Re: Reviewers who don't review

[beverly_robinson -at- datacard -dot- com]

Coming in late to this discussion because I'm on digest but . . .

I've used the hidden message technique (usually only the first time I work
with a development team) and it works. For the second and subsequent
reviews with that team, I start my review memos with "Win fabulous prizes!"
Every reviewer to sends at least one substantive comment gets his/her name
put into a hat. At the release celebration I pick a name from the hat and
that person gets the grand prize. In the early days, when I was funding the
prizes myself and all reviewers were local, the prize was a bottle of wine,
a plant, or a box of candy. I also gave an "early bird gets the (gummy)
worm" award--a package of gummy worms candy for the first review to hit my
in-basket. Everyone else got a candy bar as a consolation prize--and my
thanks as I came to their desks to have them choose from among the three
kinds I offered. After a few releases, when the team had gotten into the
habit of reviewing the user information, I was able to eliminate the game.

More recently my reviewers have been spread throughout the world so my
manager funds the grand prize from the department budget--a $50 (or
equivalent local currency) "on the spot" award. Sending candy bars all over
the world doesn't work well, so I've cut out the consolation prizes.

To be sure, there are some developers who still don't review the manuals.
Maybe they're offended by the silliness; maybe they're just too busy. But I
know that others were really impressed by the fact that I was serious
enough about the quality of my work to reward their efforts out of my own
funds. Your mileage may vary.

Beverly Robinson

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