3 Communication Strategies Learned From Meteorologists

I've always thought that being a Meteorologist/weather-woman would be a great job.  What other job do you know of that won't damn you for making a wrong forecast or won't hold you accountable? 

Meteorologists have a wonderful skill in ambiguous language.  What is the difference between

Partly Sunny and Partly Cloudy?

How do you really measure a percentage for a chance of rain?  

And what's with a temperature range of "somewhere in the 60's"?

Doppler radar has certainly made us all more knowledgeable about weather patterns, however, it doesn't take an advanced degree to figure out that the dark green shadow over my city means bad weather.  It's  happening.  I can see it out my window. 

All kidding aside, we can learn a lot from this occupation and how they communicate.  We all need to learn a little CYA.

Lessons learned from a Meteorologist:

1. Don't over-commit
   Never promise something you can't deliver or know can't be delivered.
2. Do your research
   Know what previous patterns have been.  At least you'll be able to speak with accurate historical data.
   
3. Leave yourself wiggle room
   Speaking in generalities can often prevent backlash. 

While these lessons work for a meteorologist, I realize they won't work for every occupation.  Use at your own risk.