12 April 2009
Bob Quick’s top-secret document: four tips that would have made that briefing easier to read
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Even top-secret documents aren’t carefully prepared (or handled)
On 9 April 2009 Bob Quick resigned as Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorism chief after he accidentally revealed a confidential document to a photographer. The photographed page showed details of a sensitive anti-terrorism operation (see photo and link to story below).
Common problems, and a few document-formatting tips
We couldn’t help noticing that the document in question was poorly formatted – a few changes would have made it easier to read quickly.
We’ve put together a before-and-after version of the briefing document to show the difference that our changes would make (our ‘after’ version features a portrait of NY-noir snapper Weegee).
Our tips are useful guidance for anyone who has to get the facts across quickly to time-pressed readers (like prime ministers, clients, and prospects).
A better-formatted document would have been quicker to read
Maybe Mr Quick could have finished reading a better-prepared document before the car pulled up. He might have had a few extra moments to collect his thoughts (and paperwork) before getting out of the car.
All in all, another reminder of the importance of the well-formatted document.
Bob Quick’s briefing is hard to read quickly… see our re-cut version here
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You can find the details of the Bob Quick secret-document saga here.
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