Texting “FYI, lmk” feels efficient until you’re drowning in confusion threads. Brevity isn’t concision – and the difference costs you time, clarity, and trust at work.
The story
Ever send “FYI, lmk” and feel efficient… then spend the rest of the day untangling confusion?
Shortcuts look fast on a phone screen, but at work they often create blind spots. Missing context doesn’t disappear; it shows up later as clarification threads, rework, and people confidently doing the wrong thing. Fun.
I’ve seen this pattern over and over while writing *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind*: we tend to mix up *brevity* with *concision*. Brevity just cuts words. Concision picks words on purpose, uses punctuation, and includes enough context for a teammate’s brain to run the right “program.”
Shortcuts can also mess with tone. “Noted with thanks” can come off cold. Abbreviations and fragments can sound dismissive, even when you mean “I’m focused and moving fast.” Research even suggests abbreviations can signal insincerity and make people put less effort into replying. Notice how those stack up?
If you want real communication efficiency, try this:
– Put the ask first, then add context: goal, deadline, constraints, definition of done.
– Send fewer messages, not shorter ones. One complete note beats five pings.
– Match the channel to complexity: chat for coordination, email for decisions and details.
– Invite a quick check: “What did you hear me asking for?”
Clear writing isn’t extra work. It’s the work that prevents extra work.
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