A short attention span isn’t necessarily a bad thing - distractibility
is usually preferable to obsession. Quick decision-making is an admirable skill,
as long as the decisions are rooted in some semblance of informed wisdom. Many
people have little patience for the time it takes to understand complicated
ideas. Many huge decisions - like signing a mortgage, buying a car, or casting
a vote – are often made based on the most readily available information.
The essence of effective communication is sharing a complex
idea in a concise manner, providing just enough information to convey your
point quickly and persuasively.
Politics provides many examples of successful concision in communications.
The Gettysburg Address – one of Abraham Lincoln’s most enduring, effective
speeches - was just 272 words, lasting less than two minutes. Edward Everett
made a two-hour speech on the same occasion, and he later wrote to Lincoln “I
should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central
idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”
It has been argued that the 2012 US Presidential election
was won and lost on the centrality and resonance of each candidate’s message –
their ability to communicate the true core of their positions. People seemed to
know where Obama stood, for better or worse. Romney, with an electorate willing
to listen, was unable to articulate the core of his platform in a manner that
was satisfying enough to earn a majority of votes.
Understand your central idea, and reveal its core, in order
to be successfully persuasive.
272 Words!
