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It’s Only Common Sense: Are You Really So Busy?

I got a message the other day that simply said: “K.” That was it. One letter. No punctuation. No warmth or humanity. Just a lonely consonant hanging in digital space like it was abandoned by the rest of the alphabet.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned and still believe in vowels, but when did we decide that two letters were just too much of a time commitment? Was the “O” really slowing you down that much?

Are you really so busy that you can’t write “OK?” Did you have a board meeting to get to? A merger to close? A supply chain crisis unfolding in Taiwan that required your immediate intervention? Or were you scrolling Instagram? Because, honestly, most of us aren’t shortening words because we’re negotiating world peace. We’re shortening words because we’ve convinced ourselves that we’re incredibly important.

Here’s another one: “FU.” The first time someone sent that to me, I nearly called them to ask what I had done wrong. I thought I had accidentally insulted their mother. Turns out it meant “Follow Up.”

Well, that’s a relief.

Communication is not a race. It’s not the Indy 500 of abbreviations. It’s how we build relationships, and when you start communicating like a distracted teenager trying to text during math class, you look careless.

Before you accuse me of being a dinosaur, I know all the shorthand: LOL, ROFL, TMI, BTW, IMHO, FWIW, and whatever other alphabet soup is trending this week. But this is more than that.

When did professionalism become optional, and complete sentences a luxury item? When did clarity become something we only use if we have extra time? We’ve reached a point where people respond to thoughtful, detailed emails with “Thx.” No period or context. Just a clipped syllable tossed back over the fence like a tennis ball.

Do you wonder why communication breaks down? To me, “Thx” really says, “I couldn’t spare three extra seconds for you.” That’s less time than it takes to check if someone liked the photo of your lunch.

There are other abbreviations that get under my skin, like “NP” for “no problem.” I know what you mean, but sometimes it reads like, “It wasn’t worth my time anyway.” Or worse: “Please stop bothering me.”

The irony is that the same people who don’t have time to type “OK” can somehow find 45 uninterrupted minutes to watch the Kardashians debate handbags (I’m guessing). You’re too busy to type “See you tomorrow at 10 a.m.” but you have the bandwidth to binge three episodes of a show where nothing actually happens.

Here’s another one that makes me laugh: “Sent from my iPhone.” What gets me about this is that we used to type thoughtful responses from our desks, and now we’re firing off half-sentences from the grocery store while comparing cereal prices, and we expect those half-sentences to carry the same weight as a real conversation.

We’ve confused speed with importance, mistaken brevity for intelligence, and decided that looking busy is the same thing as being productive. It’s not.

In business, what matters are words, the tone, and your effort. If you can’t take 10 extra seconds to communicate clearly, what else are you cutting corners on? Are you skimming proposals the same way you skim emails, or making decisions with the same level of attention you give your texts?

Because customers don’t buy capability, they buy confidence, and confidence isn’t built on “K.”

Imagine sending a proposal to a customer and closing it with: “LMK. Thx.” How does that feel? Would you trust that company with your next big order? Would you think, “If this is the effort they put into communication, what does their quality control look like?”

Communication is your brand in action. That includes every email message. When you answer someone with “K,” you’re not saving time; you’re spending credibility.

How about writing “LOL?” Most of the time, nobody is actually laughing out loud—more like mildly exhaling through their nose. However, “LOL” has become the punctuation equivalent of bubble wrap. We stick it at the end of sentences so they don’t feel too sharp.

“I think that quote is too high, LOL.” Translation: “Please don’t get mad at me.” I understand it’s a way to convey tone in a digital space, but we’ve replaced sincerity with shorthand, and thought with speed.

Most of the “busy” I see isn’t strategic intensity; it’s digital distraction. We’re not overwhelmed by meaningful work, but by noise, and because of that, we’ve trimmed communication down to its barest bones.

But here’s the twist: The most successful leaders I know do the opposite. They take the extra 20 seconds to respond thoughtfully and write clearly. Not because they have more time, but because they understand the value of perception. When a CEO writes a full sentence, you feel respected. When a customer types out a complete thought, you feel considered. When someone says, “Thank you. I appreciate your effort on this,” instead of “Thx,” it lands differently. It feels human.

If you want to stand out in today’s marketplace, spell out your words, use punctuation, and write like you care. Clarity wins, so be intentional about your communication. Abbreviating words doesn’t make you look rushed, just distracted, and that you value speed over substance.

Time is not measured in letters saved; it’s measured in trust built. If you can’t give someone 10 seconds of clarity, why should they give you their business?

So the next time you’re about to type “K,” pause, and add the “O.” Maybe even add a period. You’ll survive, and you might even build a little more respect along the way. Because the truly powerful people in business aren’t the ones who type the fastest, but the ones who communicate the best, and that usually takes more than one letter.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.