Ask the Stress Doc -- Q & A

Ask the Stress Doc Q & A/Digital City--Washington, DC Work Stress

1) Authorship vs. Ownership over Technical Expertise

Q. I hate it when a project that I start or have the technical expertise is taken over by another. Especially when they twist it and contort it. "Look what they've done to my song, Ma."

A. This is a familiar cry in the bureaucratic jungles of Washington, DC. Too many chefs and chiefs. The battleground often is a written document that is then edited by someone on a higher rung of the organizational ladder. Of course, most noxious is when the originator of the document feels changes are not substantive or essential but primarily nitpicking. Ah yes, then there's the issue of style.

I can relate personally to this semantic struggle. when I first started writing articles for professional magazines I was oftgen disheartened upon receiving the publication: manuscript sent was not magazine article received. Invariably, significant text was excised, the piece was downsized. (Okay, I can be a bit verbose.) Original meaning or intention was clouded if not lost.

I learned to ask for the chance to review the editor's work before "our" piece went to press. The more professional editors would allow this extra step. (I'm sure some editors felt original authors could be a pain in the butt, not admitting how edits actually improved the document.) With mature participants such give and take can be synergistic: a whole or partnership is born greater than the sum of the parts.

Personally, beside glaring ommissions, what bugged me most were additions that replaced my voice with the editors, that is, imposed phrases that were alien invaders of my text. But, over time, I learned to let go if editors, whether for time or ego considerations, were determined to place their stamp on my work. Then again, maybe that's why I also started publishing my own newsletter. Just remember...Practice Safe Stress!

Mark Gorkin, LICSW, the Stress Doc, a psychotherapist and nationally recognized speaker, trainer, consultant and author, is also known as AOL's and the internet's "Online Psychohumorist" ™. Check out his USA Today Online "Hot Site" website - www.stressdoc.com and his page on AOL/Online Psych, Keyword: Stress Doc

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