Kindly Review

13One and Doner

Does your reviewer expect the first draft to be the only draft, a “one and done”? Do you get feedback that is curt and dismissive of the creative process? Then you have a One and Doner.

The person with this feedback style either doesn't understand the creative process or is impatient and anxious about their work and timelines. Either way, this style can be taught to approach creativity differently. But sometimes these folks are a lost cause.

My BC/DC Ideas team worked with a One and Doner who was a brilliant researcher. She needed a new brand for her latest project and couldn't understand why our design wasn't brilliant on the first try. She demanded a limited budget and short timelines but resisted brainstorming, saying, “You are the experts.” Only at the very end of the process did she reveal in a curt email that she was “incredibly unimpressed” with the design and wasn't going to use the logo anyway. She expected us to read her mind without the collaborative process of picking the pieces out of her brain.

One and Doners never want to do the work themselves. They are intimidated by the creative process but want it to be held to their standard. You can't have both. You can't say you're not creative but judge every creative thing.

Attributes of a One and Doner

One and Doners are sometimes folks outside your field or skill set who must be part of the review ...