I think it's true. The Internet is re-wiring our brains. People don't read anymore, they scan. We can't help it - there is just too much stuff to be reviewed and possibly digested. You are probably scanning this post right now. Quickly assessing whether it's worth your time to dig deeper. Wondering, however briefly, if there is anything to gain by committing a few seconds to giving this a look.
What is this about, anyway? It's about maximizing the chance that what you write will be read and understood by your audience.
Sometimes a longer memo or e-mail is just unavoidable. You may have a lot to communicate, and you don't want to leave any important bits out. And in some cases, it really is ALL important.
So how do you ensure what you write is going to be read? I suppose you can't, but there are some things you can do to help.
1. Stick to the essentials. Don't waste time on a bunch of background or explanation that isn't necessary. You can always fill in the holes later if needed. Don't leave out information that helps makes your case, but don't include a bunch of superfluous non-essential details. The longer your piece, the more likely the reader is going to bail out early.
2. Break it up. Pay attention to structure. Split up long sentences, make sure paragraphs and sections are in logical order.
3. Take time to get it right. Review what you write and make sure it's crystal clear and as short as you can make it. Come back to it later if that works for you. If it's really important, take some time to edit. Take out non-essential words. Try using Hemmingway and see what you can take out and still make your point.
4. When you're done, write a brief summary and put it at the top. This is for people that don't have time or just aren't inclined to go deep. As a recent hire described this to me "BLUF" - Bottom Line Up Front. Love that!
Maybe, if your summary is good enough, you can DELETE everything else!
And what does tl;dr mean? "Too long; didn't read".
