140 Characters is Bliss

I love that Twitter has 140 characters. Love, love, love it. Why? 

People abuse emails in so many ways:

• Going on and on and on. Unless it is something I am directly responsible for, taking 15 minutes to read an email is not something I am going to prioritize. What can be communicated in 2 minutes over the phone takes me 300% longer to read and I may mis-understand the email after all of that.
• Everyone gets cc'd - this means I really won't pay attention to the tome.
• The action needed is typically buried somewhere in the middle of the email
• Email is used for conversations that should really be had in person - it encourages dysfunctional passivity and political maneuvering that usually only obfuscates the issue.

I've had a couple of interesting conversations recently with multiple people over multiple channels (some are Twitterers, some are not).  The non-Twitter conversation is much more involved and I suppose some of that context is useful - but it sure isn't quick.  The Twitter side of my conversation - short and to the point.

In an era of information overload, I appreciate the ability to zero in to the heart of the matter. As my example here shows, you can actually get a lot of information in - and link to anything that is supporting information.

My suggestion: Even if you don't Twitter - try limiting your emails to 140 characters for a week.  If it is longer than that, pick up the phone, stop by someone's office, or provide back up information via a link.

Short is definitely sweet.

 

Comments

[Mukund Mohan]

Would be interesting if your mail program stopped showing what you typed after 140 characters. My bet is most people will be rewriting emails 10 times. :)

[Rachel Happe]

Hi Mukund - Thanks for stopping by!

There are definitely things that need to be longer...and email is indeed useful for some of those things - my point is really to think about how we can all be more succinct and, with it, more effective.

[Doug Haslam]

Rachel,

Nice post. I particularly like your last bullet-- and would add that the passive emailers often assume the email has been read. Hilarity (or tragedy) often ensues.

[Beth Dunn]

Hear, hear.

I would add: When trying to coordinate schedules, don't say: "When is a good time?" but propose several options. At first it might feel pushy or bossy, but I find that people are grateful for clarity, efficiency, and brevity.

[Rachel Happe]

Hi Doug & Beth -

Couldn't agree more - thanks for the additions!

Rachel