A takeaway about communication that’s Retained & retold

Ambrose Bierce was a wizard at zingers. His one-sentence book review is a masterclass in concise communication: “The covers of this book are too far apart.”

For leaders, it’s an ongoing communication challenge. What’s the #1 thing you want to stick & stay in the minds of your listeners? 

No matter how complex your content is -- even if you’re delivering a lengthy presentation or report -- what’s the most important thing you want them to retain and retell? 

Few will remember a list of things, but anyone can remember one. 

So it has to be simple. Better if it’s visual. Still better if it’s fun. 

The Bierce review was simple, but notice that’s not enough. “This book is too long” or “This book will waste your time” are both more concise, but dull. 

He made it visual by inviting us to mentally picture a boring book with a gazillion pages, and dread how many lifetimes it might take to read it.

So tell us your message, but show it too. Show & tell is better than tell. 

Notice how Bierce also made it fun.  Hearing about a new book, no one ever asked, "How far apart are the covers?" He conveyed something utterly ordinary (“This book is too long”) in a surprising & playful way.  He literally judged a book by its “covers” :)

Keep your covers close!

Show & tell, and make it fun to retell. 

That’s the takeaway: Don’t just make your point, Bierce it!