It's the Journey

When it comes to writing, one life lesson that has served me well has been one about ego, notably, the wisdom to know when it is appropriate to call upon it and when to disconnect from it. I am so grateful that I learned this lesson early in my 33-year public sector career which I was able to apply daily, and then in retirement, as a full-time writer.

When I first started preparing documents for my managers, there were days when I was taken aback at the number of corrections noted in red ink. It wasn’t so much that it looked like a sheet of paper left at a bloody crime scene, but it was enough for me to recognize that I had much to learn.

I was new and I accepted that. I saw it as a learning opportunity. With the help of a manager who could mentor me in the accepted principles of our organization’s communication style, I knew that with time and practice, I would eventually grasp the standard formulations and structures of our department’s written products.

The main reason why I didn’t take feedback personally was the signature block at the bottom of the page. The name of someone higher up the ladder figured prominently in that space. For that reason, I knew that the finished product had to be what they wanted to say, how they wanted to say it, in their voice, not mine. There was no point in my getting offended or defensive if the wording I suggested was not quite right.

With the comments provided by my manager, I would then return to the drawing board and continue building the written product from the perspective of the person with the signing authority.

When we are receptive to feedback, we can develop our intuition to understand not only accepted practices but different personal preferences and style. In doing so, we sharpen our reflexes to write from those preferences with ease. With time and repetition, a learning curve develops and hopefully, we see less red ink and strikeouts on our drafts.

When it comes to feedback, it isn’t about us versus them, especially when writing on someone else’s behalf. To do otherwise wastes precious time, energy and headspace especially when working toward a tight deadline.

Over the years, working and writing for different executives, I found great joy in becoming a bit of a literary chameleon, able to write in the voice of executives who preferred detail-oriented documents as well as those with a more succinct style. To me, it was the best compliment when an executive would say, “It’s as if I wrote it myself.”

When taking a turn in the manager’s chair, I took great pleasure in paying it forward, working with younger team members in polishing their writing skills. I made a point of relaying the lesson of not taking feedback personally as it may have nothing to do with them but rather established and templated formulations, accepted as part of the organization’s vernacular.

Just the same, I made a habit of practicing what I preached, remaining open to their innovative suggestions and incorporating them into our products, which appealed to management’s interest in continuous improvement.

I have found that the lesson in not taking feedback personally holds true, even today, when working with editors. I can certainly submit a story that sounds good to me, but for it to find its place within a publication I need to let the editor take the wheel to suggest whatever changes they deem necessary for it to be a cohesive fit and for it to shine.

I appreciate when an editor takes the time to work with me, offering specific advice that will not only improve the submitted article, but if I am receptive to their advice, it will help future ones as well. My creative writing overall will benefit.

For me, there is a line in the sand though. I believe that in our role as the storyteller, we should protect elements that make a story uniquely ours. I would sum it up as upholding what is being said. For this part of the creative process, I believe ego and confidence are assets.

But when it comes to how it’s being said, provided that it is not critical to the story, then I have no problem in letting go and accepting suggestions with the same generosity of spirit with which they are offered. To let ego get in the way could lead to a missed opportunity.

As writers, we certainly need confidence to articulate our stories and to have the courage to release them to our readers. But when it comes to improving as writers, turning off the ego switch and accepting feedback graciously offers us more opportunity to fully benefit from the words of wisdom and experience of our teachers, supervisors and editors.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André