Avoid This Frequent Management Mistake

Avoid This Frequent Management Mistake

Peter Sellers was funny in this movie, but making assumptions can cause you trouble.

The problem here was that Seller’s character made the assumption that the dog was the man’s dog. It obviously wasn’t. If you listen to the video clip carefully, you won’t hear a reference to “a man and his dog.” You just assume it was the man’s dog.

One of the assumptions that gets managers into trouble is assuming members of their team understand a crucial point. If you just ask “Does that make sense?”, most people will say “Yes.” Of course, they don’t want to come across as dumb.

Don’t assume your team members understand exactly what needs to be done if it’s at all complicated. So rather than asking “Does that make sense?”, give them a real situation and ask how they would apply what they just learned.

This approach:

Provides you with immediate feedback about their understanding.
Reinforces the meaning of a new concept because they’re applying it to a real situation.

Several managers I’ve consulted agree this approach of testing for understanding avoids the past problem. Then their having to ask: “What happened? I thought you told me you understood what you had to do.”

Contact me with your management and leadership challenges: bob@kaplitz.tv.

I’m happy to help. I’ve been conducting a series of workshops and one on one coaching for managers looking to become leaders from media companies to fast growing tech companies. Many participants are amazed about the progress they’ve made.

Meanwhile, try to avoid asking: “Does that make sense?” Or “Do you understand how to handle this?”