Working With A Tight Standard
I’ve been a lead writer now for several years– actually 5 in total, and nearly 3 in my present position here at RamblinSports. My schedule calls for one article per week. Readers complain that I don’t always get my article out on time. In fact, I have missed my deadline more often than not. It’s my goal to make that deadline, of course. And believe me, I’m making real progress toward that goal.
I’ve always had very strong success wherever I’ve been. I know what I’m doing. My present writing job is certainly challenging, but I knew coming in that it would be that way. Since my early days here, I’ve told everyone that for me to take this job and to turn things around here was going to be a major challenge. I even said it’s one of the biggest challenges undertaken in my field. In the history of my field even. And I stand by that. But I’ve made lots of progress in my short tenure here. We’ve come very far. I say “we” because my work is a team effort. I am supported by a group of very dedicated helpers, working hard at an elite level. But it’s my name that goes on the record, so I am responsible. I am the one who gets credit for the “makes” and blame for the misses. That’s not always accurate. But I’m good with it. I’ve got thick skin.
My biggest problem is that people don’t see the strides I am making. Compared to where this gig was when I began, our progress is quite obvious. When I started, there was not much going on here. Some of the people here were uninspired, the equipment was outdated and there was a definite lull. Starting on day one, I installed new work traditions. I brought in lots of new helpers, and I created a much greater public awareness of all the good we are doing. Some people called it hoopla. But it’s all part of the effort. All of these changes are positive in and of themselves and that positivity is very important to me. It energizes me when I just think of all the progress we’ve made.
My readers, though, do not always appreciate those big strides we’ve made. Readers can be pretty picky, especially when I don’t make my deadline. For whatever reason , the standard that they use for what makes a successful week actually “successful” is pretty arbitrary. They think that the very definition of success for me is simple– “Did you meet your deadline?”. They believe it’s cut and dried. You either meet the deadline or you don’t. Success or failure, week by week. They even keep count. They say that’s the standard in “the world out there”. There’s no in-between in their mind.
Now I don’t make excuses. I’m not that type. But I have noticed it doesn’t matter to the readers as to whether certain circumstances might create a missed deadline for me. No reason is good enough for them. They don’t care whether I’ve got a bunch of new people to break in, or a different theme to explore, or if other writers just have far more resources to make a deadline than I do, or if there are travel or health issues. Even things that are out of my control–it doesn’t matter to them. They say that if other writers who are working for similar organizations can regularly make their deadlines, then I should be able to as well.
That approach strikes me as shortsighted. It is true that since I started here almost 3 years ago, I’ve met that tight standard only about 25% to 30% of the time. I say “about” because the actual numbers don’t stay with me. I know that those numbers just don’t tell the whole story, which is that we ARE making progress– strong progress. Anybody could see that, if they just look past the numbers. Deadlines I used to miss by a lot are now being missed by smaller margins– at least some of the time.
And compared to the old regime here, the appearance of improvement in our product is visible everywhere you care to look. We’ve got better pens, slicker paper, jazzier copiers, more inspirational music in our office and a much more vigorous computer operation. I have brought in all the trappings of success. We are all over social media. We’ve got logos and inspiring slogans everywhere. (Some negative types say those things don’t directly help to meet a deadline. But I say they are very positive changes and as such they serve as their own reward).
Sure, it costs a lot more to run this place than it used to, but that’s the price you must pay if you want to enjoy success at a high level like I’ve always had, and like we are getting here- or going to get. My readers say strong effort and constant encouragement and extra ballyhoo are all fine, but that they don’t really matter if the actual result falls short. They just don’t see what I see. It’s strange to me.
Besides, I’ve already met just as many deadlines so far this year as I did all of last year, and the year before that, too. So I’m not sure what the readers’ displeasure is all about, really. Three years is a short time. The timely deadlines will happen as we continue to work and build and grow. Readers also harp on the little mistakes we have made that re-occur. For example, if I miss a deadline because of something I can’t control– say I get stuck in traffic, or there’s a computer meltdown or have writer’s block– it will bother my readers. But when those same things happen again and again, they really jump on it–like it’s preventable! I then have to repeat myself and re-explain how hard we are working to make those corrections. I have to make clear that the effort itself to improve is a very strong positive. I’m not sure why I can’t get the readers to see that.
We are constantly building the public’s awareness of all that we’re doing here. That exposure itself has strong value. But in spite of all these outward signs of improvement–signs that are all around us, literally– the readers just want me to meet more deadlines this year than last. And I know that’s going to happen. (Not immediately. It will take time).
My last two opportunities to meet deadlines this year are beyond challenging. But there will come a time in the future when we will be able to meet even the most daunting deadlines on a more frequent basis. They all ask when? I can’t say exactly when. But that day is definitely coming.
My editor, the man who brought me in, he understands. And he recognizes that we’ve made lots of big time progress. He has even said so. Publicly. But he has also said that the readers’ opinions do count for something. Of course they do. Even though I know a lot of things that the readers don’t know and even though I’ve had success everywhere I’ve been, all the readers can seem to care about is whether I make the deadline from week to week.
Now I suppose if the number of readers were to drop off, say by a lot, that could be a problem. Ultimately, they pay the freight for my product. Which is exactly why I have to keep putting out my message that we are doing better. I’ve got to get that message across to the readers. Sometimes I get frustrated why that message is so hard for some people to grasp. They get hung up on minor things like misspelled words and grammar mistakes. I am concentrating on a much higher level of function– topics like trust and communication and high purpose. Once we get those things squared away the comma splices will take care of themselves.
The story is told around here that our final deadline this year– that most challenging one that’s on my schedule at the end of every year–was met a few times by my predecessor. Only about 3 times out of 10 or 11 though. Of course, he’s not here anymore. Why? Because the editor wanted more improvement. That’s why he brought me in. To bring all this progress. Come to think of it, there’s that same percentage again. 3 out of 10 or 11 or so. Right there between 25% and 30%. Like my percentage in year 3! And overall. That’s a coincidence, huh?
Well, I will let others ponder all that. I look forward. Not backward. I’ve got work to do. Let’s go! Who’s with me? Hello?
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports