As a business owner, you’re most likely giving employee directions all day. Everyone wants questions answered and help getting pointed in the right direction. After all, since you’re the boss, they want to know what it is you want them to be doing. Probably you’re just like me and give perfect directions, but find that subordinates and delegates have a difficult time understanding them.
This could be the result of our perfection directions being perfect for ourselves, only.
And admittedly, you and I have our share of problems following directions by others, too. I gave up reading manuals long ago when they were printed in English, Spanish, German and French in the same booklet. Directions are hard enough to follow without having to find the next consecutive page written in English after flipping through all of the other language pages to find it.
Recently, I was reminded of the difficulty of understanding one of the oldest forms of directions, compass directions: North, East, South and West. Son Will and I were driving in an area that he was not familiar with. In an effort to orient him to the geography, I asked the 18 year old what direction we were traveling. North, South, East or West? He paused for a moment, grinned and said “North?”
“Close, you’re only off 180 degrees; we’re headed South”, I answered dryly.
“Well, North is always in front of you, and that’s where we are pointed, ahead of us”, he retaliated.
He got me. He’s right about North, in a map reading sense. Since North is usually at the top of a map and moving forward, or up, on the map moves you in the direction of North.
Therefore, in Will’s logic, what you see through the windshield is always North. I suspect Chief Navigator will not be a job title he will ever hold, but his thought process is valid.
Navigation by dead reckoning is not as common as I’d like it to be. The way others follow instructions is as predictable as the way they interpret compass directions. It doesn’t take long to lose your way traveling, or lose your way completing a task or job directive.
Are your instructions and directions for employees and family members clear for “dead reckoners”, landmark navigators and “seat of the pants” flyers?
Taking time when assigning a project to make certain that the delegate understands your intentions will pay off in better efficiency and lower frustration levels for both parties.
People learn three ways: seeing, hearing and doing. Often this is described as visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning. Since most people have a strong preference for one method, it’s your job to give directions and instructions in a way that supports that method best. And if you don’t believe me, I’ll draw you a picture, shout it in your ear and show you how to experience exactly what I mean.
Be perceptive about perspective when giving directions.