Q. I’m a new supervisor and often have to tell my staff what needs to be done—and how to do it. I’m sometimes frustrated because I’m sure my instructions have been clear, but when the job isn’t done the way I wanted, the employee says, “But I thought you told me to do it this way.” How can I stay polite and professional, but make sure the job is done correctly?” —Janet W.

A. By having an absolutely clear idea of what you want done, how, and why. If the task is a little complicated, write down the key points and check to see if they’re complete—and clear. Then, find out what the person already knows. This is important, especially with more experienced people, because if you give them information that they already know, they’ll either turn you off, or resent what you’re saying—feeling that you’re insulting their intelligence. Keep one central focus at all times: build or enhance the person’s self-esteem. You do that by showing respect for what they already know.

If necessary, change your goals to reflect what the employee already knows. This will save you time because it’s more efficient. If your style is to give an employee absolutely no freedom in completing the task, you may be micro-managing someone who can actually help you think through the problem. And share your goals with the employee. Tell him or her what has to be done and why it has to be done.

Avoid Malicious Obedience

Why tell them why? Because they want to feel part of your team; they want to feel like your partner. This builds their self-esteem further, and helps them want to make the commitment to you. But there’s an even more important reason to tell them why the job must be done the way you explain it.

Suppose you’re not available, and some of the conditions change unexpectedly: a machine breaks down; the delivery service doesn’t show up; you find out that the customer needs the product at a different location. Don’t you want the employee to take the initiative and change what they’d planned on doing so that your objective will be met? If you insist that the job be done exactly as you directed—no exceptions—you may be developing employees who will be “maliciously obedient.” They know the job will be messed up, but will do it anyway, because that’s what you expected. Under certain conditions, don’t you want them to “disobey” you—so the customer’s changing needs can be met?

Explain

So that’s the first step: Explain why the job is important to the person and the

organization. This way, your people become your partners in meeting customer needs.

Demonstrate

Next, demonstrate the skill and/or give the information in a clear, step-by-step manner.

Show what has to be done—either by actually doing it, or by going through each step of the process, showing how to do each one correctly. Be concise and direct: “Joe, start your proposal with a one-sentence statement of the problem, such as, ‘Our Chicago sales are consistently down by at least 20 percent.’ Then list the reasons why you think this is happening. Finally, conclude with bulleted action steps that you believe will solve the problem—along with why you think each solution will work.’”

Ask if they have any questions, but don’t go on to the next step until you check if they really understand the step you’ve just explained. And never, never waste your time by asking, “Do you understand?” That’s because, even if they way, “Yes,” they may not really understand it clearly, and are afraid to admit it.

Imitate

Instead, go to step three: Ask them to imitate your action or repeat your instructions so you can confirm the accuracy. Say, “John, this is an important step and I want to make sure I’ve been clear, so you’ll be able to do this safely as well as efficiently. That’s why I’d like you to repeat or go over with me what I just said.” What ff they say, “Why? Don’t you think I can handle it?” Say, “I know you can. But I know that sometimes I’m not as clear as I’d like. That’s why I need you to check me to see if I’ve been clear.”

Correct

Finally, correct any mistakes. Even under the best conditions, a person will miss or forget ten percent of what he’s heard. So expect mistakes, and correct them gently but firmly. Then test the employee’s understanding again by asking them again to confirm the corrected step. Some additional suggestions:

• Ask questions to check their understanding of what you want

• Give them time to practice on their own.

• Provide feedback on how well they’re doing.

• Praise them for their progress.

• Monitor, follow-up, and evaluate their performance regularly.