My newest column for ProfitGuide.com hit cyberspace this morning, and this edition focuses on a complaint I hear from many a leader – Why is it that I give what I think are crystal-clear instructions to an employee, only to discover later that they didn’t quite get it? As common as this issue is, the good news is that the solution is actually fairly easy. In How to Give Instructions Your Employees Will Actually Follow, I address this frequent problem of staff not always hearing what you are saying, and lay out five specific steps to give directions in a way so that your employees understand and act – the first time.
Well, what have been your experiences when it comes to staff not always understanding and acting on your message? What are you doing to ensure clear communication – to make sure that you are heard, clearly, the first time? Do share please.
P.S. In case you didn’t know, I am a regular member of ProfitGuide.com’s panel of business experts. You can find links to my previous columns on their site. For your information, Profit Magazine is a sister publication to Canadian business magazine giants Canadian Business, MoneySense and Macleans, and their list of columnists reads like the Who’s Who of Canadian business, so I am proud to be in such distinguished company.