~ George Bernard Shaw
"Two pulpwood cutters from deep east Texas grew tired of cutting pulpwood and decided to go to Dallas to get another job. As they drove, they saw a sign that said 'Love Field'. So they whipped their pulpwood truck into Love Field and drove right up to the main office.One of the men said to his brother, 'You stay in the truck and I'll go in and see if I can get a job.' He went inside and found the man who was in charge of hiring, and said to him, 'I want a job'. The man asked, 'What can you do?' The brother replied, 'I'm a pile-it (pilot).' The main said, 'We need lots of those around here. You've got a job.' He hired him on the spot.
The pulpwood cutter went back outside to the truck and said to his brother, 'I got me a job. They hired me on the spot. Why don't you go in and see if they have a job for you?' His brother said, 'Okay, you wait here in the truck, and I'll go in and see if they will hire me.' He went inside and told the man, 'I want a job.' The man asked, 'What can you do?' He replied, 'I'm a wood cutter.'
The man said, 'Fellow, this is an air field. We don't need any woodcutters around here.' The woodcutter then responded, 'But, you just hired my brother.' The man responded, 'Yes, but he said he was a pilot.'
The brother responded, 'Well, how do you think he's going to pile it if I don't cut it?”
Clear communication and clearly understood expectations are vital in any business. They are vital in life and they are vital to the interactions we have with each other.
If you don't clearly communicate your needs, you'll end up with what you asked for.
I've come to learn this lesson on a daily basis raising two boys. If I don't specifically tell my son to put his socks on his feet first and then put his shoes on over his socks on his feet, I'll end up having to remove socks from ears and shoes tied on hands, putting us even further behind when we are already late to school.
Do you ever have days like these? Do you ever have projects or goals you didn't meet because your team didn't complete their assigned objectives? Can you say with certainty that the objectives and expectations of those objectives were clearly defined for each team member? Did each member know what the others were doing so that the team understood explicitly the overall goals of the team?
Sometimes we as leaders think we clearly explain goals and objectives because that is how we would like to hear them. Often we have to think about how others interpret our expectations and how we can better communicate so that others will understand.
Whatever you are doing, I hope you take the time to think about how you are communicating with your team members, your coworkers, your family, and your kids. Don't just settle for, and allow extra time to pull socks off ears. Take some time to clearly communicate your instructions. Make sure others understand your expectations. Reward them when they complete them successfully and help them learn when they don't. I know that if you take the time to do these things your teams will be more cohesive, your family will be a little happier and you won't be so frustrated when deadlines are close. And, I know our community will be better off because of it!
I'm looking forward to your success!
* This article was originally printed in the Sunday, September 7, 2014 issue of The Chronicle's "Planting Seeds" column.
Clear communication and clearly understood expectations are vital in any business. They are vital in life and they are vital to the interactions we have with each other.
If you don't clearly communicate your needs, you'll end up with what you asked for.
I've come to learn this lesson on a daily basis raising two boys. If I don't specifically tell my son to put his socks on his feet first and then put his shoes on over his socks on his feet, I'll end up having to remove socks from ears and shoes tied on hands, putting us even further behind when we are already late to school.
Do you ever have days like these? Do you ever have projects or goals you didn't meet because your team didn't complete their assigned objectives? Can you say with certainty that the objectives and expectations of those objectives were clearly defined for each team member? Did each member know what the others were doing so that the team understood explicitly the overall goals of the team?
Sometimes we as leaders think we clearly explain goals and objectives because that is how we would like to hear them. Often we have to think about how others interpret our expectations and how we can better communicate so that others will understand.
Whatever you are doing, I hope you take the time to think about how you are communicating with your team members, your coworkers, your family, and your kids. Don't just settle for, and allow extra time to pull socks off ears. Take some time to clearly communicate your instructions. Make sure others understand your expectations. Reward them when they complete them successfully and help them learn when they don't. I know that if you take the time to do these things your teams will be more cohesive, your family will be a little happier and you won't be so frustrated when deadlines are close. And, I know our community will be better off because of it!
I'm looking forward to your success!
* This article was originally printed in the Sunday, September 7, 2014 issue of The Chronicle's "Planting Seeds" column.
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