> Make actionable suggestions This is key. I had a manager one whose document review comments inevitably descended into snark, and often included a "this is wr

> Make actionable suggestions This is key. I had a manager one whose document review comments inevitably descended into snark, and often included a "this is wrong, do it again". This was frustrating and sometimes insulting. I am actually quite good at report writing, and I hate to think what their reviews would have been like if I was a junior, still learning or not a native English speaker. Another good way of doing reviews is to have a formal checklist supported by an agreed style guide. My last company had good, usable templates (e.g. for bid and document reviews), with an objective scoring system based on a red-amber-green traffic-light system. The size / complexity of the checklist obviously varied depending on the size of the project or deliverable. Using these largely depersonalised the review, and also helped avoid reviewers projecting their own personal preferences. It was also recommended to get a peer review before submitting a doc for formal review. This was put in place because some authors didn't do any checking at all before submitting and those of us who did formal reviews were swamped by trivial errors. Often just before a doc was due to be submitted. In cases where work includes an element of novelty, the reviewer should be involved as early as possible (almost as soon as bidding starts, ideally) so that the types of review (and their costs) can be factored into project costs. There is nothing worse for a project than a reviewer who arbitrarily changes the review goal posts after a project has started. Ideally, the reviewer shouldn't be the person who formally authorises an artefact for release. They instead present a recommendation for release and / or rework to management, who then decide what to actually do. This allows the reviewers to maintain independence and leaves the blame with management if a risk that was predicted by the reviewer but discounted by management actually manifests. This of course requires a suitable corporate culture.