The New Manager's Handbook

Chapter 14. Give great instructions

One of the biggest traps that managers fall into is they'll fail to communicate exactly what they want—and then they'll get mad when they don't get it.

Now that you're a manager, you'll find yourself giving instructions to employees throughout the day. What you say—and how you say it—will largely determine if they comply.

The task seems simple: Just explain what you want others to do and let them do it. But many obstacles can derail the process. Employees may not listen. You may not speak clearly. Even if they understand perfectly what you want, they may either refuse or otherwise fail to implement it.

You need to strike the right tone when giving instructions. If you over-explain or talk down to workers, ...