There are a lot of people in life who don’t.
That can be dangerous.
Beyond ourselves, consider clients, partners, friends, stakeholders, team members. Have you ever met or worked with someone who seemed impossible to please? An unhappy customer, boss, or significant other?
Were expectations communicated clearly, or were there assumptions made, details ambiguous? If the former, we may be in the wrong. If the latter, well, we may also be wrong.
How can you hope to please someone who doesn’t know what they’re after?
I’ve learned that it’s far easier to lean into that problem, to anticipate it. I’d rather clarify expectations early than discover a misunderstanding later.
As I’ve done so, I’ve found it rewarding to make my processes clearer and easier for others to follow.
Know what you want (and what you don’t). Communicate this clearly and frequently. Anticipate that others won’t. I believe this is an essential skill; a prerequisite to becoming a truly extraordinary leader. As such, that means it can be learned and can be practiced. Like many things, practice makes perfect.