“Don’t bury the lead” is an expression that comes from journalism. The “lead” is the first sentence of any communication and it should clearly and concisely cover the main point of the story i.e. scanning the first sentence should convey the essence of the story.
Beginning with secondary details does not value the time of busy readers. It also may indicate the writer has not taken the time or effort to fully understand the issue themselves in order to lay out in a succinct, brief manner the relevant points. It can also mean that the author needs to brush up on their Critical Thinking Skills in order to better articulate with precision.
The more people with whom you are communicating, the more total time will be saved by your taking the time to summarize your points. Not only will YOU understand better, your command of the issues will impress others. The more you practice this skill, the better you will be at it and before long it will flow naturally. Furthermore, this habit will help you think more clearly, understand complex situations quicker, and see inter-relationships you might have missed before.
Closing Quotes:
“Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all.” – Norman Cousins, 1915-1990
“What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.” – Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784
“I wrote you a long letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one.” – Blaise Pascal, 1623-1669
As always, I share what I most want/need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
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