint. They want to know what time it is.

I once watched a brilliant data architect miss her chance to shine. She had built a clean, scalable data platform. Executives from multiple teams were in the auditorium—her work could have opened doors across the organization.

However, instead of leading with outcomes, she delved deeply into the tech. Every step, every transformation, every config detail. From where I sat, it was like watching someone build a clock in real time, while the people in the room just wanted to know the time.

She was on the first floor. They were on the tenth. And the message never made it upstairs.

It brought back a familiar feeling. I made the same mistake in my early 20s. I thought being clear meant being thorough. But clarity is not the same as completeness. It took years, and my experience at Toastmasters, to shift my habits. To learn how to speak in a way that connects, not just informs.

Today, I approach communication differently. I’ve learned to tell the time. And if someone’s curious, I’ll gladly show them the clock behind it.

As Blaise Pascal said, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Simplicity takes effort. But it’s worth it.

Here are five ways to start:

❶ Start with the takeaway. Begin where most people end.
❷ Use simple language. Swap technical terms for plain ones.
❸ Lead with the impact. Talk outcomes, not inputs.
❹ Invite questions. Let the audience draw out details as needed.
❺ Study effective communication. Read Made to Stick by the Heath brothers—it’s a masterclass in clarity.

Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

Reflection question:
What’s one idea you can simplify this week to create more impact with less effort?