Re: Trouble working with a SME

[Peggy Schillinger <peggys -at- STLNET -dot- COM>]

Melinda M. Carr wrote:

>[snipped]
> .... It has never been our standard practice to provide feedback to
> reviewers on why we don't take some suggestions.  He has told us that he considers us rude and disrepectful
> because we don't provide this feedback.


This SME sounds like a pain, but consider this: his code is reviewed by
everybody who touches the product, and he probably isn't treated very
nicely by your colleagues, particularly in the early alpha and beta
stages of development when the new software generates reams of bug
reports.  Maybe the guy is tired; maybe he didn't want to take the time
to review the documentation, but his boss made him do it, or maybe he is
so overwhelmingly thorough that he simply can't let go of anything
pertaining to "his" product.

Before the situation becomes confrontational, be sure your boss backs
you up in your "no feedback" policy.  I'm sorry, but my own experience
tells me you probably will end up justifying your decisions about
inclusion/exclusion of SME comments--first to your own boss and then to
the problem SME reviewer. You also run a 50-50 chance of then having to
explain your policy to more reviewers in the technical development area
who, you will suddenly discover, also claim to be unhappy that they
spent time reviewing manuscripts only to have you ignore their comments.

Regards...Peggy Schillinger