Achieve your business goals, increase innovation, and ensure effective teamwork. If you are a contract officer or business manager, check out these four tips to hire emotionally intelligent editors for success.
Emotional intelligence is a popular topic in the workplace these days. It’s become an important hiring factor for business leaders and managers, but emotional intelligence can also be an essential trait for business writers and editors too.
Does this example sound familiar? Though a new web editor is experienced at writing and editing strategic communications, he is difficult to work with, not a team player, and causing deadline delays…again. Now department executives are demanding a replacement asap. The contracting officer did everything right and verified the editor was highly qualified and had the proper credentials and education, but he learned the hard way that the new hire lacked emotional intelligence, an important soft skill that can really affect how the work is or isn’t accomplished.
Defined as “the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others,” emotionally intelligent editors translate those abilities into reading clients, building trust, avoiding conflict, and increasing productivity.
Read on to learn how these unique editors approach their work, as well as the key traits to look for before hiring them.
Self-awareness and reading clients
In my writing and editing practice, I have worked with top level experts in senior executive service positions, political appointee slots, and business roles. They are so darned smart, successful, and savvy, you may be surprised to learn they sometimes feel vulnerable when it comes to writing a stakeholder letter. This sentiment can stem from a variety of negative experiences including grade school grammar enforcement, cruel college editors, and merciless early bosses who shredded reports and memos. Those lifetime encounters add up and affect how all employees react to editors in the workplace.
Emotionally intelligent editors understand these emotions and don’t react in the moment. They won’t feel threatened by clients who appear defensive or frustrated because these editors recognize clients who feel triggered and act out uncertainty. The editors understand this dynamic, and they allay client fears by guiding them with confidence and compassion.
These editors also lead with empathy, and they are aware of their impact on others. They start every project with a short meet-and-greet to gauge client feelings about the writing project and to identify shared goals. This important information gathering activity builds rapport quickly and sets the tone for the rest of the interpersonal interactions.
Hiring tip:
Request previous client testimonials and check references. Yes, you want to know if the project was completed on time – but ask how clients felt during the editing process – were the revision cycles even exchanges or exhausting episodes?
Self-management and building trust
I call this no ego editing. Emotionally intelligent editors know the editing process can be awkward for clients. These editors manage their own emotions while leading clients to a better draft. They keep cool, manage stress, and meet deadlines. They build trust and reduce fears while strategically using their emotions to help clients and innovate. The best editors remain reader-focused, and they choose to ask questions during the editing process instead of jumping to conclusions.
These editors also know how hard it is to hone writing and editing skills. They are honest with themselves and know their strengths and weaknesses. They may rely on a full suite of tools, from advanced editing software to a library of up-to-date reference materials and style guides to augment their skills. That self-awareness results in improved productivity.
Hiring tip:
Ask for “before” and “after” versions of edited documents and check the editor’s notes and tone. Yes, you want to confirm the basics were covered – organization, flow, tone, grammar, and spelling – but are the comments ego-based or focused on product improvement and creative problem solving?
Social awareness and avoiding conflict
Emotionally intelligent editors are fully present and pay attention to what’s said and what’s unsaid. They are not afraid to make eye contact virtually or in-person and they pick up on non-verbal nuances in body language and facial expressions. They have their finger on the pulse of organizational culture and know how that affects client emotions and product direction.
For example, everyone wants to create an award-winning article, infographic, or story map, but if the office is not ready for new communication products or methods, then it’s not productive to go toe-to-toe today to press for new technology. Emotionally intelligent editors know this and build client resilience while planning the best time to initiate change.
Hiring tip:
When interviewing editors, focus on answers to the following questions: describe a time when you had to change course quickly because of an organizational change in policy or technique? How did you pivot with the client to accomplish business goals?
Relationship management and increasing productivity
Allowing clients to make mistakes is another important trait and helps maintain an inclusive approach. Keeping that positive team spirit while teaching new communication skills proactively deflates conflicts while maintaining productivity. Emotionally intelligent editors are adept at conflict management and savvy at navigating group dynamics.
Editing is a team sport. Shooting down the commanding officer’s blog idea in a meeting does not make an editor the smartest person in the room and it hurts the team. Explaining how a business goal can be accomplished another way works much better, especially if the editor frames it through the reader-focused lens.
Hiring tip:
Ask the editor to provide a list of support materials developed for various clients. Have them describe how they assessed the need, proposed the item, and implemented the plan. This can include development of training materials, knowledge management resources, or reference materials created to elevate client skills and communication awareness.
Whether you are a contracting officer’s representative, or a first-time manager developing a strategic communications plan, contact me for more details about writing, editing, and plain language training services in the federal sector.