first drafts...
What is the purpose of a first draft? To me a first draft is a “take” on what yer about to do. Its a blind folded run of the maze, yer gonna nick yerself on doors, hit corners, probably trip, you cant see. Yet you have to start somewhere. First draft is blind start, the jump start to get to where yer about to be. Everytime I complete a first draft, I typically pause and realize that whoever I send it too will no doubt point out to me the obvious first draft like fopa’s: spelling, puncuation, grammar etc, I even try to say “hey give me real feedback on content and direction dont go into spelling, grammar etc” yet in the end, thats what I get back. Which makes me feel like my brain isnt attached.
I hate the notion that I was oblivious to the idea of spelling or oblivious to the idea that hey that black box is probably a placeholder. And I hate having to explain every single “it didnt quite make it” visual in the report to them. I’ll spend hrs trying to tell them what they already should know, its a first draft.
First drafts are like train wrecks for the ego as well. You slave for hrs only to have someone later point out to you the obvious and not give you real substance on what you are doing. Rather than positive direction you get the dunce cap that says “black boxes should really be images”. The problem is they cant read yer mind, ok I’ll try that one, they still should realize that a draft is just that a draft. They have been there, they have started from scratch before yet, its easier to point out the obvious just in case i suppose. But it makes team members feel like they cant even breathe, wheres my oxygen machine, why isnt someone telling me to breathe properly, apparently I get credit for doing that right. I’m sure there will be a notice on my desk about it later.
The other thing that gets me on first drafts is that yer instantly behind, you think you scored just getting out the first draft but then yer graded and reminded that black boxes should be images, though you knew that and thats the point of first drafts and all just getting yer ideas down but still its not finished so whatever you think you scored yer still behind.
I love and hate first drafts. A good first draft is only steps away from being a final draft, I need real feedback and ideas and a reminder that im on track, I dislike the obvious, the obvious tells me you didnt read it, you dont know whats going on and or you have little to faith in me. Its fine either way really, I’ve given up trying to change people and its not worth the conflict to do so. In the end i want, crave, need balance, I’ll align with those that see and understand me and I will push away from those that do not.
Honest mistake just being the project manager maybe? Still they should know really, and I probably wont hold it against them but its funny, its really funny, its like clockwork everytime i send out a first draft the obvious comes back at me. I’ll even edit out the obvious and see what it is then just to see what i got back in feedback. That actually feels better. Cause then instead of a list of 10 things, its really a list 3. Ok 3 things you had to say really have some “base” in direction and content, the rest were nuff said. And I really want to send them that. Thanks for the 3 points of direction, thats what i was after, despite that i said that in the email and tried to point out aspects of first run draftness, you have to clarify the obvious “just in case” i forgot or wasnt breathing.
I’ve been trying hard to just negate the emotion of these events and focus on the objective, get the report out. But they dont make it easy.. people that is… they dont make it easy.