By minimizing the words used in conveying an idea we should enhance the ability of other to attain full understanding.    By eliminating redundancy without omitting important information clarity increases.

This is the practice of concision.  Being concise is not mainly about using fewer words but rather focusing on being meaningful with fewer words. This applies to both spoken and written communications.

The key skill associated with being concise is the ability to identify and then convey the critical meaning without requiring the recipient to expend much effort.

For Example

I enjoyed crafting the above paragraphs, but I admit they are not concise.  It is easier to write without concision but when the message is critical and the impact potential is high, being concise is a wise approach. 

I believe the lead to this post could have conveyed the same message with fewer words, for example:

Concision is a critical communication practice whereby important information, verbally or written, is relayed in as few words as possible. 

Unpack that for me

When explaining something or sharing an idea or concept when someone responds “could you please unpack that for me” or similar words, it is a virtual certainty you were not concise.

The path to concision almost always requires review and reconstruction before delivery.  This applies whether it is to be averbal or written format.  

Think about your key messages and remove all the extraneous stuff (i.e. unpack the message) before you proceed with delivery. 

In a verbal discussion this means being silent until you have atightly formulated message and in the case of written comminication try rewriting it for brevity several times before issuing.