How do you deal with nitpicking co-workers?

If you’ve had co-workers and execs who think they can complete communications tasks better than you do, you’re not alone.

Though from a designer’s point of view, a comic from The Oatmeal titled “How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell” chronicles the pain that know-it-alls inflict on PR pros and communicators.

Projects can easily get derailed when executives, managers and random co-workers feel obligated to make changes to your work—all so they feel like they’ve done their job.

How many times have you heard something like this?

• “I made an A in my college English class, so why don’t you let me take a look at that ad copy?”
• “I was pretty good at art in school, so I think you should use these colors in the new exhibit.”
• “I don’t think our website visitors will know what “get a quote” means. Can we make that more obvious?”

It’s one thing to receive constructive feedback from another graphic designer, writer or PR pro—or from someone like a marketing director.

However, it’s frustrating to receive unwelcome feedback from a co-worker whose one claim to expertise is that he or she reads a lot. Others demand detailed explanations for your decisions and will argue with you if you don’t follow their suggestions.

[Free download: 10 ways to enliven senior executives’ communications]

As The Oatmeal points out, would they offer such suggestions if we were engineers designing the turbine of a commercial airplane?

Or would you—as a corporate communicator, PR pro or social media marketer—say something like this to another professional, such as an architect? “I was really good with Legos as a kid; may I look at the blueprints and make some suggestions?” You probably would not.

My question for you—and the reason for this post—is to ask how frequently you deal with officious co-workers who feel compelled to make changes to your work. What stories do you have, Raganreaders, and how have you dealt with the situation?

Laura Hale Brockway is a medical writer and editor from Austin, Texas. Read more of her work at impertinentremarks.com.

from Ragan.com http://ift.tt/1Yu6BQm via web video marketing
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1W7qcEt