Obviously the Obvious Isn't?Obvious

Obviously the obvious isn't obvious, otherwise, it would be obvious, which it obviously isn't.

This statement should be obvious. Yet, in the workplace, there are a lot of things that managers assume are obvious that are not as obvious as one would assume.

For example, one might assume it's obvious what business a company is in. A company that manufactures tools is in the tool-making business. A bank is in the finance business. A hotel sells rooms. And a casino is in the gambling business.

But, in reality, many "casinos" are in the retail, resort, or convention business. And it matters what business they're in because the customers and markets are completely different. Hotels actually sell sleep, and it matters whether their customers can actually go to sleep in their rooms or not. Banking customers want more than financial transactions. They want their money to be secure. And tool-buyers want tool-makers to manufacture tools that are reliable, durable, safe, and easy-to-use. 

Managers may think it's obvious what is expected of an employee based on an employee's job classification or job title. Obviously, a food server is supposed to serve food. A custodian is supposed to clean things. A software engineer is supposed to engineer software. A welder is supposed to weld. But is a waiter supposed to make people wait? Does a bank teller tell the bank what to do? Do all educators actually educate?

What is sometimes not obvious to managers is that it's not obvious to employees what their goals, roles, expectations, boundaries, and authority levels are within their job classification. These things need to be identified, specified, clarified, and communicated in detail if a manager expects the employees to perform to standard. Sadly, far too many managers expect employees to obviously assume what they should be doing and how they should be doing it without the manager taking the time to explain it.

Meeting leaders sometimes assume the purpose of the meeting is obvious to the participants. They act as though everyone knows exactly why they are there and what results are expected from the meeting. They expect people to stay on the topic even though the topic of the meeting has not been specified, the goals for the meeting have not been shared, or the agenda has not been established. Obviously, people cannot contribute to the success of a meeting without knowing why the meeting was called.

Perhaps one of the most obvious assumptions managers make is expecting employees to show up "on time" for work. Shouldn't it be obvious what "on time" means? Yet, for many managers, "on time" actually means "five minutes early." Or it means "ready for work." Or it means "in uniform at your duty station." But, if an employee is ready for work, in uniform, at their duty station, at the time their shift starts, but they have coffee and donut in hand and are chatting with their friend, are they "on time"?

Speaking of obvious, isn't it obvious that when an employee is at work, they're actually supposed to work? Is it possible that some employees don't get this? They think they can come to work and mess around all day. They think they can talk on the phone with their friends. They think they can work slowly or not exert themselves at work. They think when there are no customers around there is no work to be done. Yet, every restaurant manager knows, "When you're leaning, you could be cleaning." Why is this not obvious to the restaurant staff?

Managers need to realize that obviously the obvious isn't obvious in the workplace. And, obviously, they need to make it obvious.

May I suggest you take the time to ponder all of the things you think people should obviously know or understand at work but they obviously don't seem to get. Just keep asking yourself, "Do people understand A?" "Do they know B?" "Is C clear?" "Can they do D?" "What don't people seem to get?" Then make a plan and take the steps to make those things obvious.

May I also suggest that even if you think something is obvious, you should make it obvious anyway. If you think your customer service standards are clear, continue to communicate your standards over and over again so they are crystal clear to everyone. If you think your employees understand the value of the benefits provided to them as part of their compensation, continually reinforce the investment your company makes in your workers so employees don't feel underpaid or non-valued.

Finally, you need to understand that when the obvious is not obvious, people make assumptions. And those assumptions are often negative.

I recently stayed overnight at a casino hotel. When I entered my room I noticed on the desk was a welcome note from management with an added-value treat. The treat was four suckers. At first, I thought this was a great idea. The hotel had gone the extra mile to make me feel special. Then I started thinking . . . sucker . . . casino . . . sucker. It made me realize that sometimes the message isn't so obvious; it's subliminal. §