We expect people to be mind readers at work.
We don’t mean to.
But we give someone one piece of information and assume they’ll connect it to the next three.
“We needed your feedback yesterday.”
“You’ve been late three times this week.”
“This project is falling behind.”
And in our heads, the implications are obvious.
They understand why this is a big deal.
Except they often don’t.
You have the whole picture.
- You know the client is waiting.
- You know resources have already been scheduled.
- You know another missed deadline could push the launch into next week.
The other person may only know what you just told them.
And that’s where communication starts to break down.
We assume people will connect the dots the same way we do.
Instead, connect the dots for them.
Here are three ways to do that.
Step 1: Say what it means, not just what happened.
Giving someone information isn’t the same as giving them context.
Compare:
“We were expecting your feedback on Tuesday, and now we’re behind.”
To:
“We were expecting your feedback on Tuesday. Because we’re now two days behind, our team can’t start until Thursday. Best case, that pushes the launch three days. Worst case, we lose the resources we have scheduled, and it pushes us into next week.”
Now I understand why Tuesday mattered.
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I understand what my delay affected.
And I understand what’s at risk.
Don’t stop at what happened. Explain what it means.
2. Replace vague language with specifics.
Think about how often we use words like:
- Soon.
- Better.
- More responsive.
- Consistently.
- ASAP.
- Be on time.
The problem is that these words can mean completely different things to different people.
Instead of:
“I need you to get back to clients faster.”
Try:
“I need client emails acknowledged within 24 hours, even if you don’t have the full answer yet.”
Instead of:
“I need this soon.”
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Try:
“I need this by 3:00 Thursday, so I have time to review it before Friday’s meeting.”
Dates. Times. Numbers. Specific behaviors.
The more important the expectation, the less room you want to leave for interpretation.
3. Tell people what happens next.
This is especially important when you’re giving feedback.
Let’s say someone has been late several times.
You say:
“You’ve been late three times this week. I really need you to work on that.”
You may be thinking:
This is becoming a serious performance issue. If it happens again, we’ll need to take the next step.
But did you actually say that?
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Instead, try:
“You’ve been late three times this week. It’s affecting client coverage and putting additional pressure on the rest of the team. Going forward, I need you here and ready to work by 8:30. If this continues, our next step will be a formal performance conversation.”
There’s no guessing.
The person knows what happened, why it matters, what needs to change, and what happens if it doesn’t.
Because people shouldn’t be surprised by consequences you thought you communicated.
- You might have implied them.
- You might have thought they were obvious.
- You might even be thinking, How could they not know where this was headed?
But if you didn’t actually say it, there’s a good chance they didn’t.
The Bottom Line
Clarity isn’t saying more. It’s leaving less room for interpretation.
Before you hit send, end the meeting, or walk away from a difficult conversation, ask yourself:
Am I expecting this person to connect any dots I could connect for them?
If the answer is yes, connect them.
You’ll have fewer misunderstandings, stronger accountability, and a whole lot fewer conversations that start with:
“But I didn’t know that’s what you meant.”
To you and your success,
Mridu
P.S. Want to help your team work smarter, communicate better, and perform at a higher level? That’s exactly what I help organizations do through my training programs. Learn more here.
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