Get. To. The. Point.

Posted on by Live & Learn

brief-joseph-mccormack

Excerpts from the Joseph McCormack’s Book Brief: The Brevity Mandate

“Here are the daunting challenges we all face every day to be heard: Attention spans are in a tailspin. In 2000, the average attention span was 12 seconds and now it’s only eight. Professionals are interrupted 6-7 times an hour, often unable to get back to the task at hand. More than 43% abandon complicated or lengthy emails in the first 30 seconds. And the majority of people admit ignoring half the e-mails they get every day.”

“The more you say, the less people hear”

“The business world today is full of information overload and there is not enough time to sift through it. If you cannot capture people’s attention and deliver your message with brevity, you’ll lose them.”

“The discipline to capture and manage elusive mindshare now shapes and defines professional success. Shorter emails, better organized updates, and tighter and more engaging presentations are immediate indicators that you’ve got what it takes to succeed in an attention economy.”

“Getting to the point is a non-negotiable standard.”

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43 thoughts on “Get. To. The. Point.”

  2. Yup. Though I think it’s sad that we are losing attention span, interest in others, etc all in the name of multi-tasking. ‘Nuff said. 😉

  5. Back to “less is the new more” mantra…..
    This is absolutely true in our household. I tend to be a smidge long winded. If I have something important to express, it needs to be said first or I get tuned out rather quickly. Imagine that?!

  6. I know this to be true, I experience it every day, both on sending and receiving ends, and it makes me very sad. I just can’t help but feel that we’re sacrificing the texture of many of our experiences. Granted, I admit I don’t need to luxuriate in a work email, but the trend is pervasive, and I find myself struggling to hold fast on the things I DO want to savor as well. How do we get off this Merry-go-round?…..

  7. I find it sad, too. And its not only with work emails/work related activities. So often, in social gatherings, where everyone is vying for attention, you can see when attention spans are wandering; not to mention the interruptions. Though there is something to be said about the B.I.F.F. method (brief, informative, friendly, firm) of sending emails.

  13. Probably good for business but I’m not sure it’s good for writing fiction. For example, Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch (close to 800 pages) is a lovely book with lots of details. Some reviewers thought it should be shorten; many others loved it. I loved the lull of it. Like a long, soothing dream.

  18. Yep. Just had a long conversation with a dear friend, but still don’t know what the point was. One more gifted book.

  19. The more you say, the less people hear – That’s a new trend. Now that I have learned to speak I am asked to speak less…

  20. Very interesting information! I’ve been wondering about this for poetry – keeping it shorter and more precise could be a lot more attractive. I’m working on it! 😉 We all have to read and also write soooo much today, there must be a limit as to how much our poor minds can take, not to forget the minutes/hours in a each day it all takes! 🙂

    1. So true. We are like vacuums. Your comment reminds me of the following:

      “Poetry is an art of beginnings and ends. You want middles, read novels.”

      -Dean Young, The Art of Recklessness: Poetry as Assertive Force and Contradiction(Graywolf Press, 2010)*

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