Clarifying Deadlines and Work Instructions

There are situations at work where you were given unclear instructions. Sometimes, these situations result in extended working hours and repetition of a task. There are two culprits affecting misunderstanding between the client and the remote worker in remote working communication.

Comprehension issues

Listening and reading skills are key components of comprehension. When receiving tasks, you are normally instructed in verbal or written form, and later you find the context ambiguous.

Usually, verbal instructions are given in a conference or video call. This is much easier to track since there are options to record the call for a reference. However, there are instances where instructions are vague or incomplete. Listed are tips to clarify task assignments. (You can refer Conferencing Tips on Best Practices in Video Conference topic for more information)

1. Before you end the call, ask questions even though they are mentioned already in the call. Probe questions if needed until you find instructions clear.
2. Request for examples and feedback from similar projects. This will serve as your guideline to ease your working process.
3. Annotate and keep notes during the discussion. If necessary, interrupt the speaker if you hear unclear or unfamiliar words. Honestly ask them to expand it and change it into simple words.
4. Have the call wrapped up to summarize the discussion. Ensure the deadline to prevent misinterpretation and identify its priority needs.

In a written format, it is easier to spot ambiguity and quicker reference to get clarification. Here are some tips to clarify written instructions.

1. Make a thread of the conversation of the tasks and ensure that your boss, colleague, or PM are responding actively.
2. Tag appropriate people on shared documents if you find unfamiliar content. If required, ask them to expand it to you or request a quick video call.
3. Inform your team both via email and chat to constantly remind them of the urgency of clarification, especially if you tagged them for questions or included them in the thread or email loop, if they are inactive.
4. If you have difficulties contacting your client, boss, or PM, talk to an immediate senior in the team to assist you or even help you connect with your superiors.

If English is your second language, one of the reliable option is to translate the English context to your native language (or even use translator tools). It may sound unconventional, but it will allow you to make the context more edible. Alternatively, you can ask someone from the team who can speak your language to explain the context that is difficult for you. Remember that this is only for self-troubleshooting, but this will help you improve your comprehension skills and familiarity in English. Nevertheless, it is better to validate and clarify information from your manager, boss, or clients.

Whenever you receive tasks you need to make sure that you answer all the 5W’s+1H (Helmke, 2012) before proceeding to your task. Below is a scenario about an email conversation between Vicky and Edward.

Scenario:

Vicky is the PM for the Social Media team. She sent an email to Edward to transcribe an interview with a famous Fashion Designer and write an online article about it.

Edward finds the instruction vague, so he used the 5W’s+1H methodology and emailed back to Vicky.

Vicky elaborated on the instruction and replied to Edward.

By embedding the 5W’s+1H, the instruction to Edward was made clear. Therefore, Edward can now write autonomously. After completing his draft, Edward submitted his work and replied on the same email thread to clarify some information.

This is an example of clear clarification of instructions. By maximizing the 5Ws+1H method, Vicky is now trained to relay informative instructions. As PMs, you should practice giving clear instructions to avoid time wastage and redundancy of tasks to your remote workers. It will also keep your professional relationship together.

Below is an example of a vague practice of email instructions and conversation.

Title: Poster for Vandalur Safari

Hi Steven,

Can you make you edit a poster for me about the wildlife project of the Vandalur safari? Here’s the link of the article.

Www.thehindu.com/news/articles/night-safari

Thanks!

Angelo
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Re: Poster for Vandalur Safari

Hi Angelo,

Do you have any references or pegs for the poster design? What dimension do you want in the poster and can I use online images and reference them in the poster?

Thank you
Steven
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Re: Poster for Vandalur Safari

Hi Steven, I am not sure what would be your approach here, but I trust your creativity. You can use an A4 for this poster and use our Shutterstock account to download images.

Cheers! Angelo
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Re: Poster for Vandalur Safari

Hi Angelo,
Attached is the poster design for your review. Thank you. 

Steven
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Re: Poster for Vandalur Safari

Hi Steven,

There are few changes, I forgot to tell include our sponsors. You might need to add some space for the logos Also, the colour schemes should follow our client’s guidelines. I think you should also replace the people, make them more tourist-like. Attached are the logos of our sponsor.

I’m sorry, thanks again!

Angelo