Save the Frustration. State the Obvious.

I recently received mail with the caption “THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.”

My initial reaction was a sarcastic ‘wow, good thing they were clear about this’, but then realized some could interpret the blank page as some kind of miss or error.

It got me thinking about how frustrating it is for leaders when others ‘don’t get it’ - be it key messages, the context, direction, objectives, actions, etc.

That’s because it’s easy for us to get consumed by our own thoughts and perspectives, which is driven by a slew of biases, including our motives, mindset and frankly, our agenda.

Experienced leaders also draw upon deep and influential experiences. They anticipate outcomes and process situations faster than others, all in addition to closer access to information sources and other key decision-makers.

In essence, it always makes sense in our head.

But just because it’s clear in our mind, doesn’t mean the same clarity exists for others. So avoid the frustration, and over communicate. Even if it seems you're stating the obvious.