Being brief doesn’t guarantee that you are concise. Follow these three tips to be truly concise.
In one of my recent writing training sessions, a participant bemoaned the amount of back-and-forth correspondence caused by her unclear emails. She worked at a major utility and was responsible for coordinating actions in multiple departments. Her email readers never fully understood what she was getting at, and repeatedly asked her for clarification. She described her writing as “short but not concise.”
Her words struck me, as I had never considered that short writing might not be concise. But, of course, she was right. After all, the definition of concise is “expressing much in few words; clear and succinct.” If you use few words but convey little information, you have not been concise.
Emotionally intelligent people know that to reach their readers in a positive and useful manner, they need to be both brief and concise, to take the minimum time from the reader while conveying the full flavor of their message.
What is the difference between being brief and being concise?
Using fewer words, while laudable, is not the litmus test for good writing. You can write a document that is brief but nonsensical or one that is long and concise. You can also write something that is so brief that it comes across as curt or overly terse. Brevity can backfire as much as blathering can annoy.
In general, succinctness beats verbosity, but you have to have the right kind of brevity: meaningful brevity. In a recent book, Smart Brevity, written by the co-founders of Axios, the authors state their credo: “Brevity is confidence. Length is fear.” I would say that meaningful brevity is confidence and unnecessary length is fear. When you convey the maximum amount of meaning in the minimum number of words, you are being both brief and concise.
Three Tips for Being More Concise
- Focus
Conciseness implies focus. A concise document has a clear objective, shows forethought, and is probably the product of careful revision.
To be concise, spend a few minutes thinking about what you plan to express. Hone your thoughts by contemplating your message in advance. Without mental focus, you are likely to ramble.
- “Make Every Word Tell”
This quote from the classic book The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, indicates that every word in your document should be there for a reason.
Qualifiers and hedge words such as just, generally, totally, really, very, some, basically, and their ilk do not belong in a concise document. Rather, weigh each word to judge whether it contributes to the final product. If not, strike it out.
For example, compare these sentences:
- We found it really difficult to just basically cut costs in a very systematic way.
- We found it difficult to cut costs systematically.
Which would you prefer to read?
- As Long as Necessary
Many years ago, I worked as an administrative assistant in a Japanese import-export company in Southern California. It was one of my first jobs after college, and I was still learning how to be an employee. The company’s owner asked me to write a report on a new product. I asked him how long it should be. He replied, “As long as necessary, as soon as possible.” I realized that when the product was described so that a customer could make a buying decision, the report was long enough. That phrase has guided my thinking through the decades that have followed.
To be truly concise, focus thoughtfully on your message before you write and weigh every word carefully. Remember that, all things being equal, the pithy prevails over the prolix.