Tone Matters
There is more to the story of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis than merely the fact that people will discount the possibility that they are, in fact, responsible for things that happen. Another part of the story which is important to us is found in how Dr. Semmelweis responded to criticism.
To put things mildly and diplomatically, Dr. Semmelweis did not respond well. Among other things, he began to write “open letters” calling out those who opposed him. Here’s a sample of the language that he used:
‘I know that since 1847 thousands of women and children have died, who would be alive had I not remained silent…. In this massacre you, Herr Professor, have participated. Murder must cease!…’
and:
Your teaching, Herr Hofrath, is based on the dead bodies of lying-in women slaughtered through ignorance…. If, sir, without having refuted my doctrine you continue to teach your students and midwives that puerperal fever is an ordinary epidemic disease, I proclaim you before God and the world to be an assassin, and the history of puerperal fever would not do you an injustice were it, on the grounds that you were the first to set yourself in opposition to my life-saving discovery, to immortalise you as a medical Nero.
Two Open Letters to Dr. J. Spaeth, Professor of Obstetrics at the Imperial and Royal Joseph-Academy in Vienna, and to Royal Councillor Dr. F. W. Scanzoni, Professor of Obstetrics at Würzburg (excerpts from S. D. Elek pg 351)
What I must admit here is that he is not entirely incorrect. The results of his handwashing techniques seemed to have completely turned the tide at the hospitals that practiced his techniques. However, his tone as evidenced in his calling those who opposed him “medical Neros,” “murderers,” and “assassins” was so wholly unhelpful as to leave one in doubt as to whether he actually increased resistance to his correct ideas merely because people refused to like him.
Writing online is one of the most difficult things that we do. We write like we speak — with tone. Unfortunately, we also read like we speak — that is, using the tone that we think that we might be using in order to express the words that we are reading. The result can be disastrous. Something that I write with a sarcastic tone within the confines of my head can be interpreted using a wholly straightforward tone when read by my recipient. Likewise, something that was intended to be taken as written by someone else can be misinterpreted to be sarcastic or condescending, or otherwise insulting when I am reading it.
This is an especially important lesson to learn when dealing with policy compliance issues. These matters tend to have people dealing with high levels of emotion. When services have been suspended or a threat of suspension (or worse) is in play, people on both sides of that divide tend to become very emotional. Everyone seems (on occasion, at least) to immediately feel like the “other side” is just out to belittle them at best and take their jobs away at worst.
It is at moments like these when it is vitally important for professionals to walk away before hitting “Send” on that message. Time needs to be taken for reflection and an editing process needs to happen that will result in the tone of the message being reviewed for levelheadedness and accuracy. While it is perhaps true that business correspondence, in general, is no place for vitriol, sarcasm, or hyperbole, this is especially true when it comes to writing messages touching upon policy compliance. So, wait 10 minutes (or an hour) and consider asking someone else to review the message for tone and clarity.
Whether you are a policy compliance agent or you are dealing with the policy compliance people at your service provider, it’s always worth remembering that the person on the other side of the message is still a human being. They want to be treated with just as much respect as you desire to receive from them. Thus, it is very important that we take the time to write clearly, dispassionately, and succinctly.
Bibliography
- S. D. Elek (1966, April), Semmelweis commemoration. Semmelweis and the oath of Hippocrates., (Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine), 59(4), 346-352.
- Ignaz Semmelweis (1861), Two Open Letters to Dr. J. Spaeth, Professor of Obstetrics at the Imperial and Royal Joseph-Academy in Vienna, and to Royal Councillor Dr. F. W. Scanzoni, Professor of Obstetrics at Würzburg.