Page 37 - Twenty Four Lessons for Mastering Your New Role

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The risk increases when you instruct new employees, especially if
they’re just learning your business. Avoid jargon with new hires.
Remove ambiguity from your statements. If any part of your instruc-
tions has multiple meanings, the odds of misinterpretation soar.
That’s when it’s particularly crucial to specify how you intend for oth-
ers to interpret or act on what you’re saying.
Focus on action. If you preface your instructions with too much
background, you can test listeners’ patience. Inserting tangents or
giving your opinion as you attempt to give directions will muddy your
message. To ensure you deliver your instructions clearly, step into
the employee’s shoes and make sure you give an instant, one-sen-
tence answer to the question, “What do you want me to do?”
For best results when you give instructions:
Rehearse: Organize your thoughts in advance. Practice on a
friend. Confirm that you’re able to instruct employees clearly and
concisely.

Start simply: Move from the basic to the complex. Give employ-
ees a chance to ask questions along the way so they’re confident with
the fundamentals before having to absorb more complicated stuff.
Ask for a demo: Urge employees to demonstrate their understand-
ing. Don’t just ask if they understand; invite them to prove it to you.

“The five steps in teaching an employee new skills are
preparation, explanation, showing, observation, and
supervision.”
—Harold Hook

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