COMMUNICATION RULE 3

Make Expectations Clear—Don’t Expect Others to Read Your Mind

Anger always comes from frustrated expectations.

—Elliott Larson

“I thought you had that covered!” you roar in utter frustration. “How could you possibly have misinterpreted what I said?” This is the third time you told your colleague what you needed, and he still dropped the ball. How hard is it, really, for others to understand what you are saying?

It all depends on where you’re looking from. If you’re asking, “How can I get others to listen better and be more responsible?” you have a rough road ahead of you. This 50-50 behavior of expecting others to understand you and anticipate your needs even when your expectations are uncertain, unspoken, or unclear is the ...

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