Intellect is nothing without this
I love a pithy mantra. And very few got pithier than graphic designer Abram Games:
"Maximum meaning, minimum means."
It was his philosophy towards design. But really, it's powerful for any form of communications. The strategic process could be summed up in two simple steps:
Researching with intensity
Writing with intent
But the second step is something we often miss. Or forget. Or don't have time for. That's how you end up with 40 setup slides. Intellect, in short, is nothing without intention. Lots of meaning plus lots of means leads to overwhelm. People's time is precious.
Instead, flip it around. How can you land maximum meaning with as little as possible? Earlier this year, i was in a global strategy review with my CSO. I gave her two options. Do you want to see slides? Or to talk? She asked if we could just talk. Probably sick of seeing slides all day.
And it was gloriously open and casual and useful.
Not because it was clever. But because we got down to the core of our argument. The memorable stuff. The meaningful stuff. Slideware matters but it's a tool. This is why i love one-pagers. No ambiguity. Total clarity. And if it isn't clear... it quickly shows.
But better yet: a good ol' chat. The means are the words in your head. Meaning emerges from conversation, not presentation. Maximum meaning, minimum means. This is how you bring intention to your process, and practice. So let’s get practising.
