Business Writing Tip: Handling Rejection

As any Business Communicator knows, having a communication kicked back for revision can be a humbling experience, especially when weighed against all the effort that goes into producing professional-level writing.

Let's face it, most accomplished writers like to believe their writing is always on-target, and, in their minds at least, is deserving of nothing more than a cursory review and sign-off.

Thus said, what happens when a writer’s self-perceived masterpiece is minutely scrutinized, edited, or is rejected altogether?

Writers can experience a range of emotions at this point. Disappointment is obvious, but this can easily turn into disgruntlement if the writer does not have a professional attitude about their role and function as a producer of communications for Business and Industry.

Granted, it is only natural to react negatively to rejection. But dwelling on it or taking it personally is counterproductive. The important thing is to quickly move past the emotions of rejection and get on with the task of completing the project with a renewed perspective.

This is not to suggest that Business Communicators should automatically acquiesce in the face of rejection. After all, there are occasions when writers, based on their expertise with the written word, ought to be be assertive and offer a logical and compelling counter-argument in defense of how and what they wrote.

Of course, disagreement should never come across as inflexibility. The best tack for communicators is to try justifying their approach through persuasion and negotiation. But if one’s arguments remain unconvincing, the only reasonable alternative is to follow through with the suggested revisions in a timely manner.

The simple fact is that writing is a process and it is rare for any first draft to be accepted unchanged and unchallenged, no matter how well-crafted the communication may be. Writers who are reconciled to this fact at the onset of their projects will be doing themselves a big favor emotionally, as well as allowing for a time cushion that anticipates potential bottlenecks.

Generally speaking, Management seldom gives communicators specific direction with respect to the tone, format, or level of detail they want in a communication. By the same token, it is often only after the writer provides "hard copy" does the focus of the communication take shape. And if this means submitting multiple drafts and revisions, then so be it. It's all part of the job.

Amid all the frustration and irritation this extra work may bring, writers need to adopt the attitude that they are providing a framework for decision-making. Professional Communicators view this process as an opportunity to influence Policy. Do you?

In the end, be confident in your abilities, but guard against being over-confident to the extent of appearing arrogant and intractable. You may fancy yourself as an accomplished Wordsmith, but when writing for others, you have to expect that your communication will be open for review and revision.

Jack