How to Edit a Co-Worker's Writing Without Hurting Feelings

People tend to be sensitive about their writing. Editing or proofreading something that a co-worker has written can be troubling because you don’t want to hurt his or her feelings or be perceived as overly critical. The tips below will help you edit co-workers’ writing without eliciting an office brawl.

Instructions

Point Out the Positive

1. Identify at least two things that are particularly good about the piece of writing, no matter how horrible the piece is.

2. The positive aspects may not even be the writing at all. Compliment the writer’s use of bullets, neat margins or interesting presentation, for example.

3. Intermingle positive and negative comments together. This will keep you from unloading a deluge of negative comments all at once, which can be intimidating to the writer.

Sugarcoat the Negative

1. Apologize in advance before making negative comments. Use phrases like “I hope you don’t mind,” “I hope this doesn’t hurt your feelings,” “I don’t mean to be critical, but…” and so on.

2. Use phrases like “did you mean,” “this sentence reads rather confusingly,” “this seems to suggest” and so on when delivering negative comments.

3. Make your negative comments seem like suggestions, rather than demands. Instead of saying “you need to change this,” say “it might be a good idea to change this.”

4. Explain why you are making the suggestions. Showing a co-worker that you have a legitimate reason for criticism will help soften the blow.

Offer Suggestions

1. For every negative aspect that you point, offer a suggestion for improving it.

2. Be very specific in your suggestions. If you are telling the writer to change a specific word, tell him or her which word should be used instead.

3. Include something like “I hope I was able to help” in your discussion with the writer. And, tell the writer that you will be glad to help in the future–whether you mean it or not.