How to be a minimalist at work: get to the point
Time to read: 4-5 min
Let’s respect everyone’s time. Get to the point.
The Issue: Everyone can agree that Power Points and meetings are too long. No one pays attention for more than 10 minutes.
Why it’s an Issue: The more filler an email or presentation has, the less likely we are to read it. The authors of the book “Smart Brevity- the Power of Saying More with Less” wisely said, “If you see everything, you remember nothing (VandeHei, Allen and Schwartz, 2022,).” “Consider that most people read headlines, maybe a paragraph or two and bullets and not text.”
Time is a resource we cannot get back.
When you are looking up a recipe on Pinterest, do you really read the excruciatingly long narrative about how great the pumpkin festival was, and the leaves were gently crunching under her feet as she meandered through the woods when she created this pumpkin pie recipe? No, you do not. You scroll to find the recipe while you say under your breath “who gives a shit, where’s the freaking recipe already?”
Thanks to the folks who wrote “Smart Brevity,” here are some stats that might convince you that saying less is more (VandeHei, Allen and Schwartz, 2022, p.6, Kindle Edition):
· Eye tracking studies show that we spend 26 seconds on average, reading a piece of content.
· On average, we spend fewer than 15 seconds on most of the webpages we click. One study found that our brain decides in 17 milliseconds if we like what we clicked.
· We share most stories without bothering to read them.
If you find yourself creating long intricate Power Points, ask yourself: why are you killing yourself making these exhaustive presentations when no one is really paying attention? Why not simplify and give them more bang for their buck?
Why are we doing it? Why are we wasting so much time creating long PowerPoint and hosting long meetings? Because we have bought into the idea that busy=productive. I would be much more impressed with someone who had done their research but gave me the quick hits. If I need more context, I will ask for it. I’d be thrilled with a 15-minute meeting/briefing. Meetings should not be the place for you to think out loud.
The How:
You are the expert on your subject, so ask yourself what is the most interesting part of what you want to say? If I have done a ton of research on a subject and I need my company to act on it, I might structure my Power Point presentation like this (each topic one page max):
· What’s the issue
· Why is it an issue
· How we fix the issue
· What’s in it for them and
· How we get started/ what is needed
If they want to go deeper into your research, they will ask. Then you send them your file of impressive numbers and stats.
Meetings: If hosting a meeting, do not under any circumstance hold a meeting without a clear agenda communicated ahead of time (no, not 5 minutes ahead of time). Only invite people who are critical to the meeting. Again, not a time to “think out loud.” Think before the meeting or ask for time to think after the meeting. Respect people’s time. Respect your time.
Hot tip: Shark Tank Style-if you were pitching your idea on Shark Tank, how would you do it? Would you show up with a 20-page Power Point showing all your data and graphs? No. You probably have those items in your toolbox, ready for that one bald mean guy who loves data and wants to dig deeper. But your peers, the CEO, and the managers don’t have time to sift through all of that. Give them quick hits and demonstrate enthusiasm to convey why they should care and what’s in it for them.
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