Escaping “The Swirl”: Unclear thinking means unclear writing
Please let's not jump on a quick call
Does the internet need another post about the value of writing? Maybe not, but it’s been such a nagging thought that I had to get it out [1]!
There are times when one is working through a tough problem at work e.g. first-of-a-kind-deals, complex and demanding partners, new and ambiguous spaces. A decision is needed, but we start to experience “The Swirl”.
Meeting multiply but nothing moves
Inputs are needed but silence follows
Email chains grow longer without resolution
We try to solve it with action: setting up more meetings, starting email threads, firing off more chat pings, but “The Swirl” only worsens.
In this post, I’ll cover:
1/ The Diagnosis
2/ The Solution: 5 steps
3/ The Journey
The Diagnosis
The Swirl is the symptom, but unwritten thinking is the problem. The breakdown is not just communication, it’s a breakdown in the underlying clarity of the problem or question at hand. Swirl occurs when:
The question is unclear: We are debating solutions before clarifying the core problem.
The answer is scattered: The information exists, but it is buried across multiple docs, inboxes, message threads, meeting notes, or in people’s heads!
Harsh truth: Writing is the forcing function. If you cannot articulate your question, your facts, and your proposed solution in a clear document, you do not yet understand the problem. If your thinking is unclear, that bleeds into recommendations. The Swirl will continue until writing begins.
The Solution: 5 steps
This solution will take more effort. It will feel uncomfortable and slower, but it is the only way to cut through the noise.
Brain dump: Aggregate everything you know so far. Pull information from calls, chats, emails, docs into one place. Don’t make your reader hunt for context. AI could be a helpful summarization tool here.
Restructure: Move key points to the top. Everything else goes into the appendix. For comparisons between options, consider using tables.
Shorten: Rewrite to get it to 1–2 pages. Shorten your sentences.
Critique: Send it to someone with no context. Give them permission to tear it apart. For both your human and AI critic, ask for specific inputs like e.g., I’ve made a recommendation for option B, could you review the reasons and consider potential objections? What details can I remove?
Second cut: There is still too much detail. Continue to cut!
Litmus test: Send the email or doc to yourself first, and see how it shows up on mobile. Ask yourself, if an extremely busy exec read this in under 1 minute, can they make the decision you are asking for? If not, keep editing.
The Journey
Writing is an iterative process. It is easier to say “let’s jump on a quick call”, but the “quick call” is never quick, and won’t get to your desired outcomes. Deep work upfront saves everyone from “The Swirl”.
[1] I’ve written about writing before, specifically about documentation: why we don’t document, the impact of not documenting, and over documentation.
Writing really is the antidote to The Swirl (though it's never far away). This post reminds me that taking time to grapple with the problem at hand, and doing the deep work required to write your thoughts clearly and succinctly is, in a way, an act of generosity in the workplace.