Time Is Always Short

Reviews in Delta Airline's in-flight publication used to end with a section called ITIS. Within the reviews, this portion called out one particular chapter to read or song to listen to "If Time Is Short."

It's a cool idea. Yet, who remembers the last time you came across anyone enjoying a leisurely pace at work? A more appropriate acronym is TIAS: Time Is Always Short!

One implication of this more frenzied pace is the increasing difficulty in getting people to read everything put in front of them. Or more specifically, reading what you put in front of them. That's why it's vital your communication is as easy as possible to process.

Building a presentation recently on strategic thinking for researchers prompted rummaging through the Brainzooming archives for material on communicating information with greater impact. Here are 12 posts to help streamline your communication so something gets done with it even when TIAS:

Matching Your Communication to the Audience's Interests

Focusing on What Your Audience Cares About

Making Your Message More Memorable

Categorizing Information

Narrowing to the Really Important Ideas

Structuring Your Writing As a Reporter Would

Forming a Recommendation to Drive Action

Grouping Information with the Rule of Threes

Shortening Your Writing

Writing Complete Headlines

Alternatives to Written Communication

Pitching Your Idea

And here's a bonus link to "A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods," a unique way to get a quick review of many different ways of presenting information in a graphic format. The table is constructed so as you roll your cursor over a cell, it pops up a specific example of the visualization method. It's well worth checking out!