Why smart people are often misunderstood, by Ruth Oji

I once watched a brilliant colleague present research findings to a group of stakeholders who had commissioned the work. She was articulate, precise, and thoroughly prepared. Her slides were models of clarity. Her argument was logically structured. She defined her terms carefully and supported every claim with evidence. Fifteen minutes into the presentation, I could see confusion spreading across the room. By the end, the stakeholders were nodding politely, but when they asked questions, i