Why You Struggle To Explain What You Do (Or How You Do It)

Read time: 2 minutes

Let’s journey back to the beginning — a time when you eagerly embraced problem-solving with a hunger to prove your worth.

You had a voracious appetite for learning and a keen awareness of every morsel of knowledge you absorbed.

The beauty of the beginner's mind is remarkable.

However, the beginner’s mind quickly becomes the curse of knowledge.

With every new inch of mastery for your craft, you begin to lose sight of how to articulate your expertise (and the value you provide). Your brain forgets not everyone possesses your depth of understanding — and you struggle to explain what you do or how you do it.

Why does this matter?

Because greatness lies in operating at the highest level while communicating at a much lower level.

If you cannot communicate what you do or how you do it, your opportunities (to demonstrate your operating power) shrink.

I recently grappled with this when asked (a variation of) the following question, “How do you do (what you do)?”

I turned a simple question into a messy monologue. So this is me thinking in writing — sharing a simple framework for effective problem-solving so you can use it the next time someone asks you.

As a problem-solver, you engage in four core activities (sometimes only three, depending on your service):

• Analysis

• Strategy

• Planning

• Execution

Analysis is about finding the dots

It’s the process of searching for information.

• Crafting patterns

• Developing reasoning

• Uncovering truths and untruths

This exercise looks backward, relying on facts and instances.

Strategy is about connecting the dots

It’s the process of aligning actions with objectives.

• Synthesizing the information

• Playing with different scenarios

• Bridging the gap between here and there

I like to say, "Strategy is the art of making decisions" — which requires a big-picture lens.

Planning is about organizing the dots

It entails sequencing actions to achieve the objective.

• Allocating resources

• Installing checkpoints and pivots

• Determining performance indicators

It’s more about filtering out what not to do.

Execution is about filling in the dots

Look…you're familiar with execution, so let me share an overlooked aspect instead of describing it.

Most people don’t realize how different planning and execution are. You cannot do them at the same time. It’s not like walking and chewing gum — it’s like holding two conversations simultaneously. You can’t do either with any effectiveness.

Analysis, strategy, and planning require a different mindset from execution — so do them separately.

While this may seem overly simplistic — awareness and simplicity combat the curse of knowledge.

Simple is smart.

This is a small gift to you — use this as a foundational framework to articulate your expertise. Align yourself with your audience or clients to communicate what, how, and why you do what you do (in their language).

Thank you for reading.

If you find this impactful, please share it with a fellow obsessive-brained, hyper-ambitious business owner who would benefit from it.

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Welcome to Impact Thinking.

Hi, I’m Peter. I quit my highly-regarded, 6-figure job at Harvard to build a strategy consulting company in 2019.

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