Today we continue to review the book Brief by Joseph McCormack. The author calls out that people are already drowning in information around them, so much so that their only concern is how to survive. The ubiquity of access to information such as from mobile devices has inundated us with information even before the day has begun. Therefore our attention is already taxed. Although we may get verbal and non-verbal agreements, the message may not have sunk in. We have to understand the four forces that are constantly playing out against us.
These are :
Information Inundation : an ending flood of word, images, sounds and social media.
Inattention : ability to focus more than 10 seconds.
Interruptions: a steady stream of problems competing for our time
Impatience: a growing intolerance for results
You have to make it easier to consume and digest  the idea you are presenting. Lean communication is a new advantage.
Likewise the author continues to guard against the pitfalls of brevity.
1. Cowardice - you hide behind meaningless words instead of taking a clear stand
2. Confidence - you know it all and you are verbose to everyones boredom
3. Callousness - you are selfish and you don't respect other people's time
4. Comfort - you think those you are familiar with have time to spare
5. Confusion - you chose to think out loud when you are not clear yourself.
6. Complication - you feel some things are just too complex and give up
7. Carelessness - you are verbally sloppy and the people get confused even more
and the mental muscle for brevity is acquired with a plan of attack as follows:
Map it - BRIEF maps are used to condense and present succinct information
Tell it - A story summarizes and evokes much better response because it is compelling
Talk it - The TALC tricks (Talk, active, listening, converse) makes it interactive
Show it - Visuals and diagrams attract attention and capture imagination.