This is the third tip in on ongoing series on becoming an effective communicator – read the others.
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ttention spans get shorter and shorter. We receive news reports from 140-character tweets and 30-second YouTube videos. Anything longer has become so hard to get through! If you want your message to be heard and understood, you have to make it brief and get to the point.
One way to do this: avoid circumlocution. I realize I just used a big fancy word, so let me clarify: Circumlocution is using a lot of words when a few will do. It’s when you plan a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco by way of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s when you take a long, winding scenic route to get where you need to be – when a quick, straight road could have been used in a fraction of the time. Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty is a circumlocution expert; he’s famous for never getting to the point:
Look inside Leggett & Platt and you’ll find employees who are committed to protecting and preserving the environment. On May 16, our Corporate Office kicked off participation in the Eco Initiative, joining over 50 other Leggett & Platt branches who have registered for or implemented the program.
Shela here again, filling in for Paul and talking about girl power. I’ve been lucky enough not to have faced any gender discrimination in my relatively short time in the work force. But I know it’s out there and it’s still a problem for many women, especially those trying to climb the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, changing minds takes time. It’s a real bummer, but there are things women can do to help effect change.
Tired of articles about the importance of writing? Sorry. I like this piece because, well, I agree with it. It has a few obvious points, such as the idea that even if you’re not a writer by trade, you are still “publishing” material every day – whether it’s an email, work memo, or even Facebook post. People judge others based on their writing. I know I do. Is that fair? If someone sends an email with typos, does that mean they’re careless and not detail-oriented? If someone takes a roundabout way to make a point, making your head spin, does that mean they’re disorganized?
