Your team wants to tell you something: quit the drive-by communication! You zip past without stopping to explain what needs to get done. The task is clear to you, but the team can’t read your mind. This leaves teammates to guess what you want. And all their guesses are wrong.

When you drive by teammates, the task doesn’t turn out as expected. Then you have to waste time fixing it, which is frustrating for everyone. People end up pointing fingers at each other, but there’s only one person at fault (sorry, it’s you).

The sender is responsible for communicating clearly, not the recipient.

Eliminate confusion by scheduling alignment time with your team. A lot of tasks are quite simple when you take the time to provide detailed instructions. Spending a little extra time will save you tons in the long run. And no one will lunge at each other’s throats.

Stop, get out of the car and really explain what you want.

I know, I know—you’re not actually driving in a car. But if you ask the team, it feels like you are! This video will help put you in their shoes.

-Kirk