I recently wrote an email to a colleague about several projects we’ve been working on. There were a number if questions about changes in text and improvements in the overall marketing of the products at hand.
As is my usual tack, I was thorough in my responses, covering not just the questions but some of the issues that would undoubtedly be raised as we made specific changes. Having been through so many scenarios such as this, my reasoning was to avoid the time it would take to roll over the same real estate several times. Take those immediate possibilities and get the discussion moving without delay.
I’ll wager that sounds familiar to more than a few of not just the veterans in the audience, but those who have been forced to do the “back and forth” game so many times. The idea is to make the process simpler and more time efficient. Be thorough and don’t waste any time.
What I received in return was somewhat unexpected, and to be honest, a little on this side of insulting.
“TLDR” was the first thing in text response. There were a few specific reactions to some of what I wrote, but the email ended with an attitude that seemed to be saying, and with great clarity, “I just don’t have the time to get this involved right now. It’s all rather boring”. For those who don’t follow modern acronyms too closely, “TLDR” stands for “Too Long. Didn’t Read”. This wasn’t from a stranger. This was from someone I trust, respect, and do business with. Someone who already knows my thoroughness in projects, and has exchanged a number of emails.
I didn’t take it personally, but it did sting, just a touch. Sure, there’s always the chance I got my friend at a bad time. Untold pressures on everyone these days, so much going on at once, so many moving parts. I maintain there are plenty of times in a business day we all snap at those we work with. Again, nothing personal and no insult meant.
However, it does say something about what is now the norm in doing business, no matter the discipline. More people believe in “the fewer words, the better”. Brevity is an art form, but there are times one needs to have less art and more meat to the conversation. Short bursts are always lacking in nuance, and more often than not, that’s where great ideas and successes are found.
Our current generation wants most things in a “fast food” mode. Text messages are filled with “convenient” spelling and the use of memes. Phone messages are rarely left, and when they are, often ignored. Emails are heavily scrutinized and often discarded because they are dropped into the “TLDR” column.
We have lost the simple art of conversation to this need for ultra-brevity. Certainly, it helps if you can make a point in fewer words, but often, especially in business, more is necessary. It avoids miscommunication, misunderstanding, and while it may take a few more minutes to read, it saves an immense amount of time down the road.
Let’s be honest. It’s not going to change. It’s where we are at here in the mid-stage of the 20’s. The veteran work force can try all it wants, but clinging to old ways will only get swallowed up in this “heregiveittomerightnowbeforeIloseinterest” society. It certainly seems to me, and many of my peers, that the younger, up and coming workforce is setting a tone that suits them, not suiting the needs of business. It’s one of the main reasons why productivity is down in so many industries, and why so many pieces of projects and decisions have to be repeated, sometimes ad nauseam, until they take hold.
I don’t want to paint an entire generation with a broad brush because that’s simply insulting to what I hope is the majority. However, I’m seeing this type of reaction becoming much to prevalent in daily discussions. It’s not productive, and it certainly can and will bruise more than egos. In my opinion, it limits the creative success of everyone it touches.
Fearing I may have already created yet another “TLDR” entry, let me leave you with a simple thought.
For me, this concept of “TLDR” and its connections are an epitome of lazy, and sadly endemic of what ails not just the professional sphere, but our personal lives. We have become a society that with the loss of conversation, the spark of ideas are tossed aside, and we have limited our creativity.
For my part, I will refuse to bend. I fear this current generation will make it difficult, perhaps even impossible, for many of us to do the same.
Ed Berliner is committed to the written word and driving conversation, both in his writings and his public appearances. He is now appearing around the world either in person or via his digital studio and the Virtual Master Control. Drop Ed a line at fuzzydogsproductions@gmail.com and have him change fortunes for you and your event.
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