When was the last time your asked, told, or taught someone to do something…and they still didn’t do it?
Any time we ask, tell, or teach someone to do something, we make huge and likely inaccurate assumptions that get in the way. We call this the Assumption Gap.
We assume:
- We have understood the situation perfectly,
- We have prescribed the perfect next steps,
- We have described these steps perfectly to the other person,
- They have heard and understood perfectly what we said,
- They perfectly agree with our assessment and prescription, and
- They have the time, talent, motivation, and energy to do the prescribed next steps.
Pretty big room for error, right?
Instead, try describing the situation as you see it, asking for their perspective, then discussing together how to solve the problem, handle the issue, etc.
In your corner,
Mike