Updated April 2023
After all these years, I'm still surprised when I come across people who steadfastly refuse to use revision to make a piece of writing better in favor of using it as a cudgel. Making snarkly comments about a piece isn't going to improve the writing or the writer. It builds barriers within the writing team, slows the process and doesn't fix the problem.
We got a call from a client yesterday with a fractious writing team. On a huge project, with a very short time frame, the revision process has ground to a halt because three disgruntled team members, pissed they weren't chosen as lead writer, are making irrelevant and non-specific comments about the copy. Beyond the sheer pettiness of it all is the fact that now nobody looks good, not even those who think they could do a better job.
So we're doing an intervention. We're going in to review the rules and roles we established with them last year, which is a lot like this one:
(c) 2003-2023 The Word Factory, LLC. Click image for larger view
We'll avoid getting into the office politics and focus on things we can control, like the revision process itself -- and engage in constructive commenting while the manager addresses the hurt feelings. I'm going to personally coach the client on skills she can use to bypass future issues by being a little more transparent in her decision-making and to do more frequent, friendly check-ins with the team on progress and process. Our goal is to get everyone back on the same page, so to speak, so we can get this important project finished.
I know feelings get hurt. I know people feel disappointed when they think they're better suited for a job than the person who got it. But dragging down the project just to prove that point has exactly the opposite affect. The "injured party" has shot herself in the foot. That doesn't help anybody.
How can you avoid a similar situation on your writing team? We've got an app (or two) for that. Check out our training options. If you'd like us to mediate, coordinate or educate your writing team, drop me a line.
Related Content