discussion:

Since we're talking about the value of concise writing in business, I'm sure we've been in a position where we had to meet a page count or word count. Let's say you're writing an essay for a Comp class. It has tight prose, strong organization, well-made points, etc. but it's four pages; the assignment mimimum is five. What do you do? Do you belabor the point? Go sentence level? Spell out five vs. 5, use longer words, carefully adjust the margins, font size, and line spacing? All of the above?

First of all, page counts are... problematic. As a professor, I'm not a fan. The irony is that most academics and working professionals struggle to pare their work down to meet a page/word maximum. I digress, but my point is, in the workplace, you're unlikely to be asked to write an account summary that must be X number of pages. Work has to keep moving. Professionals are busy people. We can't afford to waste our time or theirs, so our communication has to be strategic, purposeful, and to the point -- meaning, short.

This week's discussion is a bit of a wild card. What from the reading and mini-lecture struck you? Anything run counter to what you've been taught in other classes, either in college or before? Those of who you have (or have had) jobs, was concise writing valued in your workplace?

Respond to any of the above; they're just meant to be generative for discussion