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Subject:Re: What's the significance of a draft From:"Doc" <doc -at- vertext -dot- org> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 15 Sep 2002 18:09:58 -0400
"Anonymous" <anonfwd -at- raycomm -dot- com> wrote in message news:167486 -at- techwr-l -dot- -dot- -dot-
Snip
> Background: I ask because over the holiday weekend, my boss pulled a rough
> draft from my cube that I had printed on Friday (for my own review when I
> returned on Wednesday), and went through it. Of course there were many
> errors. I was shocked to walk in this morning and be confronted about
> this. Moreover, this individual began to question my editing skills, and
> said that my rough draft was too 'rough'. We were not pressed for a
> deadline, and I cannot help but feel set up.
Anon ... may I call you that? Anonymous seems so formal.
It is always important to widen your focus and look at the people involved.
It is a holiday weekend. Gaiety and laughter are abounding. But in a small
dark corner of the garden sits a lonely person. No one is dancing for them.
No one refills their plate with potato salad and short ribs.
Revolted by the effervescence and joy, in which they cannot share, from
which they have been thoughtlessly and callously excluded, they quietly make
their way back to the only place they feel at home ... the office.
... and they find a gift, something to keep their mind off their pitiful,
insulated existence, a draft. Even better it is a rough draft, laden with
errors and other flaws.
Oh joy! I can be of value! They cry. I shall edit and critique this work so
stringently that it will be obvious to all that my life is worthwhile.
Okay, I got carried away. But did it occur to you to try to figure out why
this person had the time to go over a rough draft on a holiday weekend. Has
something changed in the schedule? Or is the person feeling threatened or
superfluous.
Maybe they need something to do. They may simply be feeling under-utilized.
Try asking for their help as an editor. Appeal to their superior skills.
Osculate some tushy.
In other words, think like a manager. Find out why and fix it. If you don't,
then you accept the role of victim.
Irascibly yours,
-Doc
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David 'Doc' Lettvin
VerText
"Versatile Text for reusability and globalization" http://www.vertext.org
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