"I may be able to get that done sometime around tomorrow afternoon," replied a subordinate when asked about the current task he was working on. On the surface, this sounds like a great answer. He appears to be working towards a goal, but when you stop and think, there was no concrete timeline stated for the task. The Soldier gave an answer he thought would get me to leave him alone.
This issue is not just limited to Soldiers that answer to me, I've encountered these aggravating phenomena when given tasks from higher. "I need you to complete this memo for me," or "Can you get this project done?" Even with probing questions for more details I rarely get very clear and precise guidance on most projects I work on without having to ask multiple, leading questions to get clarification.
Now, you might say that managers shouldn't have to give every detail in order for me to complete the task. You are right! However, when a task is given, there should be no question what that task encompasses and the expected outcome or final product needed. There is always a place for personal initiative and digging deeper on your own, but you shouldn't have to answer the simple who, what, when, where and why of a project.
As managers, it is our job to provide clear task, condition, and standards for anything we give our Soldiers or employees to do. The more I experience leadership within the Army, I am convinced that success is fully dependent on the guidance that is given by leadership. No matter how little time we have to prepare for a mission or a project, we owe it to those we lead to provide the crystal clear guidance that leaves little room for error. Our Soldier's should have the confidence that we will provide them what they need to accomplish their given tasks.
I am also convinced that when unclear guidance is given, there is little that can be accomplished. I have seen this happen too often. When unclear tasks, conditions, and standards are provided the Soldiers will waste amazing amounts of time, resources and energy completing very little.
The first scenario presented above involved a Soldier that I had provided very clear guidance and a deadline and he was still using the tactic of vague language. This is a game that I notice is used quite often in order to dodge the responsibility and ultimately the consequences of missing a deadline or not meeting expectations.
We all are either working for someone, managing someone or more frequently we are experiencing both at the same time. Whichever side of the guidance you are on, we must remember that clear guidance leads to clear results. If we are the one giving the guidance, we must hold ourselves to the high standard we expect when we are the ones receiving a project. It is imperative for our sanity and for the success of our endeavors that we remove vagueness from the workplace.