Managing your writing: How feedback can improve the final product

Today we’ll look at when and how to share a piece of professional writing, specifically when it comes to producing notes or reports for international development work.

Three core elements of writing

Let me propose that writing is made up of three core elements: content, style, and management.

Content is what the writing is about, the rough material, the substance to be molded into shape, like turning a lump of clay into a sculpture. A near infinite number of topics are out there, waiting to be written about. The biggest hurdle may be deciding on which one to focus on. Think of content as the what.

Style is the form, the shape and design that the content assumes. Editing and revising for grammar, punctuation, clarity, structure; all those key style elements that Strunk and White, George Orwell and others address. The style must also be appropriate for the type of report and organization for which it is being written. Prose fiction, journalism, doctoral theses and UN reports are different animals. Each has its own logic and purpose and appropriate style. Think of style as the how.

Management is the process of producing the writing, the steps along the way, from concept to outline to draft to revisions to sharing for comment. As dull and prosaic (no pun intended) as this third element may sound, it matters quite a bit. You may have plenty of ideas in your head, and an inimitable writing style. However, if you don’t manage to write them down and prepare them for readers, it won’t matter. Think of management as the when, how much, where, to whom, etc. That is, anything that goes beyond content and style.

On a side note – if you don’t have at least basic competence in all three of the above, you will probably struggle. However, if you are part of a team responsible for the report, you can rely on each other. To a certain extent, team members can compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

Managing the written word

Perhaps for good reason, the third element, management, is the most neglected. What writer wants to think about managing their writing process? We are not all brilliant wordsmiths, such as the late Christopher Hitchens, who, astoundingly, could sit down and produce a polished, piece in just 20 minutes.

Most of us need to plan, and work rather laboriously toward the finished product. It’s not always pretty. Like any process, writing can be managed well or managed poorly, but it must be managed.

One way of improving writing is, of course, by exploiting the feedback of others.  That becomes a little tricky when the feedback is from the manager, editor, or client who has commissioned you to do the work, however.

As you knit your brow and sigh over your unfinished report, questions you may ask yourself include:  

• You know your draft still needs work. Should you share it or continue revising it, even if it means delaying delivery?

• How much detail should you include? Is it better to produce too much and pare it back, based on feedback? Or is it better to “park” extra material in reserve, and add it later, when you get the inevitable request to expand on this or that point?  

• Is it okay to leave in weak parts if you point out that you are aware of them and will continue to improve them?

Share now or share later?

• You want to avoid sharing a draft that is too weak, since it could cause the reviewers to question your writing or analytical abilities, or commitment to quality.However, perhaps the draft is due in a few days, and you know it will not be ready. Should you deliver it on time, because that’s what was agreed, or ask for an extension? Generally, choose the latter: better to deliver late but good, than on time but poor.

• However, if you do ask for an extension, let the person you report to, who will be reviewing the piece, know in advance. They may well be flexible, especially when it comes to internal deadlines.

• If most sections are in good shape, but one section needs a lot of work, send the document with a note that section X needs a bit more time. Similarly, in those parts of your report where you know more information or analysis is needed, note that directly in the document, as a heads up.  Better to deliver good writing that is incomplete — than weak writing that is complete.

• If you have written good material but it exceeds the page limit you’ve been given, either hold it back or create an annex. The annex is your Joker card, where you can put surplus (but hopefully good) writing, and save it from oblivion.

• Internal deadlines are your friends. Deadlines are often not hard, and delivering a few days, or even a week late might not make a difference. The writing process is managed by setting a series of intermediate milestones that need to be met. This is not college, where you can cram all night and deliver your paper before class in the morning.

• Keep people in the loop on your progress. Share outlines, concepts, or smaller sections of the report in advance, to show that the work is progressing, and to get feedback. Or, have a few meetings or calls to keep the people who will be reviewing updated. This process is similar to how companies release “beta” versions of software programs, piloting them in the real world before upgrading them to the final release version. There is a clear advantage to sharing a work in progress, as opposed to a work you feel is close to complete. Others will see things that you don’t, making the revision process more efficient.

• Unless you have an open-ended or a very long timeline, and almost no other obligations, remember that perfection is not the goal. If you are a consultant, you have been given a fixed budget or finite number of days. You need to produce competent, high quality, relevant work. That is what is asked and expected of you. Of course, you can always do more and better. But the best way to get there is through repeated practice, not fixating on this one piece.

• Some reviewers will be more forgiving than others. Some focus on strengths, others on weaknesses. Your work will benefit from both. However, you will know which ones you can trust to provide constructive feedback on preliminary efforts. Reviewers are your allies. Use them.

There are no strict rules, but the better you are at managing how and when you share your work, the less stressful it will be, and the more pride you can take in the result.