If Staff Keep Getting You Wrong, Maybe the Instruction Is the Problem

Sometimes staff are not ignoring you. They genuinely understood something different from what you meant.

Stop giving instructions in half sentences

Busy owners often say things like 'settle this first' or 'do like last time' and assume everyone knows what that means.

Give four things

• What needs to be done
• Who owns it
• When it is due
• What a finished result looks like

Important work should be written

A short message, task card or checklist is easier to refer back to than a five minute verbal conversation.

Write down

• Task
• Deadline
• Reference file
• Person to ask

Ask them to repeat the plan

This is not treating staff like children. It simply catches misunderstandings early.

A simple question

• Okay, tell me what you are going to do first

My view

Clear instructions save time on both sides. If staff regularly misunderstand you, improve the communication system before assuming every employee is careless.