#100: Make your point quickly

One year ago I did my first broadcast standing in for Dr Wally. His instructions were simple, but brutal. I had 60 seconds on air to make my point. No more. No less.

In making these recordings, I experienced a relatively unknown law of nonsense. It takes much longer to listen to a 60-second-recording than it takes to speak it! When you must say something meaningful within a specified time limited, time speeds up and you run out of time before you run out of words.

I now understand what Pascal meant when he wrote this line to a friend: I have made this letter longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.

Standing in for Dr Wally has taught me what I wish everybody would apply in meetings: have a point, make it and shut up. The only way to get that right is to prepare before the meeting, not in the meeting.

Thank’s for the lesson, Dr Wally.


I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am