People feel better when they do things right. Unfortunately, conveying expectations about just how to do a job can confound even experienced managers – especially if you have inexperienced workers with very little idea of what a successful outcome looks like.
Even for experienced workers, incomplete instructions on the part of a supervisor can result in poor performance, even if they have done exactly what they understood needed to be done.
When you give somebody a new task, make it a point to check back in fifteen minutes later. That’s enough time for somebody to get started, but not enough time to do too much damage in most situations. Make it clear that it isn’t a matter of trust – you want to be certain you’ve conveyed the instructions and parameters correctly.
Management is its own job, and you only get the results you want by managing.
Even for experienced workers, incomplete instructions on the part of a supervisor can result in poor performance, even if they have done exactly what they understood needed to be done.
When you give somebody a new task, make it a point to check back in fifteen minutes later. That’s enough time for somebody to get started, but not enough time to do too much damage in most situations. Make it clear that it isn’t a matter of trust – you want to be certain you’ve conveyed the instructions and parameters correctly.
Management is its own job, and you only get the results you want by managing.
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