We all know this type of internal communication: the 6 paragraph email from a fellow coworker that provides a plethora of minute details and repetition of ideas. These inbox delights in all of their meticulous glory, may be hurting us rather than helping. We’ve been taught to provide people with as much information as possible to ensure that our message is effectively communicated, but is having to sift through so much content and craft an equally lengthy response really the best use of our time?
A former coworker of mine used an interesting strategy called “three sentences”. The basic concept is to treat all emails like SMS messages, keeping your thoughts/instructions/opinions to a 3 sentence minimum. Now, this may not apply to all corporate cultures, but I highly recommend giving it a whirl. Not only does it save you time, but it quickly conveys all pertinent facts, and maybe soon you’ll start receiving shorter replies. Everyone wins….and the prize? More time!
For more information, and to spread the word with a fun addition to your email signature, see http://three.sentenc.es/.
Timely thought, and one many of us should heed. There’s certainly value in both conciseness and clarity of messsage, grounded in economy of expression.
You could always try doing every email in 140 characters (like a tweet) or 420 (like a Facebook update).