Review

What Is Review?

Review is a process of seeking feedback on our work. It is a critical part of our development process. It is also a great way to learn about other parts of the organization and to share your knowledge with others.

Ah, the review. It's a curious thing, isn't it? A glance in the rearview mirror, a pondering of the what's and why's of human efforts, as if peering into the gears and cogs of a large, clanking machine that's at once baffling and wholly essential to our way of living.

Review is to the development process what soap is to the human body. It scrubs, polishes, irritates sometimes, but ultimately, it cleans. It's a part of the machinery that drives us forward, or at least sideways, or in any way that gets us somewhere.

It's not just about looking at our work, like a farmer might look at his crops, nodding, scratching his head, wondering about the weather. No, it's about asking our fellow farmers, our fellow machines, our fellow wanderers in this mad, twisting carnival ride called a career, what they think of our fruits.

And what's more, it's not a one-way street. By delving into the annals of our colleagues' minds, we learn, and oh, how we learn. About the secret passages of the organization, about the hidden treasures and traps that lurk in those corporate corners, and about our own ability to teach, to guide, to navigate this complex tapestry we're all a part of.

If you look at review through a microscope, if you really squint your eyes and peer deep, you'll see it's not just a process. It's a symphony, it's a painting, it's a science experiment gone either wonderfully right or terribly awry. It's the bread and butter, the nuts and bolts, the cats and dogs of what we do, and we all owe it a tip of the hat.

So let's review, shall we? And in doing so, may we find the wisdom in the feedback, the joy in the learning, and the satisfaction in knowing that we are, all of us, just stumbling forward, arm in arm, in this great, chaotic dance of human endeavor.

When Should I Seek Review?

It's always a great idea to seek review in some form. The earlier you seek review, the more likely you are to get feedback that will help you improve your work. It's also a good idea to seek review from a variety of people to help you get different perspectives on your work.

If you are pressed for time, it's better to limit the scope of your review than to skip it altogether. For example, you might ask a colleague to review a specific section of your work, or you might be explicit about areas of the review that you do not plan to address.

Who Can I Review With?

Reviews can be conducted with anyone. The more people you review with, the more perspectives you will get on your work.