44 pages • 1 hour read
Jim Vandehei, Mike Allen, Roy SchwartzSmart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 3, Chapters 19-24Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 3: “Smart Brevity in Action”
Part 3, Chapter 19 Summary: “Smart Brevity Your Social Media”
As the title of the chapter suggests, the authors apply the principles of smart brevity to social media. They assert that since one has only a few seconds to make an impact on the audience, there is an even greater need to pack a punch and be selective in how one presents their information. The authors add that for the big three social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, there are subtle differences in strategy. Twitter posts should be concise and catchy; though Instagram posts used to need clear and crisp images with minimal text, the authors suggest that there is more flexibility now; and Facebook posts are where one can put a spin on their idea and be provocative. The last part of the chapter highlights bad, followed by good, examples of social media posts, with the good posts following the structural models elucidated in the first part of the chapter.
Part 3, Chapter 20 Summary: “Smart Brevity Your Visuals”
This brief chapter applies the core components of smart brevity to the use of visual images and graphics. The authors use the term “elegant efficiency” to describe their approach to the design and layout principles. They strive for clarity and crispness in their use of visuals and point to this book as representative of this approach. They introduce Sarah Grillo, the person in charge of visual use at Axios. The authors move the discussion to hierarchy in art, a fundamental skill, and present two images of an elephant holding a Texas flag. The image is supposed to represent Republican seat losses in Texas, the flag symbolizing a kind of surrender. In the first image, the head of the elephant is so large that it draws attention away from the more important element of the composition, namely the flag. In the revised image, only the trunk of the elephant is visible, and the flag is much more prominent. This example demonstrates the importance of scale. The authors defer to Sarah Grillo for the “Tips & Tricks” section of the chapter. Grillo’s advice is similar to much of the advice in the book, which advocates for direct messaging and a respect for the audience. Grillo’s advice also calls for an attention-grabbing image, in much the way a headline would operate according to the rules of smart brevity.
Part 3, Chapter 21 Summary: “How to Run a Company on Smart Brevity”
The authors discuss operations at Axios and claim that it is a lively and engaging workplace because of smart brevity. They value transparency, and in weekly meetings, they read any question except those related to how much money a colleague makes or why a colleague left the company. The authors argue that clear and direct communication helps mitigate office gossip that can sometimes build a life of its own and cut into job satisfaction. According to the authors, communication problems can cause real trouble for companies. They then discuss the ways newsletters function in their company, allowing many different voices to be heard across all departments. The authors discuss that these principles at Axios were developed out of their experiences running Politico, many of which were lessons learned from a perspective that did not embrace and properly value workplace communication. They applied these lessons to their new venture at Axios, and the results have been drastically more positive in terms of employee satisfaction. The authors introduce Matt Burns, head of communications for a cancer research firm. His view on communication is similar to that of the authors in the book, and he notes that while methods of how people communicate have changed drastically, the fundamental way we communicate has not. As the chapter concludes, the “Tips & Tricks” section, provided by co-author VandeHei, is directed specifically at CEOs and other business leaders. VandeHei places special emphasis on the “Why It Matters” section, recommending that leaders repeat the most important elements of their message to ensure that employees retain that message. VandeHei also recommends that leaders be humble and be authentic in their voices.
Part 3, Chapter 22 Summary: “Communicate Inclusively”
The chapter argues that smart brevity allows for a natural inclusivity because the language it advocates for is direct and clear. The authors suggest that effective communication must also be inclusive. In order to make sure that anything one has written is inclusive, the authors suggest having someone with a different life experience read important communications first. They briefly touch on the recommendations of the Center on Disability and Journalism, specifically suggesting that a person’s disability only be referred to if it is relevant. It is also revealed that co-author Schwartz struggled with dyslexia as a youth; he recalls some of these struggles from when he was a student in England. The authors mention that while they did not develop smart brevity specifically as a way to be inclusive, the unintended benefit of the strategy has shown to foster it.
Part 3, Chapter 23 Summary: “The Cheat Sheet”
This chapter begins by summarizing the guiding principles of smart brevity: authority, brevity, humanity, and clarity. The authors remind the reader to always consider their audience. The rest of the chapter is a directive and guides the reader through the steps of composing something using the smart brevity strategy. The authors point out that while smart brevity advocates for being very crisp, direct, and short, the writer should not lose touch with their natural voice. The authors suggest that if the writer tries this out and loses their voice, then they have overdone it. They should then take a step back and rework their text to infuse some life back into it.
Part 3, Chapter 24 Summary: “Take Smart Brevity for a Spin”
The final chapter is something of a sales pitch that directs readers to visit the smart brevity website and upload a composition to see what the smart brevity score is for that text. The chapter also presents a rundown of other features that one can find on the website in addition to the smart brevity score exercise.
Part 3, Chapters 19-24 Analysis
Chapter 19 picks up where Chapter 8 leaves off as the authors offer a prescription for how best to communicate effectively, this time for social media. They use a metaphor to describe the world of social media interaction, suggesting that “[s]ocial media is the hand-to-hand combat of attention warfare” (155). The combat metaphor highlights the competitive nature of social media and helps further drive home the authors’ main point. That is, if one wants their writing to stand out, then they need to adapt their writing style to meet the demands of today’s readers, who the authors insist are generally overwhelmed with information. In short, the authors continue to push Cutting Through the Noise With Punchier Writing, in this case specifically as an approach to succeeding on social media platforms. The authors argue that when it comes to social media, the window of opportunity for grabbing the reader’s interest is even smaller than in other forms of communication: “In an email, you have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. On Twitter or Instagram, it’s the blink of an eye” (155). Being able to craft a clear, precise message that cuts to the chase and grabs the reader’s attention is an essential skill for effective social media messaging.
The authors also dedicate a chapter to discussing how to apply smart brevity to visual graphics as part of digital communications. They set up their discussion on the use of visuals by referring to their own approach at Axios. They ask their version of an essential question: “When we design art for our website, newsletters and marketing materials, we obsess about one thing: What’s the cleanest, sharpest, most pleasing way to display it?” (165). The hallmarks of the smart brevity method are evident here, as clarity of message is what stands out. The authors define their approach to visuals as “elegant efficiency,” a term that can also apply to their prescribed method for writing. The authors further explore the intersections between image and writing as they discuss the idea of hierarchy in art, which they define as “a fundamental idea in art and design in which the elements of a visual are assigned importance through the use of scale, color and contrast to guide the viewer’s eye” (165). Further, the advice they provide in the “Tips & Tricks” section sounds familiar, echoing the advice given for writing: “Start with a strong concept. Edit out superfluous elements. Always judge the work from the perspective of the viewer” (168). Smart brevity prioritizes above all else a strong message, clearly articulated, with an awareness of the audience.
As Part 3 nears its conclusion, the authors return to The Business Benefits of Smart Brevity. They use anecdotal evidence from their own company, Axios, as proof that smart brevity is a successful strategy. They point to the company as being one where employees thrive and generally experience job satisfaction. They contend that smart brevity is “central to [their] management and culture and a big reason [they] win awards for having an inclusive, happy, kick-ass workplace” (170). They return to the idea that open communication, best employed with their method of smart brevity, helps mitigate the kinds of things that harm a vibrant workplace culture: “A magical thing happens when you communicate crisply and transparently: You cut out all the employee gossip and pot-stirring that come from being confused or kept in the dark” (170). They do not delve into the way gossip can breed discontent, but when employees are informed, they are less likely to speculate on things, which in turn gives them little reason to gossip about the happenings within a company.
Lastly, the authors discuss how smart brevity is a natural way to be inclusive, couching smart brevity in moral terms even more strongly. They say that “[i]f you’re not communicating inclusively, you’re not communicating effectively” (180). Here, the more ambiguous a written communication is, something the authors highly discourage, the more likely it can be misinterpreted or simply miss its intended audience. As a strategy for reaching the widest audience possible, the clarity and directness of smart brevity cuts out ambiguity and makes the message accessible to anyone in a company. The authors admit that “[they] did not create Smart Brevity for people with learning or language challenges—or to promote inclusivity per se. But, watching it in action, it helps with all three” (184). Moreover, “[t]he principles of Smart Brevity can help bridge differences in background and abilities. It’s direct and stripped down—accessible and nondivisive by design” (180). Smart brevity is a naturally inclusive communication method that reaches the maximum number of people, another of the many benefits to business that the authors promise.
