Document Review 101

Successful internal review comes down to providing helpful structures and setting expectations. 

Strategize About Reviewers

The more people who review a document, the longer it will take to complete and the more involved the process. Make sure that you’re only asking people to review who have enough context about a communication and enough investment in its success to provide insightful and constructive feedback.

Foreground Purpose and Audience

It can be confusing for a reviewer to weigh in on something they haven’t seen or thought about for weeks. Foreground documents with a brief summary of the purpose, intended audience, and desired outcomes from their review. It may also be helpful to include a checklist with the reviewer sequence and deadlines for providing feedback.

Fend Off Change for its Own Sake

A reviewer’s comments and suggestions might be so sweeping that they effectively rewrite a document, sometimes repeatedly over successive rounds of review. However delicately you need to, find a way to short circuit this by reiterating deadlines and setting limits on rounds of review. Fear or insecurity tend to drive behavior like this, and that’s a much larger issue; don’t let it derail your process.

Humor Whims if You Must

If a higher-up insists on a change that you know is wrong, indulge their folly and move on to the next round of review. Sometimes people need to see for themselves that an idea doesn’t work.

Let it Go

It’s hard, but try to let go of any ego attached to a piece of writing once review starts–it’ll only get in the way of progress. That said, don’t shy away from making clear your intention or highlighting critical contexts if a reviewer provides uninformed feedback.