Vague instructions for precise outcome: fly swatter and Large Hadron Collider are not the same thing

This is yet another topic on the series of topics on decision making . In this, I focus my attention on situation where vague instructions are given and precise outcome is solicited. Beware of the trap. Sometimes it can be caused due to ignorance and at times it can be a con or it can be a situation where someone tries to drag you down to their level of incompetence and then beat you with experience. Whatever the case can cause may be, being aware of the situation itself will help you deal with it and avoid the negative outcome.

Vaguely precise or precisely vague : Some individuals and organisation are notorious in giving ambiguous instructions and expecting a precise outcome.  The purpose here can be to mask the clarity and meaning with the view to create opaqueness and. Sometimes this is also caused due to domain specificity or organisation specificity, use of terms which take more time to pronounce but sound impressive.  Brett Nelson has a list for you at Forbes https://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/annoying-business-jargons-12.html and in fact you can cast your own vote. Please note that it may have a US bias to it. 

Sometimes it may be a necessity but mostly an occupational hazard, be wary of it and the language with extreme caution. Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. — Winston Churchill .  One may be left wondering. Perhaps you will come across terms like A definite possibility, Let’s not concern ourselves with what may or may not happen, It’s like a roller coaster, It could go up, it could go down or it could fool us all and go sideways, I hear you. 

I remember a client giving me specifications for a particular outcome and then suggesting it may be more or it may be less with the level of ambiguity it may have varied in the order of magnitude from fly swatter to Large Hadron Collider.  A level of iterative probity is needed. 

Beware and avoid such traps. If you manage projects, services, products our outcomes, you will end up working for free ( or part of the project) for your client.

Perhaps one key reason people prefer to sell their time instead of selling value as they are working against unqualified inputs to deliver unquantified outcome.

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Sameer Babbar

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