I work with a person that went presented with a problem, works through it and arrives at the wrong solution. When I have them show me the steps they took, it seems like they interpret things incorrectly. This isn’t a language barrier, and it’s not like they aren’t reading what someone wrote.
For example, they are working on a product, and needed to wait until the intended recipients of the product were notified by an email that they were going to get it. the person that sent the email to the recipients then forwarded that notification email to this person and said “go ahead and send this to them.”
Most people would understand that they are being asked to send the product out. It’s a regular process for them.
So he resent the email. He also sent the product, but I’m having a hard time understanding why he thought he was supposed to re-send the email.
I’ve tried breaking tasks down into smaller steps, writing out the tasks, post-mortem discussion when something doesn’t go as planned. What other training or management tasks can I take? Or have I arrived at the “herding kittens” meme?
But then why did he also send the product?
Because the product was supposed to wait until the email was sent. Email sent -> no problem, send the product next.
Ah, so he was just following his set of the instructions. This situation is exactly why I teach students to always put some kind of noun after a “this,” so that it is clear what “this” refers to.
Thank you for pushing your students to do that.
It is awesome when they get there. My favorite thing is to see light bulbs go off in their heads. I thank you for the feedback: wish I could use these comments to prove to students why to listen to me.
This is simple, practical advice that I can use when instructing coworkers. Thank you!
Thank you for validating my method! I am so grateful for my own English teachers that I’ve over a decade spreading their knowledge.
Thank you! As an autistic person, I am serious in saying that your practice with your students is honestly the most helpful thing I’ve ever heard of a person doing for autistic people.
That is precisely what we most need: clear communication from others. With that, we can earn our own way. But we do need that.
Ahhh… You have no idea how awesome it feels to hear it’s helpful. Only some teenagers are ready to hear it.
Clear, precise written communication helps everyone, and I love that I get to spend my time helping the next generation share their ideas in effective ways.
I had an English teacher who made us write a 500 word essay every single day for the entire semester. My wrist still crackles when I rotate it, because of how bad the writer’s cramp was.
That was one of the best things any teacher ever did for me. I wish more people had pushed me that hard when I was young.
I love these stories so much! I had an English teacher who would take 10 points off for every “to be” verb you used in any assignment. Most people thought it was ridiculous, but I saw it as a challenge. I learned so much that year, I still refer to her as my Yoda. She actually convinced me to get back into the teaching game after a terrible first job that made me slip into the legal field for awhile.
Is that why you don’t use the concept of “to be” in your writing?
Oh, I use “is,” “was,” and other “to be” verbs often in speech and even in writing, though I do try to find ways around it simply because I prefer to use more precise language. A “to be” verb is basically an equals sign, i.e. “The job is terrible” could be roughly expressed as “The job = terrible.” While that construction is fine and tells the reader something, it would be better to be more specific because what is usually meant is something more nuanced: “The job has me walking around too much, which hurts my legs.”
ETA: Apologies, I feel my lack of reading comprehension on this one deeply.