Posted by: Shawn Grubb | 12/30/2009

Brevity via visualization

It was a year or so ago I started noticing the “I got it” phrase pop up in the business world as a way of politely telling the speaker the point was made and the speaker could move on to the next point.  While recognition of the phrase “I got it” has taken a little while to sink in, I noticed that business leaders are getting better at outlining brevity as an expectation.

I have always tried to communicate in a way that quickly / simply delivers the point and requires little explanation and I find that visuals or taxonomies that deliver your point with pop are extremely effective (see also visualizing a trillion)

A colleague sent me this link and I found this site particularly helpful.  The link takes you to a slew of visual tools ranging from simple pie charts and Venn diagrams to Mind Maps and Semantic Networks.  Next time you are struggling to get the point across quickly, look to this link at Visual Literacy for inspiration.

“When asked how long he would prepare for a ten minute speech Woodrow Wilson said, “Two weeks.” When asked how long he would prepare for an hour speech he answered, “One week.” Then they asked, “How long would you prepare for a two hour speech?” Wilson immediately replied, “I am ready now.”


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