5 Steps to Brief and Effective Communication

Brief 

Communication can be brief and effective when you clearly define the subject matter, explain why it’s relevant, give key ideas and desired outcomes, and invite questions, writes Tanmay Vora. “Thinking about some of these aspects and having my thoughts written down in a notepad/card helped me structure my communication better,” Vora writes.

Insight

Over-explanation, too much of context setting and long meetings indicate lack of preparation before communication. For many of us, it is difficult to be brief when we write or talk. Long winded and unfocused conversations in meetings is a waste that costs us our focus and productivity.

Being brief when communicating is a sign of respect for the other person’s time. In the world of information overload, brevity is a gift.

In this context, I read Joseph McCormack’s book “Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less” in 2018 for two reasons – I am passionate about improving communication in organizations and I aim for simplicity in my own expression. The book offered reasons why we fail to keep our communication short and some tools to enable brevity.

Why is it important to be BRIEF?

Our attention is challenged. All the well-intentioned tools that connect us with family and friends, build communities and help us get the work done are the same tools that rob us of our attention. In work context, being brief without losing the essence can be a great service to others.

Obstacles to Brevity

The author outlines unconscious biases that pull us into long-winded conversations:

1. We love hearing our own voice and that makes it hard to be brief.
2. Expertise can lead you into technicalities and over-detailed explanations.
3. When we are too comfortable in the context/company, it is easy to go off the topic. The author says that feeling at ease makes us talk too much.
4. Not organizing thoughts before speaking can lead us to think aloud. When we think and speak at the same time trying to make sense of the topic ourselves, the audience receive blurred and incomprehensible messages.