Communication Mistakes (a re-post from Tim Stevens)

I recently read this post by Tim Stevens and it was a refresh for me on several communication practices.  I feel that I do ok with this…but can always use a reminder.  Actually, maybe you should ask some of the people on my team for the truth on that!  Anyway, I hope this re-post is helpful.  You should also follow Tim…it’s worth it!

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The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Communicating Expectations

  1. Barking out “marching orders” without making your directions clear enough that people fully understand and accept them.
  2. Assuming people need only one explanation in order to understand what you expect them to deliver.
  3. Failing to form an expectation clearly yourself before communicating it to others.
  4. Excluding any explanation about “why” you want something done within a specific time frame.
  5. Asking people to do something, but not clearly explaining when you need it done.
  6. Failing to describe the resources available to help people do what you want them to do.
  7. Issuing such specific instructions about what to do and how to do it, that people hesitate to “own it” themselves and think out of the box to ensure the result.

From the book How Did That Happen? by Roger Connors and Tom Smith

Have you seen any of these mistakes being made (by you or others)?

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