|
|
April 10th, 1865
War is Over - Lincoln's Last Portrait
by Jim Walker
© 2006, All Rights Reserved
|
Much like the current generation of high-tech moguls who have been known to send e-mails at all hours of the night, the stories of Lincoln spending late nights at the war room telegraph office answering his t-mail messages are well documented by historians. In his book Lincoln at Gettysburg, Northwestern University Professor Garry Wills pays special attention to Lincoln's fascination with t-mail.
"As president, Lincoln worked intimately with the developer of telegraph in America, Joseph Henry, the president of the Smithsonian Institution. He had praised the lightning 'harnessed to take his man's tidings in a trifle less than no time'. Lincoln spent long hours in the telegraph center at the War Department, and was impatient with the fumbling and imprecise language still being used on this instrument, which demands clarity as well as concision." 1
These demands for "clarity and concision" brought about by the new technology forced a new "telegraphic" style of speech, of which Lincoln became a master. In his book, Wills goes on to describe how former West Point mathematics professor Ulysses S. Grant shared with Lincoln this affinity for the new medium and suggests that their effective communications via t-mail may have helped hasten the Union victory.
The e-mail revolution we are currently experiencing is also placing new demands on how we communicate with each other. Lincoln spoke to Congress during the height of the war that "as our case is new, we must think anew, and act anew." There can be little doubt that if Lincoln were living in our times he would be a prolific e-mailer - thinking and acting anew in order to take advantage of this powerful, universal means of communication. And what rules might he offer us for the effective use of e-mail as we face our own battles in the chaotic business landscape of a new millenium? Here are five rules that Mr. Lincoln might follow if he were here with us today, inspired by some of his own observations about human communications.
1. Begin with the end in mind.
"If we could first know where we are, and whether we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it."
Before you start writing, ask yourself what outcome you are trying to achieve. Some e-mails are intended to invoke a response. Others to simply transmit information or say hello. Still others are written to argue a point or sway opinion. Whatever the situation, start with the end clearly in mind and you will surely be able to better judge what to write and how to write it.
2. Be concise or be lengthy, but always be clear.
"Writing - the art of communicating thoughts to the mind, through the eye - is the great invention of the world."
If a simple yes or no will suffice, then don't fill up the screen with additional words just because you can type fast and your e-mail window has a scroll bar! At the same time, if precision and great detail are required, provide it. And no matter what the length of your e-mail, make sure you take the time to choose words that accurately communicate your thoughts. If necessary, read it aloud to yourself or a colleague before hitting the send button.
3. Use stories and even humor to make your points.
"People… are more easily influenced through the medium of a broad and humorous illustration than in any other way."
Do you remember any of the e-mails you read today? Do you remember any of the e-mails you sent today? Unfortunately, all too often there is a vast grey line of deadly boring e-mail that piles up in our in-boxes day after day, devoid of color, description, spontaneity and humor. Obviously your stories and humor have to be in good taste, but when used effectively they are an incredibly powerful way to communicate.
4. Douse those flames!
"With malice toward none, with charity for all…"
Following the battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln wrote General Meade a scathing letter criticizing him for letting Lee's army retreat across the Potomac. Did Meade offer his resignation upon receiving the letter? No, because Lincoln never sent it. It was discovered among his papers after his death. Criticism delivered in any fashion is very rarely constructive but it can be particularly damaging to the morale of individuals and entire organizations when broadcast in an e-mail flame. Furthermore, as we have witnessed in several recent court cases, e-mail has a long shelf life, thus words you send in anger today could come back to publicly haunt you many years from now. The best policy is to not write harshly about anyone in an e-mail, but if you must, think very carefully before hitting the send button.
5. One way or the other, respond quickly.
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
If you receive a large volume of e-mail each day, learning to perform e-mail triage on the battlefield is an essential survival skill. Some e-mails are destined to go early to that big recycle bin on your desktop - so don't hesitate to send them to the fate they deserve. Hit the delete button! Others warrant a brief one or two sentence answer. It is best to answer these whenever they land in your in-box.
This triage process will usually leave behind just a few but important messages which need attention. Out of these, some of the more complicated ones can best be answered by switching media and calling the sender. The remaining e-mails are surely a sign of how much people value your opinion, so set aside a block of time and get to work! And don't forget to ask yourself, "What would Lincoln write?"
1. Garry Wills, Lincoln At Gettysburg - The Words That Remade America (Simon & Schuster, 1992), p. 170. |
