![\"Definition\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/reviewexperts\/files\/2016\/03\/Definition.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIf you ever talked to another judge about reviews I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard the term \u201cactionable\u201d tossed around. \u201cReviews should be actionable\u201d, that\u2019s something that\u2019s said quite a lot. But what does it mean? Let\u2019s go to the definition:<\/p>\n
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It makes sense, doesn\u2019t it? We want reviews to have practical value, we want our reviews to matter to the subject. We could write paragraphs and paragraphs but they are only worth it if they inspire action in the reader. Why write a review if it\u2019s not actionable? That\u2019s exactly what I want to talk about today.<\/p>\n
I know I\u2019m not talking, I\u2019m writing, but get off my back.<\/p>\n
The most obvious place where actionable items and concepts matter is on areas for improvement. We\u2019ve all written the dreadful phrase \u201cyou should work on your rules knowledge\u201d on reviews. What does that mean? We all<\/em>\u00a0have to work on our rules and policy knowledge\u00a0— always. There is no new information there, there is nothing the subject of the review can immediately get up and do. Maybe, just maybe, that sentence will inspire someone but more often than not it will be met with agreement but absolutely no action.<\/p>\n Go back and read your reviews, find your non-actionable sentences. I\u2019m sure you wrote some and received quite a few. \u201cBe more social with players\u201d, \u201cremember team meetings\u201d, \u201ctake more notes\u201d; they all sound like great advice but will not have the impact we mean them to have. I like to make my reviews go through The Actionable Test\u2122<\/strong>: when the subject finishes reading it, do they have the tools to immediately get up and start working on their areas for improvement? If the answer is no, then I need to change something. But what?<\/p>\n Try to narrow down your comments as much as you can. If you tell a judge to re-read the Comprehensive Rules they are probably not going to do it right away, or ever for that matter. But if you tell them to focus on replacement effects they might. Not only it\u2019s a couple of pages long, but since you identified something specific it will motivate them to actually get to it. You can also find different ways to phrase the same concept to make it more actionable. Instead of suggesting that they pay attention to other judges in order to write better reviews, you could say that they take notes during events. That is something specific they can focus on doing which will tackle the broader problem too.<\/p>\n If a judge has problems with their missed triggers, don\u2019t tell them to learn the IPGs by heart. It would solve the problem, yes. It\u2019s actionable, yes. But it\u2019s impossible to achieve so it won\u2019t motivate anyone to even attempt it. It doesn\u2019t pass\u00a0The Actionable Test\u2122<\/strong>. Don\u2019t make it too easy, find the sweet spot between achievable and a good challenge. If you think the judge is falling really short on an area, you could give them a path of small improvements. Don\u2019t make it daunting from the beginning because all you\u2019ll achieve is getting a demotivated judge.<\/p>\n I know the title doesn’t really work but all of the others started with “make it” so I had to go there. Bare with me.<\/em><\/p>\n Don\u2019t only list what they should work on, but also give tips on how to achieve it. Maybe you never struggled with that specific problem but I\u2019m sure you can think of a couple of ways to deal with it. I love it when I read a review an experienced judge wrote on me and they give me tips and tricks to go about it after I finished. It will definitely improve the chances of me dealing with the area I need to improve on and start working on it right away.<\/p>\n This is the pinnacle of actionable. If your advice is actually testable, and the judge can see and measure their improvements, then your work is done and you can go to sleep. If you\u2019re suggesting the judge to work on their rules knowledge, maybe challenge them to get a 100% on a hard practice exam. If you want to motivate them to write better articles, push them to get to the most voted article of the month. There\u2019s nothing better for motivation than seeing and measuring the results of the work.<\/p>\n Maybe you have ten pages of notes on this judge and you could identify five or six areas for improvement. Don\u2019t spell them all out in the review, focus on the most important. Ideally one or two. You will have a chance to work with this juge again, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to give them full feedback. But it\u2019s not actionable if it seems impossible to achieve. Try to limit your feedback to something that can be dealt with to keep the judge motivated to try.<\/p>\nMake it specific<\/h2>\n
Make it achievable<\/h2>\n
Make it\u00a0tipsy<\/h2>\n
Make it\u00a0testable<\/h2>\n
Make it short<\/h2>\n
Actionable strengths<\/h1>\n
![\"fashion-tips-for-tall-men\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/reviewexperts\/files\/2016\/03\/fashion-tips-for-tall-men1.jpg\")
<\/a>Whenever I talked with other judges about actionable reviews, the focus was always on areas for improvement. That\u2019s the natural focus, because it\u2019s where we need to do<\/em> things in order to improve. But what about strenghts? Strengths are an important part of reviews, not only because a little pat on the back is always welcome, but because it\u2019s useful to know which behavior is well received so that we can repeat it. But if this section is not actionable, then it\u2019s not really useful for the judge receiving the review.<\/p>\n