People need to be explained things in enough detail. Even if parts of the message feel to you like common sense, flesh out the details anyway just to make sure. If in doubt, spell it out.
Things seem to show up as themes in my life, and this is a theme I’ve noticed recently. A couple of incidents over the past few weeks highlighted the fact that I tend to do a lot of assuming. And you know what they say about assuming…
To share just one example, I had recently put together a new product for a small business I run, and after rolling it all out I got some feedback that the instructions weren’t detailed enough. I didn’t bother to test it first, which was a big mistake. I assumed that the directions were simple and straightforward, and it turned out that that might only have been true in my own mind.
I was reminded that we all have our own experiences and filters, and I realized that I had put the directions together from my own understanding. I omitted the parts I already knew, which seemed obvious to me, without taking into consideration that others might not share the same knowledge.
So the point I learned is that it takes a degree of objectivity to ensure that the right information is included in ones’ message. What might seem trite or obvious to one is critical information to another. We need to plan our messages well, and think of what information is needed for someone else to be able to seamlessly execute our vision. Whether we’re speaking to our employees, or to our children, or to anyone else we may be delegating to, we need to be clear. And clarity involves the right amount of detail.
(And, of course, one can also include too much detail. Too much repetition, or the inclusion of irrelevant detail, can also lose your audience).
So one great way to ensure that we have the right amount of detail is to solicit feedback about our message. People often won’t ask for more detail or clarification if they perceive our assumption that ‘this is common sense’. It always helps to ask, “To help me ensure this is clear, can you tell me in your own words what you’ve just read or heard?” and “What else do you need to know about this?”
