Editing: It’s not just for writing anymore

I had a meeting with a website developer this past week. Why? The need for editing is really everywhere. He was talking about how frustrating it is when he is trying to set up a meeting with someone and it goes like this:

Him: “When are you available to meet?”

Other person, either face-to-face or on the phone: “Well, I have a meeting on Monday at 10, then I have an all-day conference Wednesday: attendance mandatory. Wednesday night I’m out to dinner for my anniversary. Then, Thursday, I have to meet a client for lunch. We need to discuss their project. My kid has a play at school Friday, then I have a hair appointment.”

This web developer’s point? He still doesn’t know when they are available to meet. He didn’t ask, “When are you not available to get together?” which is really the question this person answered (in addition to spewing a lot of irrelevant, frivolous details).

Communication involves listening and — dare I say, editing — before speaking. Hearing all those details of someone’s week are not only pointless, it’s borderline stress-inducing. (We all have our own schedule to try and track, after all.) Maybe we call it “oral editing.” At any rate, thinking through your message — and not assuming folks are interested in your dog’s grooming appointment — before you speak can make for much clearer, concise and on-target communication.