It’s easy being critical. Standing on the sidelines, glass of wine in hand, lobbing bombs, undermining those doing the work. Pure criticism can have a positive impact but it’s much more likely when it’s packaged with ideas and offers of help. Not just, ”that’s bad”, but adding a, “how about trying it this way?”

Before weighing in, it’s smart to ask what’s expected. Is it a conceptual take, looking at the quality, a full-throated edit or just looking for spell checks and grammatical holes? You’ll get a guide from the stage in the process. Earlier input lends itself to concepts, last minute is normally about adding finesse and catching foul ups.

Either way, your job is to be clear, to add ideas, respect the stage in the process, and not throw punches (because even secure souls can be fragile if they’re invested).

Skippy strategy: Put ideas in the pipeline.