Overcoming the Fear of Working with Scopists & Proofreaders

Are you nervous about using a scopist or proofreader?  There’s no doubt about it.  You’re definitely not alone. 

 

Relinquishing Control 😱

 

Our small Stenovate team fully understands that many reporters prefer to do their own work because – let’s face it – most reporters are Type A personalities who love control…whether we like to admit it or not. 

 

After all, as court reporters, we’ve survived court reporting school and have been rigorously trained to scrutinize every word and punctuation mark in every transcript.  We are the guardians of the record.  The parties of the case and our attorney clients depend on the accuracy of our work.  What we do is IMPORTANT.

 

This deep-seated inclination towards perfectionism often results in a serious resistance to using scopists and proofreaders. We have a difficult time letting go and trusting that someone else will care about our work as much as we do.  

 

Our small Stenovate team agrees that relinquishing full control can be daunting.  However, it can also open up an entire world of possibility – for elevated productivity and pleasure!  (Isn’t that basically the definition of work-life balance?) 

 

Trying Something New 😱

 

Tori Pittman, CVR-CM-M, NCJT, recently wrote a personal blog, posing questions like, “What would it be like if we tried something new?” and points out that sometimes taking a leap and doing something uncomfortable can lead to the most “Beautiful and Magical Places.” 

Ms. Pittman is a highly-qualified, audacious voice writer, Intersteno speed competition medalist, and Stenovate POWER user.  And she knows that trying new (and sometimes scary) things is the way we grow and ultimately accomplish (and enjoy) more than we ever imagined.  

 

This comes from a woman who has completed over 35,000 pages in Stenovate, between reporting and scoping, over the past two years.

 

So how do we take something scary, like starting to utilize transcript teammates (scopists and proofreaders) and start to see the beautiful potential in the fear?  

 

How to Prepare Yourself 

 

Our advice would be to begin mentally massaging this concept of introducing scopists and proofreaders to your workflow.  

 

You can dip your toe into the water of efficient delegation by simply determining your expectations and setting up a workflow process. Do this before seeking scopists and proofreaders for your #DreamTeam.  This will help you find transcript partners who both meet your expectations and fit your collaboration style.  

 

You can also take Stenovate’s free, 3-part email course for tried-and-true techniques for finding, vetting, and managing scopists and proofreaders.

 

Ready to skip these steps and dive straight in?  Fabulous!  You can start your 30-Day Free Trial of Stenovate at any time. Our all-in-one seamless platform can organize your workload and streamline your workflow. 

 

If you ever need us, we’re here for you at support@stenovate.com, and please don’t hesitate to reach out.  We genuinely love hearing from anyone connected to the court reporter community.