Management Tip of the Day: Choose Clarity over Brevity

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile JANUARY 12, 2010 Choose Clarity over Brevity Writing experts emphasize the importance of using as few words as possible to deliver your message. The evolution of technology has supported this trend toward brevity; see tweets, status updates, and text messages as examples. But we may have gone too far. Sometimes messages that are too brief sacrifice clarity and leave out crucial information. When crafting your next message, choose clarity over brevity; include all relevant information and be sure it is logically organized. This is as true for PowerPoint presentations and research reports as it is for emails. Being brief is important but not at the risk of being misunderstood. Today's Management Tip was adapted from "When Clarity is Not the Same as Brevity" by David Silverman. Read the full post and join the discussion » Share Today's Tip: RELATED PRODUCT Guide to Better Business Writing 10-Article Collection — Save 50% One third of professionals write poorly. Don't be one of them. This article collection lays out proven strategies for improving writing by teaching busy executives and employees how to organize ideas quickly and communicate them clearly and concisely. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: ALSO OF INTEREST Ten Principles of Good Business Writing How to Make Your Case in 30 Seconds or Less Six Ways to Grab Your Audience Right from the Start Creating and Delivering Persuasive Presentations My HBR Success Story: Win an Amazon Kindle! PREVIOUS TIPS Use Social Media to Reach the Right Job Applicants 3 Ways to Energize Your People How to Deliver Bad News to a Group 3 Ways to Prepare Yourself for Impending Layoffs Pause, Breathe, and Then Act 3 Tips for Handling Work Overload 4 Steps for Managing Your Invisible Résumé Dos and Don'ts for Managing Your Smartest People 3 Tips for Good Email Forwarding 3 Ways to Get More from Your Mentor HBR Online Trial Access HBR's in-depth business archives FREE for 14 days. Register today » UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Publishing. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Publishing Email Newsletter Preference Center. Copyright © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 1-800-545-7685 (617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)