The latest buzzword at work is snackable content. We have accepted decreasing attention spans in the workforce, believing that it’s just what people are made of anymore and we’re no more likely to shift that tide than we are to see the overturn of Obamacare. So instead we must all use a new way of engaging with people. Enter snackable content. It’s a high calorie, but small, bite of food, or in our case, information. It’s basically a slice of avocado.
You can consume it before your attention runs out. You retain it because we’ve been so exceedingly clever that you also want to share it with your friends. And it probably had glitter or something else sparkly to grab you in the first place. If you think this is hard to do, you are right. I receive emails every day trying to entice me into clicking on a link to get a new snack. I am – sorry to say – a mouse in an experiment, being prodded to push a lever for the next morsel.
Leaders across businesses and functions have town halls, newsletters, blogs, vlogs and videos. The latest arrivals are 1-minute “Call to Action” videos and “Anything but Typical” conversation forums. These are all good and I imagine if you look at all of them, you will be well-tuned into the direction and priorities of the company. You will also not get your own work done. It’s the invasion of Instagram + Vines + Snapchat + Facebook into the workplace.
I don’t think my mind is slower than that of my younger peers, but my attention span and desire for depth is greater. I would rather talk to 1-2 people in depth and get to know what they think about something important than mingle shallowly with 15 people, swapping soundbites or ‘elevator speeches’. I include avocados in my diet, but I like apples too.
You can consume it before your attention runs out. You retain it because we’ve been so exceedingly clever that you also want to share it with your friends. And it probably had glitter or something else sparkly to grab you in the first place. If you think this is hard to do, you are right. I receive emails every day trying to entice me into clicking on a link to get a new snack. I am – sorry to say – a mouse in an experiment, being prodded to push a lever for the next morsel.
Leaders across businesses and functions have town halls, newsletters, blogs, vlogs and videos. The latest arrivals are 1-minute “Call to Action” videos and “Anything but Typical” conversation forums. These are all good and I imagine if you look at all of them, you will be well-tuned into the direction and priorities of the company. You will also not get your own work done. It’s the invasion of Instagram + Vines + Snapchat + Facebook into the workplace.
I don’t think my mind is slower than that of my younger peers, but my attention span and desire for depth is greater. I would rather talk to 1-2 people in depth and get to know what they think about something important than mingle shallowly with 15 people, swapping soundbites or ‘elevator speeches’. I include avocados in my diet, but I like apples too.