You're failing to appreciate MY attention span

This is a recent ad from a company called XPLANE, the visual thinking company - providers of clarity at the speed of sight. Now I can't tell from the ad what this company actually offers, but the dialogue between the presenter and her boss is absolutely fabulous.

Boss: Why didn't you boil this down?

Presenter: We DID boil it down, Richard. You're failing to appreciate the time and effort it took to do this.

Boss: You're failing to appreciate my attention span.

If you're already a leader, you'll understand this immediately. And if you're not, well, your presentations and emails and reports and voicemails and assorted updates are probably waaaaay longer than you realize.

So the next time you have some information to share , take a moment and consider the attention span of your intended audience before you begin. Remember, the goal is to be heard, not to impart everything you happen to know on a particular topic.