Tips for Error-proofing Your Documents
Constantin Costas Chantzis
Retired: Will continue doing projects ONLY for my clients: You Remediate Your FDA Problems Right, Fast With Us for 30+ Yrs: Give Us Your Headaches and We 'll Cure Them
Your supervisor, boss or demanding colleague wants you to send out/issue that long-overdue but complex report or a highly sensitive letter or company-risk-critical document/memo/letter but you feel it is NOT ready for prime time. So, is there a bullet-proof way for getting it out right away?
Yes, if you were to apply these simple rules:
- Spell-check your document.
- Read each of your sentences, word-by-word backwards and aloud, if possible.
- Check your document to make sure it contains points, positions, statements, thoughts, etc. that are:
a) unambiguous
b) non-conflicting, and
c) measurable (qualitatively or semi/fully-quantitatively)
4. If, possible, ask a trusted colleague/friend/family member to read it even if they may not know much about its content.
5. Email your document SECURELY to yourself, open and read it slowly as if you were one of its prospective recipients.
6. If you have enough time, then put it away for at least 1-2 hours or even overnight, then repeat above steps 1 through 3.