I could try to get all deep and start quoting the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy, but I'd rather put it in simple terms: "Shit in, Shit out."
Or, less crudely, you often get out of a process just what you put into it.
In my experience people (who want someone else to do something for them) don't really get that.
I was recently asked, "Would you test the system, for me?"
I responded, "Sure. Which parts do you want tested and how?"
In-return, I got a smart-assed answer: "'Test' it means just that, 'test it.'"
First of all, a test can be as complex as the system or device being tested. So, if you only want to know if the thing powers-up, I need to know that before I waste my time checking out every little thing.
If you need a complete test, I need to know that so that I don't end up doing double-work.
I'm amazed (and disheartened) by the number of people who don't want to provide specifics of what they want. They just want you to read their minds and then give it to them.
If you give me inaccurate information or an incomplete request, don't be surprised if you end up with an inaccurate or incomplete result.
If it's not worth your time to expend a little energy to communicate to me, then it's really not worth my time to listen or respond to your communication.
6 comments:
In the past I have made assumptions that people knew what I wanted when I asked for it. I'm not always sure how much explaining is needed so now I over explain and apologize if I'm being redundant or repetitive.
It's like when I tell my kid to clean her room. She thinks I mean to pick up the stuff off the floor. No ... it also means to empty the trash, make the bed, bring your laundry downstairs, etc. I just assume she knew what I meant. Maybe she did and she was just being lazy.
I'm rambling.
Heh @ chele's daughter. She knew what you meant, but did the bare minimum.
Welcome to my world. I am in communications. It is what I do for a living, yet still I find it difficult to deal with request I get to create communications products. They are freaking vague. I just put in a bare minimum of effort in those cases.
History says there's a heckuva difference between how a woman defines "clean" and how the average man or child does.
My mom had the same issues with me.
I'm gonna hafta take a page out of miz jj's book.
This post struck a chord, in more ways than one. Thanks for the wake-up call! Time to get specific......
I know exactly what you mean so now I try to be as specific as possible and I want the same in return.."exactly how do you want those fries with that shake, ru paying with cash, debit or charge?" *smh* some people say the dumbest things!!!
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