Must I be a very quiet sheep?
By Brenna Hanly
I hate whiners, but this ones a real complaint I have about the corporate cultures that I have so far experienced. I do want to point out that there are many aspects of these same places that are incredible and that this post is not directed towards any single individual. Back to the whining.
To best explain what I am talking about let me give an example of one part of a typical day.
“Hey Brenna, why don’t you write an email about your point of view regarding this opportunity for client x?”
I then evaluate the particular opportunity and craft an email about it to the client. At that point, instead of sending the email to the client in an efficient manner, I send it to a number of superiors for feedback. Although it bothers me somewhat that I can’t be trusted to simply send the email and save a lot of time, that isn’t the real frustration. That comes now, when instead of receiving general thoughts and comments to incorporate, I sometimes receive a complete re-wording of my thoughts. The kicker is when I am then asked to send the email as myself, something that is not what I actually think or would say.
I couldn’t let out such accusations without offering up alternatives. Here’s what I got. I realize that the younger employees in the workforce do not have the experience and learnings that the older employees have. Therefore, I can accept the need for my work to be checked. However, instead of completely rewording and changing my thoughts and then asking that I send an email, why don’t you offer more general feedback that I can incorporate in my own way or write and send the email yourself if you want to completely control the content?
Image credit: Rambling Traveler
Brenna,
I’m with you. I hope that the next time this happens, you feel comfortable enough to speak up and say just what you said here (with class and grace of course). They might not realize what they’re doing?
How did you handle it in this case? Did you end up sending the “fixed” email?
Hey, Brenna (and Kate and others),
I had an experience like this when I was in my late 20s, about 5 years into my corporate career, and actually got through to a director one time by respectfully pointing out that a lot of his red marks were simply changes based on personal writing style. You know, as in he likes to write/say something one way and I prefer to write/say it another way. Neither way is right or wrong, simply personal preference as to how the info is presented. I offered him a compromise — I would change anything where a red mark suggested I had presented invalid information. We’d leave the rest as is; then, we could see if it would fly. He agreed, it did, and later, I heard him speaking to others about personal writing style. It was very cool!
Thanks for sharing your story — and I appreciate the frustration. Kate, hope this helps!
Keep it real! Shannon
Brenna,
As a 20-something writer and editor, I gotta say this is a fine line. I’ve had a few corporate communications jobs (as you know) and I won’t mention the company I’m thinking of here (you probably know that too), but I was asked to literally fabricate reports and present them as truth at times at this place. My name might not have been on this stuff every time, but even when it wasn’t I was still upset by these requests to lie.
There’s something that makes a person’s thoughts and expression of them very much a reflection of their integrity. When our words are changed, our integrity feels at risk.
That said, there are also times when even a stylistic change is a good call. As the editor at BostInnovation.com, I sometimes change the style of a piece to ensure that themes and motifs are consistent throughout the article. As a writer, I understand that style changes are insulting. As an editor, I see that they can be useful and help the writer’s points hit home. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride. Just don’t let anyone jeopardize your integrity.
Cheers dude,
Kyle Psaty
Brave article and valid point. Way to speak your mind.
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