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Jane Carnall wonders <<... what is, and isn't, an unreasonable request
[during revision/document reviews]>>
If the revision corrects an error, improves the communication, or makes the
document more consistent, it's reasonable. If it comes down to two equally
correct statements, then you (as expert) shouldn't feel obliged to make the
change. (But beware: as you get closer to deadlines, the harder it is to be
objective about such things.) There's no question that you'll develop a more
friendly relationship with the reviewers if you let them have their words
now and then, but under deadline pressure, there's not enough time to make
changes for this sake alone. Of course, if the change introduces an error,
you shouldn't make the change and should point out the error so the reviewer
won't make the same mistake again. (Just make sure you discuss the problem.
You may discover it's not an error after all, and have to run through the
rest of the document to correct the same error elsewhere.)
<<I had inserted 10 queries into the document that I'd specifically asked
her to answer, at a meeting that morning: she didn't answer any of them
directly.>>
I've got a guy here who works much the same way, and I gradually figured out
it was easier to simply book 15 minutes with him and run through my
questions orally in a single sitting. There's a learning curve for any
writer/editor in which you have to figure out how each reviewer works (or
fails to work) so you can plan accordingly. When you have a new reviewer,
this means you'll have to spend 5 minutes introducing yourself and asking
how that reviewer would prefer to receive questions and comments (online, on
paper, verbally, by e-mail, burnt into his desk with a branding iron, etc.).
By doing so, you open a door for future give-and-take and simultaneously
provide a review copy that will actually get reviewed. It won't make an
incompetent reviewer become suddenly brilliant, but at least you're removing
one main obstacle from the review process.
<<My preference for reviewers is for them to make an online copy of the
latest draft (we use Word), renamed with their initials attached to the
name, and add comments to the document, explaining any changes they feel are
required.>>
That's the approach we're moving to here. It'll still require lots of the
soft skills (negotiation, discussion), plus management cracking the whip to
get people to do what they say they're willing to do.
"Hart's law of gravitation: Deadlines are the documentation equivalent of
black holes: the closer the deadline approaches, the harder it becomes to
escape its pull, and the faster events accelerate in their rush towards the
deadline; at the technical communication equivalent of an "event horizon",
nothing escapes that pull. And the closer you approach a deadline, the
faster things are moving and the less time everyone has to react
appropriately."--Geoff Hart
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