Boss Handwrites Everything

[sopranoiam]

Hi Everyone!
I just changed bosses and this new one likes to handwrite everything he gives me in pencil!  He writes so fast that it is not clear, the words are unreadable much of the time or he forgets the last half of a word as his brain has worked faster than his hand can write!  I even created a Word Doc he could fill in his comments for his bullet points on the sell sheets and PPT covers he wants me to do, but he won't use it.  He is barely computer litererate but can at least type in a Word format.  Any suggestions on how to get him to be neater and clearer and maybe train him over time to give me the work in a different manner or can anyone think of a happy medium.  He cranks these sheets out about 10-15 a day!  I don't think I'll get him to stop using the pencil but maybe there's somthing I can do...we get along real well and he's a great boss, but old school and I don't think he'll change too much, he's used to doing it the way he does.

[countrigal]

First, how long have you worked for him?  I used to work for a Doctor, and it took a while, but I soon learned how to read his chicken-scratch.  Yup, his writing was what everyone jokes about regarding a doctor's handwriting -- indecipherable.  But I learned to read his writing and finish sentences that were left hanging, etc.  My first instinct would be to tell you that time and experience on your end would help a lot.  As you come across parts you can't read, or unfinished sentences/words, simply ask him what he wanted to say, what he wrote, etc.. this lets him know you're having some problems and might get him to take a bit more time with his writing (to keep you from coming to him so often with questions) and lets you learn how to translate his writing and thoughts.  That's about the best I can recommend at this time, as you've stated he's old school and probably won't take any other actions that you'd like to see.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[Jackie G]

The pencil's not great in electric light and as we head into the autumn/winter months and longer days with light on in the office, you're going to struggle even more to read pencil handwriting.

Perhaps you could explain to him that he is impeding you from being as efficient as possible because he is using pencil (and maybe also handwriting everything, but I suspect you may be on a hiding to nothing there).  I have been working with someone for the last couple of years and tried getting her a digital voice recorder - never used it - PDA - used for a couple of months and she now has a Blackberry which she seems to be using.

But she does still prefer to handwrite letters which means her output is very slow - she thinks and writes very fast, but she takes forever to complete a letter as she likes to spend forever rethinking the topic.  I have stopped tearing my hair out and just let her work at her own pace.  Trouble is when she laments, regularly, about how much she has to get through.... I just hold my tongue!

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

[smssilva]

This is not an advice or solution...at least not a good one.
But its a funny story.
One of my tasks a long time ago was making labels for raw materials.  The person in charge handwritted one and I would copy from that.
I think is handwritting was even worse than a doctors. Up to a point I was so feed up/ desperate from trying to figure out what he wrote, I decided to to a litle "creative writting" of my own. When he realised labels were not correct and came to me i just said..." Are you sure that vertical stroke is not a B?..I could swear it was!"  He got the message and wrote lables in that coul be easily understood. ...

[gee4]

Can I ask you what exactly he is writing?  My boss and I either communicate f2f where I write everything down, or else he mails me tasks or meetings he wants set up.  If he needs a letter typed on headed paper, he drafts it either in an email or in a word doc, then he emails it to me and I transfer it to letter head.

G

[dettu]

See if you can talk him into using a mechanical pencil--at least he'll be working with a sharper point then. Try buying a #1.5 or #1 pencil--it writes darker (but the lead is softer, so that might be worse).

My old bossie did this too and I finally talked him into writing with a hardhead Flair--not perfect, but better to read than pencil.

[raindance]

My bossie has the most interesting handwriting.  I've learned, though, to be able to read most of it and nowadays only the occasion word defeats me.  This is where audio can be so useful.  But there are problems even with audio - those people who mumble, whose word endings disappear into the ether etc, etc.  A girl can't win!

Raindance