In thinking
more about brevity, I realized I spoke (typed) too quickly when I said:
…brevity is
difficult to use as a guide for change (real implementation)…
If you are
hoping to inspire action you’ll need to offer your idea in context
and with substance.
I don’t think that’s
entirely true.
Some things are very brief…
Guy
Kawasaki loves mantras (as
opposed to their cousin the longer, often vague and directionless, mission
statement).
Guy’s own
mantra says it all in two words: Empower entrepreneurs.
It tells you what he
does.
It isn’t directing us on how
to do it (or even how he does it), but it gives use a framework by which we can
evaluate him.
What’s more important, it
gives HIM the context in which to make decisions.
“Does activity “x” empower
entrepreneurs? If not, why would I do
it?”
When it comes to values
or strategic principles, brevity can guide, and even inspire, action.
And some things aren’t…
I love to listen to the
abridged audio versions of business books. I read many of them as well.
Most of the time I find
that full text (or audio) doesn’t add much substance.
The book could have been
half as long and still made its point (in fact, sometimes it would have made it
better).
There are times when more
detail is not necessary to give people the information they need to act.
There are times when more detail is good.
Do I want my surgeon
reading the Cliffs Notes on my procedure?
I think not.
As I teach my daughter
to drive, I explain what she needs to do and why she needs to do it. I try to be as economical as possible with my
instruction, but there are some things she needs to hear.
How helpful is it to say
to someone “you should blog” and not be able to explain the benefits they’d
derive or how they would start?
How do you know when you need more detail?
Generally, if there is a
high risk of unacceptable consequences (e.g., medical treatment, driving) more
detail is a good idea.
Exposition can also be
helpful when you’re learning (or teaching) something new.
The bottom line: The
effectiveness of brevity depends upon your purpose.
But, we CAN facilitate
change and direct actions with brevity.
My First KISS
First off this isn’t about what you might think from the title. It’s actually about my first introduction to the old military acronym K.I.S.S. – “Keep It Simple Stupid” and mission statements. A long time ago, as a brand new 2nd Lieutenant fresh out of…
The Power of 3 Little Words
In one of my first posts I summed up what I thought was a good mission statement for IT, that is, what I thought were the keys to our success in 3 words. Communicate • Execute • AdaptThis past Friday I attended a Houston Planning Forum luncheon. The Ho…
Steve –
That’s a great point. Effectively being brief is time consuming. It’s harder to write something in fewer words and get your point across. You immediately start to realize just how many things that you want to say aren’t really germane to the action you want to inspire!
What’s the name of your blog? Could you send me the URL?
Ann
Hi, Ann,
Well put! As I was writing my post for today (in a similar vein), it occurred to me that the kind of brevity to which you refer requires thought and preparation. How often do we start talking with stream-of-consciousness rather than carefully selecting just the right noun-verb-object that will do the trick?
There’s no shortage of research and blog rants about limited attention span. Maybe we should start to visualize the person across from us as a “Verbal Surfer” and craft our words accordingly.
Steve Roesler