When I came to the World Bank in 1998 I was asked not just to improve the quality of the reports being prepared by the evaluation department but to transfer my skills to others. But I was given several handicaps. First, I inherited the job from another editor who had left a legacy of distrust for editors and editorial process. Second, I was working with people from all over the world and, though most had been educated in English, they came from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines that had shaped their writing. Most had developed habits common to bureaucratic or academic writing - elaborate and tortuous argument, jargon-laden phraseology, plodding exactitude - all of which was counterproductive to effective communication. Third, the reports produced by these writers had to speak truth to power and get results. This is not your typical editorial assignment.
In the years since then I have developed habits of work that have created trust in the editorial process, given me room to establish standards of writing acceptable to my clients and their readers, and I am proud to say, have contributed to postive developments in the way the World Bank does its work. I have changed the way the evaluation department staff approach the writing task, advanced their use of technology to allow the creation of better-looking, "smarter" documents, and helped create a shared sense of duty to be clear, concise, and straightforward in presenting study results.
My most fundamental editorial principle is nothing to do with writing, it is to be of service. Hence, my door is always open. I am available to answer any question any time. When I have the time, I write down my advice and make it publicly available. While this has been useful, I see the creation of this blog as another door to my office. I will record here what I have to share about writing, grammar, quirks of the English language, the use of Microsoft Word to prepare complex reports, and whatever else may seem appropriate for this forum. I will answer questions. Some of what you find here may be familiar, some commonsense, but I hope above all that what you find here is helpful.
1 comment:
Interesting on your note concerning service to those who work for you. I have incorporated this philosophy into my managment style since 1988 - when I attended what was proboably the single most useful seminar I've ever attended. The main point I took away from the management seminar is that to be the most effective manager, your job is to remove the obstacles that prohibit your employees from doing their best. Obstacles take many forms, from lack of resources, to training, to personality conflicts, to a poor legacy of leadership. As an effective manager, you need to stay ahead of your employees, effectively clearing the path.
As time has gone on, I have adopted a bit of buddhism along with that basic tennant - providing service is the main point of management. The good news is that has resulted in many loyal employees, past and present, and the reward of watching the same people move on, utilizing the methods founded in respect and improvement of others.
I have posted next to my desk the eight fold path. It is my constant reminder to be a better person. When things seem to be getting out of hand, I look at the list and can always see where I'm failing - and can resolve to be better. It has kept me sane in what is a difficult situation. It has also finally led me out of the dark and into a better place. I am resigning on the 17th, and am going back to consulting.
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