Keep It Short

We all get pounded with so much information. We need to devise ways to process it all.

What do I absolutely need to pay attention to? What can I afford to delegate, delay, delete?

Many times we turn to quicker, shorter, more immediate communications (e.g., IM over Office Communicator). And we eliminate much of the extra information in those chats. I propose we start doing the same in Outlook meeting invitations. Many of us now have our calendar synched to our mobile device. Often the meeting subject is so long it cannot be viewed easily from a smart phone or other mobile device. So here is my short list of words -- I could come up with more but I don’t want to give you too much information to wade through ;-) -- to eliminate from Outlook invitations Subject and Location:

• Daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. - This is evident from how often it shows up on the calendar.
• The Month or Day -If the Service Review is scheduled in October, chances are it's the October Service Review.
• Meeting - If there are other people invited, assume it is a meeting.
• Conference Call - If there is a dial-in number or an OC link, it's a conference call.
• Discuss - This happens in most meetings. Otherwise I am not sure why several people would be meeting.

Feel free to add to the list. But remember to keep it short.