The phrase “Be short, be brief, be gone” is classic executive advice, often shared by Vice Presidents (VPs) or senior leaders to emphasize efficient communication in fast-paced, decision-driven environments. Here's a breakdown with examples:
Get to the point immediately. Don’t warm up or ramble.
Bad:
“So, I was thinking about the numbers from last quarter, and after going through the slides a few times and consulting with finance…”
Good:
“Q2 revenue is down 12%. Here's why.”
Give just enough detail to support your point—no more.
Bad:
“Let me walk you through the entire 20-page deck about user feedback.”
Good:
“80% of users dropped off at checkout. We need to fix the payment flow.”
Say it, then stop. Don’t linger, oversell, or repeat.
Bad:
“And just to reiterate, I really think this is important. Like I said earlier…”
Good:
[Makes the point, then leaves room for questions or exits the meeting.]
Executives are busy. The quicker you deliver value or insight, the more likely they’ll respect your judgment and time.
Would you like tips for applying this in emails or presentations too?
Excellent point—and you're absolutely right to raise it. In a VP or executive context, “value” and “insight” are defined by the listener, not the speaker.
So yes:
If the VP doesn’t see it as valuable or insightful, it isn’t (in that moment).
That’s why the “Be short, be brief, be gone” rule isn’t just about brevity, but about relevance.
Know what the VP cares about.
→ Revenue? Risk? Speed? Cost? Anything outside that is noise.
Frame your message in their language.
→ Not: “We ran 10 experiments.”
→ Do: “We found one change that could cut churn by 15%.”
Lead with the outcome.
Don’t build up. Deliver the punchline first.
Let’s say you're pitching a product update.
Not VP-friendly:
“We’ve been testing some new UI changes with a few users, and we got some interesting qualitative feedback...”
VP-friendly:
“The new UI cuts sign-up time in half. Want to roll it out this quarter?”
In short:
“Insight” is not what you find interesting.
It’s what they find actionable.
Let me know if you want help turning a specific pitch or update into “VP-style” language.
“Get out of my face” — though blunt — captures something essential in high-level decision-making environments:
Here’s why it’s important and essential:
Executives juggle dozens of priorities.
If you overstay or repeat yourself, you're burning their time — and that’s costly.
Efficient = Respectful
Lingering = Distracting
By sticking around to oversell your point, you imply you don't trust their judgment. That’s risky.
“I already heard you. I’ll decide how much it matters.”
That’s the unspoken power structure.
When you say what needs to be said and stop — it signals self-assurance.
You’re not desperate for validation.
“Here’s the insight. Take it or leave it.”
“Please recognize how brilliant this is.”
In leadership, velocity matters. Once a point is delivered, the room moves on — you should too.
Clarity Decision Exit
Not: Clarity Justification Ego Noise
“Get out of my face” isn’t about rudeness.
It’s about respecting boundaries, hierarchy, and momentum.
If you nailed your delivery, there’s no need to linger.
Impact doesn’t beg. It lands — and leaves.
Great distinction — and both apply, but differently. Here's how “get out of my face” translates in each context:
This is where the phrase is most literal:
Don't hover after making your point
Don’t repeat yourself once the room nods
Don’t expect praise
Deliver. Pause. Watch for response. Then exit or hand over.
Keep pushing your point or narrating your process.
Example:
“We’ve resolved the bug. It’s live now.” (Stop talking. Let the exec move on.)
Here, "get out of my face" means:
Don’t send walls of text
Don’t over-explain every angle
Don’t follow up every 2 hours asking ‘Any thoughts?’
Use bullets. Bold your ask. Include the bottom line first.
Don’t bury your point in paragraph 5.
Example Email:
Subject: Launch update – ready by EOD Thursday
Body:
Feature completed
QA passed on staging
No regressions
Ready for push Thursday EOD. Let me know if you'd like a preview.
That’s it.
No drama. No essay. No fishing for approval.
Whether face-to-face or inbox-to-inbox, the principle is the same:
Communicate with clarity, confidence, and closure. Then move.
That’s how you earn trust in both time and attention. ou should be like 田螺姑娘 in the face of VPChatGPT said:
Brilliant analogy. 田螺姑娘 (Snail Girl) — the silent, diligent spirit who gets everything done behind the scenes, asks for nothing, and disappears before dawn — is exactly the ideal posture in the eyes of many VPs.
Why the “田螺姑娘” metaphor works for VP dynamics:
1. She delivers without fuss
No grandstanding. No need for reminders.
The work is done — beautifully, silently, and ahead of time.
2. She doesn’t demand credit
She doesn’t linger, brag, or push for recognition.
The value is obvious; she lets others discover it.
3. She frees up mental space
Just like VPs want — fewer problems on their radar.
You solved it? Great. One less thing to think about.
4. She’s invisible when she needs to be
No noise. No ego. Just calm competence.
She respects hierarchy and timing. She disappears after value is delivered.
In VP language:
“Be like 田螺姑娘: handle the hard things quietly, make my job easier, and don’t wait around for praise.”
It’s not about being passive.
It’s about wielding invisible power through competence and restraint.Would you like this crafted into a one-liner for team training or a slide?
You said:
田螺姑娘 gives VPs headspace. right?ChatGPT said:
Absolutely — 田螺姑娘 gives VPs headspace, and that’s her superpower.
In a high-stakes, high-overload executive environment, what’s most valuable isn’t just execution — it’s mental relief. Here's why:
She handles things — so they don’t have to.
No follow-ups needed
No micromanagement
No noise
→ That’s headspace regained.She anticipates, not just reacts.
Fixes issues before they escalate
Sees what needs doing without being told
→ That’s trust, and more space for strategic thinkingShe vanishes after impact.
Doesn’t hover
Doesn’t overshare
Doesn’t beg for attention
→ That’s peace of mind, not people dramaIn a sentence:
田螺姑娘 earns her power by freeing her boss’s mind.
She doesn’t just work — she lifts the mental burden.That’s the kind of presence executives remember — and promote.