Kindly Review

9Vague Vocalist

Ah, the review style of those who fancy themselves a coach. This feedback type loves to leave ambiguous comments in the margin that give the creator room to make the changes to their taste. This style loves to send bulleted lists in an email calling out whole paragraphs with “Let's reword this” without supplying the words they have in their head. The Vague Vocalist is vocal about wanting change but not specific enough for you to know what they are looking for.

Brian, my co‐owner and husband, is a Vague Vocalist. He has the best intentions in mind when he gives his feedback. He wants people to learn from the review process to perform better in the future. Unfortunately, sometimes his vague comments slow down the process and create doubt in the creator. He doesn't want to put his evaluation of quality on a project until the creator has the chance to polish it to greatness. He's a kind, sensitive dude, and everyone loves him. He's also thoughtful and a man of few words, so when he does speak, everyone listens.

The key to working with the Vague Vocalist is to extract their wisdom and learn from their experiences.

Attributes of the Vague Vocalist

The Vague Vocalist is a close cousin to the Kind Collaborator but without the teeth to give firm direction. This feedback style allows people to produce better products through their own power without being told what ...