[Industrialblog,
April 26, 2005]
Management Tools, Part 1
Recently I used a management tool that's the equivalent of a big sledgehammer. It's not my normal management style. Normally I naturally tend to cajole, flatter and plead while being insistent on quality. I focus almost exclusively on the condition of the copy; I spot the problem, diagnose it, suggest a fix and cite a rule, if applicable. So it was a bit out of character when I told an editor who was resisting feedback, "Okay, here's the issue: You are wrong."
He replied, "I don't think I'm wrong."
I said, "Of course you don't think you're wrong. The operative condition of being wrong is you don't know it. So you're exactly where you should be, as someone who is wrong."
Since I never speak this way, he laughed and said, "Okay, how am I wrong?"
So I explained it. He accepted my explanation and agreed that the copy had flaws and said he'd fix them. And then he vowed to get even the next time I was wrong. So it all worked out. And I doubt he'll have a long wait before he evens the scales.
He replied, "I don't think I'm wrong."
I said, "Of course you don't think you're wrong. The operative condition of being wrong is you don't know it. So you're exactly where you should be, as someone who is wrong."
Since I never speak this way, he laughed and said, "Okay, how am I wrong?"
So I explained it. He accepted my explanation and agreed that the copy had flaws and said he'd fix them. And then he vowed to get even the next time I was wrong. So it all worked out. And I doubt he'll have a long wait before he evens the scales.