“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” — Blaise Pascal, mathematician and physicist.
When I started writing on Linkedin, the limit for a post was 1300 characters (it has now been increased to 3000 characters). It forced me to be brief, get to the point quickly, and maximise the signal-to-noise ratio.
Brevity, more often than not, is a sign of clarity. The topic has been chewed over, distilled and the essence is well understood. More importantly, the writer is clear on what to omit, and still deliver the maximum payload. Brevity shows thoughtfulness and consideration for the reader’s time.
So, the next time you draft an email, aim for the shortest, most pointed note that will move the team forward.
p.s. This advice is mainly for everyday written business communication. If you are writing long form, fiction or poetry, by all means, build an elaborate story and bejewel your language.