Drafts Debate

["Andrew T. Brooke" <abrooke -at- pathcom -dot- com>]

I'm glad I saw this long discussion on drafts - it will probably prepare me
well for my upcoming new job!

I agree with the idea of clearly marking the word "Draft" on each page, and
perhaps even adding an explanatory note at the beginning stating this is a
draft which may contain some errors and is still being worked on. I also
think that much of the misunderstanding was caused by perceived failures in
expectations. A writer expected one thing; his manager expected another.
Clearly, both need to meet to clarify their expectations.

If a manager took one of my drafts without my permission and then proceeded
to berate me about it, I hope I would have the strength and patience to do
the following actions:

1. Remain cool, calm and collected.

2. Thank him/her for their feedback, but say "I'm sorry - I didn't realize
you were going to be looking at this. I wasn't quite finished with it. Can
you let me make your corrections plus others and I will do my best to get it
back to you as soon as possible." And maybe even say "Please, if you can,
let me know next time when you want to examine the drafts so I can prepare
them properly for you - they are still very much a "work-in-progress".

By couching your response this way, I think you help defuse the situation.
Yes - I know there's many of you who might say this is "kissing butt". Maybe
it is. I would say that if a manager is continually being abusive and
disrespectful to a worker, despite that worker's best intentions, then that
writer should eventually move on somewhere else. Life is too short to go to
a job you despise.

My 2 cents....

Andrew T. Brooke
abrooke -at- pathcom -dot- com


>The discussion was was about a draft that was _not_ turned in (because it
>wasn't ready) but taken without knowledge and consent of the writer and
>then picked apart (because it wasn't more than a less-than-ready draft).

>And the discussion was not about the draft having been edited, but about
>the criticism by the manager that the draft was too rough (when it wasn't
>supposed to be more polished and anyway wasn't ready for a real review).




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