NOTE: This blog post is all about writing efficiently, saying more with less. As an example, I'm going to re-write and re-post this blog on Thursday to demonstrate how I implement this concept to make it work for me.

Most things in life are better with balance; I firmly believe that moderation is key. On tour, I'm always looking for ways to put this belief into practice as a production manager.
One area of focus where I’ve implemented this theory with great success is the show advance. Time is a currency that none of us seem to have enough of, so if your initial advance email and supporting documents contain too much information there is a fair chance it won't all get read due to information overload. Eventually, the recipient will have to circle back to it because the show does need to be advanced, but it will get put off and you should not expect a quick reply. The longer your email the less likely they’ll read and retain all the important info.
On the other side of this unbalanced spectrum are advance emails with not enough information. That just leads to follow up emails and phone calls that could have been avoided if the initial email had offered up all the necessary information.
This idea of balance can be applied to many aspects of a production advance. In addition to your initial email, stage plots, input lists, production riders, and venue tech packs can all be really helpful or really useless, depending on the information contained within.
It’s also important to consider the format of the information you’re sending out. Should you write in paragraphs or is the recipient better served by an outline with bullet points? It all depends on the situation, but in my experience saying less with more is always the best approach.
A perfect example of sharing information efficiently is the flight status displays found at airports. This format is so clean and efficient that you can often get the information you need without even stopping.
As a production manager, my biggest personal struggle is sharing information with the band and crew. I spend a fair amount of time on the tour advance to ensure I have all the necessary information. Of course, all that information just sitting on my computer does no one else any good, so in an attempt to avoid questions later I share information with others in advance. Balance is required in this situation as well. Our short attention spans and busy schedules typically don’t allow us to sift through a bunch of information. The fewer words I use the better chance of everyone showing up prepared.
One practice I’ve implemented with great success over the last year or so is making multiple edits before sending emails and documents. Write and re-read multiple times with the intention of trimming with each pass. First time through is just getting everything down on paper. Second pass I look for areas where I can say the same thing more efficiently by using fewer words. The third pass I dig in and make cuts, what is really necessary and what is not? Determine what needs to be written long form and what is better served with bullet points. Also, consider the order in which you're presenting the information, does it flow or do people finish confused?
These are all important things to consider. If you can find a healthy balance between what the recipient needs to know and what’s overkill you’ll have better luck getting the message out, getting your show advanced, and fielding fewer questions on show day.