How do you explain a risk without making it sound certain or negligible?
A serious consequence can be unlikely, and a common event can have a small consequence. Describing a hypothetical risk therefore needs more than a word such as high or low. The people affected, the time period, the likelihood, and the possible harm each add a different part of the meaning.
Questions you could explore
- What changes if the time frame changes?
- Would two listeners interpret the same verbal probability in the same way?
Start reading
- Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide
Separates the nature and consequences of a risk from its likelihood, and emphasizes clear numbers and time frames.
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