Giving (Clear) Directions

“You’ll go about a mile north on Main Street. Then you’re going turn east and go another 2 miles. I don’t remember the name of the street where you turn, but the bank is on the corner. It’s a red brick, 3-story building.” As you give the directions, they make perfect sense and seem completely clear. But what about the person that is receiving them? He may be directionally challenged and may not walk around with the cardinal points of a compass in his brain. She may be a literalist, and when she sees a bank building, she counts the floors. When it’s 5 stories and the bricks have a brownish hue, she keeps driving. Many leaders are “directionally challenged.” And I’m not talking about their ability to read or follow a road map. I’m talking about their ability to give directions in a way that others can understand and follow. The problem can often be traced to two false assumptions. The first is the assumption of similarity. The communicator/leader assumes that others have similar knowledge and skills. Surely everyone knows which way is east, right? The second is the assumption of accuracy – the leader believes that information has been accurately seen and communicated. But the bank building really isn’t 3 stories tall, and the color is a matter of interpretation. Are there areas where you are frustrated that staff or volunteers aren’t doing what you want them to do? Your team agreed that revitalizing small groups was a major priority this fall, and you left it to the director to make this happen. He is feeling good about the addition of 2 new groups, the new curriculum, and the recent leadership meeting. You would grade this effort as a C- because you envisioned a major shake-up that would change every group. Is the director incompetent? Or lazy? Or is it possible that your expectations were not clear? The next time that you’re disappointed with a staff member, pause to reflect on why they did what they did. Even better, ask them. You may discover that they thought they did exactly what was expected. The problem may be in the way that the directions were given. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>