Get out of your head – Don’t assume others know what you expect

Have you ever felt like you were communicating clearly, only to have someone say, “We can’t read your mind,”? A few years ago, one of my team members held up a mirror for me and exposed a flaw in my communication. She told me that my team was struggling to figure out what I wanted. I was taken aback because I pride myself in being a good communicator.

After reflecting, I realized that the problem was that I was moving so fast toward my goals, that I hadn’t taken the time to clarify where we were heading, why, and what I expected of each team member. Ouch.

It was a tough lesson, but it reminded me to slow down, get out of my head, put plans on paper, and make sure I have communicated the “why” behind the changes.  Getting plans on paper lessens confusion, improves teamwork, and ultimately creates better outcomes.

Bottom line? Get out of your head and onto paper.

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