QUICK TIPS: PROOF ALL WORK THAT COMES ACROSS YOUR DESK

Proof any assignments you receive from other staff. Don’t assume the work is correct or completely fulfills the requirements of the assignment. Do not assume that, because work was handed over to you by someone White, the work is accurate! Do a thorough review of any work you receive before passing it along to your superiors or other members of your team. I don’t care who gets their feelings hurt because a Black person is checking behind them.

If someone is lingering around your desk, as you review what you’ve been given by them, either ask them to have a seat (and they can watch you check the work) or tell them you are reviewing it before handing it over and will let them know of any revisions or additions that they may need to make to their work (so they can just march right back to their office).

This is important. If the work requires changes, don’t make the changes yourself. You should kick the assignment back to the individual who is responsible for getting it done. NOTE: If you make changes to someone else’s work without talking to them about it, it can be seen as a sign of disrespect and a lack of faith in the person’s ability to perform their job. Mark up the document with revisions (use a pencil–don’t use a red pen, which many people find offensive!) and ask them to get the changes back to you by a certain time. If they are unable to get to the work done, then you can let them know that you’ll go ahead and make the changes yourself. This demonstrates respect and keeps the project on track.