Words, words, words, I’m so sick of words.

In the classic musical My Fair Lady from Lerner and Loewe, Eliza Doolittle gets sick and tired of how men seem to be all talk and no action and sings her frustration in the song, Show Me.

Words! Words! Words!

I'm so sick of words!

I get words all day through;

First from him, now from you!

Is that all you blighters can do?

I have to say that there are times when I get sick of words. (Not these that I am writing, of course - these are lovely)

But some organisations are super text-heavy. Urrgghh!!

Why overload our brains with pages and pages of description when models and diagrams are often more effective than lengthy text? They engage the brain's visual processing capabilities, which are faster and more efficient than language processing.

Neurologically, the brain’s visual cortex is wired to quickly interpret and understand patterns, shapes, and relationships, making complex information easier to grasp when presented visually. Studies show that visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text, and diagrams can activate both the brain's right (creative) and left (logical) hemispheres, leading to better comprehension and retention.

In the workplace, using visuals helps convey ideas more succinctly, aids in problem-solving, and fosters quicker decision-making, reducing cognitive overload. This visual representation of information allows teams to focus on key concepts without getting bogged down in excessive detail. And, importantly, they can be prettier.

Getting your people to develop these skills could be a good investment for your workplace. And there are great tools out there to help bring ideas to life.

I am not bad-mouthing words. I love them. But let’s face it - they could use a holiday from time to time.