Our workplace communication is broken. To fix it, we need to talk less, write more, and write better. Way better.

That’s pretty much it. I’ll tell you upfront that whatever follows boils down to these twenty words. If there is one thing you should remember and hopefully apply, that is it.

Short, catchy messages are great. More people will read these twenty words than even the first page of this book. A twenty-word message is a perfect fit for how we communicate today, both in the workplace and beyond. It is aligned with the fast-paced way we share ideas, how much capacity we have to process them, and how we respond to them. It sounds like a powerful message (if I may say so) wrapped in a small package, and that is not something to be taken lightly.

Yet, I am taking the time to write the following text, and I sincerely hope you will find the time to read it further. Because no matter how well-phrased your core message is, it is practically impossible to lead, drive change, co-create, and deeply interact with people based on just twenty words.

Fixing Workplace Communication is a book in progress. I am sharing it as I write it with the hope that it will not just be read but also trigger numerous dialogues.