During World War II, Winston Churchill was marking up a classified document that the Allied forces were waiting for in order to go into action. On one of the pages Churchill wrote, “Watch the borders,” referring to the manner in which the typist had left little room for him to make comments in the margins. When the Allied generals read the document, they believed that they were being advised by Churchill to watch England’s borders in the southeast in order to stop a possible enemy invasion there. Of course, there was no invasion. Luckily, this misunderstanding between Churchill, his generals, and the typist did not result in unnecessary death or devastation. In war, miscommunication can cause havoc.
The Right to Straight Talk
During World War II, Winston Churchill was marking up a classified document that the Allied forces were waiting for in order to go into action. On one of the pages Churchill wrote, “Watch the borders,” referring to the manner in which the typist had left little room for him to make comments in the margins. […]
July 07, 2011
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HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.