when your boss asks you to review something... 3

[kingnero]

When your boss asks you to review something, eg. a note, ment for in-house public, about something technical or about the implementation of new procedures, do you...
a) read the whole thing, check any calcs/prices/ technical stuff,
b) also check for contents (making sure he doesn't spread information that is incorrect or not realistic to be followed)
c) also check his spelling/grammar/punctuation/capitals?

My boss, also an engineer, has asked me again to review a document before spreading it.
While the technical side is OK, it contains some spelling/grammar errors.

Last time he asked me to review something, I gave him a reviewed word-doc in which some punctuation marks were corrected, some missing words were filled in (probably forgotten by typing too rapid), ...
but the document that was spread was his original doc.

The exactly same thing happens right now again.
I don't want to come over as a know-it-all, yet I'm trying to do my work as good as possible, so I review a+b+c from above.
I'm no greenhorn either, I know what to do and my position in the firm, yet he's still the one paying my check every month (so there's no reason to piss him off, which happens easily).

any suggestions or situations you want to share?

 

[SNORGY]

I would continue doing exactly what you are doing. When he no longer wants you to check things, he will stop asking. Otherwise, it appears that your efforts add value to his efforts and he realizes it.

 

[truckandbus]

I've had two bosses who are not native English speakers. I reviewed each of their memoranda for the same three points you do. Sometimes they use my edit, sometimes not. Often they want to preserve their 'feel' to the memo, and they tell me that the more 'foreign' the message implies a higher level of emotion on their part.

We always use a second set of eyes for communications going to a customer.

 

[zdas04]

If he catches you not correcting his grammar and punctuation, he will feel like you are patronizing him. Much worse than turning they're into their.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.

 

[tygerdawg]

Continue to correct & modify, but let him know about it softly / unjudgingly using phrases such as "I took the liberty to change this..." or "You may want to consider rewriting this sentence like this because it flows better" and so on. It is the rare duck of an engineer who survived an engineering curriculum who also has a strong command of the English language and is a good communicator.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[kingnero]

Thanks for your comments. Apparently I'm on the right track.

@Tygerdawg, you can happily leave out "english" in your last sentence, it's a universal thing...

I still am wondering why he didn't used my corrected document last time, but that shouldn't influence my actions about correcting a+b+c this paper, this time.

 

[Jboggs]

I am surprised I didn't see anyone suggest the simplest approach - ask him what he wants you to check for and what to ignore. Hey, we all make typos! I am the world's worst! I firmly believe in a separate set of eyes or at least a night's sleep before review to send out anything of significance.

 

[msquared48]

kingnero:

As to why about the last time, he probably got ribbed by a client or jurisdiction for is last effort and doesn't want that embarrasment to happen again.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[cvg]

office vp recently gave a presentation of a new project to the staff. one of the clerical staff pointed out that the project name was mispelled on the opening slide. there was lots of laughter, and then it came out the presentation had already been given several times. too bad somebody didn't proof the spelling on that one.

 

[KENAT]

Not sure what you mean by reviewed word document - did you just make the changes or indicate them with track changes?

Did they definitely know there were corrections in the version you gave to them?

How about printing a hard copy and actually red lining it?

Like jboggs says, can you not ask for some clarification?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[spongebob007]

The way I look at reviewing the work of others is that I am paid to be an engineer and not an English teacher. Same thing with checking drawings. I am not a checker nor do I want to be one. I don't count quantites of parts on bills of materials or make sure the balloon callouts on assembly drawings match the BOM line items or that a part is fully dimensioned. That is what checkers are for. I check documents for technical accuracy and engineering content. If I happen to check a typo or obvious grammar error I point it out, but I don't go out of my way to look for them.

 

[Mr168]

I check all of the above, and it has saved my hide on a number of occasions. It's amazing just how often the "Let's eat, Grandma" vs. "Let's eat Grandma" syndrome can haunt specifications/technical documents.

 

[tnkayaker]

Congratulations spongebob, you must be at one of the few companies remaining that are burdened with overhead. I hope you have a monopoly.

 

[bacon4life]

Ask your boss what he wants from you. My review of a 30% document is very different than a 90% document.

Also, check that Word-track changes is the way he wants them fixed. Merging tracked changes back into the original document can be a touch tricky, so you boss might need a bit of training.

 

[dozer]

Maybe I'm just being obtuse but I don't understand the replies to spongebob. How is a checker overhead? And how is paying an engineer to count fasteners and make sure section cuts are referenced on the page they say they are efficient and cost effective? Yes, I will mark up anything I see that is wrong like spelling errors.

 

[TheBlacksmith]

My boss has made it clear that he expects all my talents to be used when he asks me to check a memo, letter , or e-mail; technical, grammer, political ... I am glad that he isn't one of those bosses that know it all. As for the comments to Spongebob, apparently his performance agreement or whatever his company calls it doesn't have the "and whatever else management asks" boilerplate.

 

[TED7]

I was once asked to check a colleagues drawing, I found some errors. They talked their way out of almost all but the dimensional ones then told me off for time wasting and never asked me to check anything again.

Designer of machine tools - user of modified screws

 

[MikeHalloran]

I was asked to make 3D models from a bunch of 2D drawing files, in AutoCAD.
It didn't work; the models were screwed up, because the drawings were screwed up.
I asked the old timer who made the drawings why he didn't use associative dimensioning.
Old timer said it never worked for him, so he had been turning it off, for 20 years.
What he had always turned on, that screwed up the dimensions, was a running object snap of 'near'.
So every nominally intersecting pair of lines on his drawings either crossed or fell short of meeting, by .003" or so.

So I told the boss that I couldn't make 3D models out of SoAndSo's (thousands of) drawings, I would have to construct them from scratch.
... so the boss fired me, saying "You can't make a 3D model; you told me so yourself."
Of course he was looking for an excuse anyway; one day more and he would have had to pay my pimp.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[a7x1984]

Wow, Mike. That is quite an ending to a story.

king: Look at it this way - you are not solely a subordinate, and he is not solely a superior; it is a hazard to look at it in that manner all the time. You are a team trying to produce quality work so as to obtain more projects (a hopefully fruitful and endless cycle). So, when you work as a team, the sum of the individuals drives the quality of the end product. The last thing you want to do is allow the team (or parts of the team) to get sloppy with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. In Maryland, the State will turn down proposals based upon poor grammar and spelling.

It is silly to argue that you are only checking the technical nature of the work.

If I happen to check a typo or obvious grammar error I point it out, but I don't go out of my way to look for them

Believe it or not - when you read a sentence for technical accuracy your brain can simultaneously check grammar and readability!

The quality of your team depends on you being sharp at both. Besides, it will improve your own writing skills.


In Russia building design you!

 

[DKirkham]

Mark any corrections you make in RED or some other way so he knows exactly what you did. Correct everything for him, spelling, grammer, etc. but MARK it so he knows. Everyone loves a second set of eyes. Remember, proof reading takes time and most bosses don't have a lot of time. He'd downloading a problem to you so he can focus his attention somewhere else. I do it all the time.

If he thinks that is the best use of your time then help him all you can. He may not want someone without an engineering back ground checking his paper--they can make engineering mistakes that will make the company look bad.

Help him look good and he will help you look good

David

http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com