Let It Be

If you're managing a large proposal or a proposal to which many people are contributing, there is a point at which substantive changes and minor edits to the text must stop so that your document can go to production. It is the Proposal Manager's responsibility to manage this process and to call a halt at the appropriate time; otherwise it will go on as long as possible with little time left for the other things that must be done to get the proposal out on time.

If the Proposal Manager keeps sending drafts out for review, comment and changes to all of the people who participated in writing the proposal, he/she can expect a never-ending stream of comments and changes. Everyone will want to do something to the document --

Oh wait, I forgot to mention this and that.

I need to edit this section so that it reads better.

I want to convert this text into a table, but it will take me a few hours.

I think that Mary should have addressed such and such in the section she wrote, so I will add it in.

And so on... 

In the final stages of putting the proposal together, the Proposal Manager should limit the number of reviewers. That way, she or he will be able to control and manage comments and changes.

And then, when time is most limited, the Proposal Manager will just have to leave things alone and let it be. In most cases, it will be just fine.