The Art of Saying Just Enough
Make Every Message Clear, Short, and Useful
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw
There is an art to writing with brevity and completeness.
It’s easy to spot when this ideal is distant, it’s the audible sigh you let slip when Greg’s latest manifesto hits your inbox, and you bravely set out on a lengthy expedition to find the point.
Conversely, there are the bullet-point Bills. These brave souls are really, really busy — their hastily swipe-typed reply should be adequate to kick-start your mind-reading powers, but to their eternal chagrin, you’re always determined to start a lengthy back-and-forth!
The Questions
To avoid either extreme, keep these questions in mind:
Do I really need to share this idea?
Do I have a strong “theory of mind” for my audience? Will they find this message simple and informative?
Am I respecting my audience’s time?
Often the email or slack message is completely superfluous, if so: stop.
Ask yourself, if I were in the recipient’s position would this message make me feel informed and empowered or stressed and confused?
Write with an ‘inverted pyramid’ style. This allows the reader to stop at any point & still be better informed. It also has the bonus of naturally catering to audiences with different context levels.
