Ignore the lake. Take the next left.

We’ve all heard the stories of wayward travellers over-relying on the GPS in their vehicles to help them navigate back roads and labyrinth of highways unfamiliar to them. Looking for a sushi house in the tangled heart of Montreal? GPS will get you there. Directions to a Holiday Inn in Portland? Looking for a short cut? Looking for routes that will save time, money and frustration? Drop in some co-ordinates and simply follow the directions. Listen and do as you’re told. Do not question the disembodied woman as she calmly talks you through her personally optimized route. Her voice is calm; her tone is confident and reassuring. She knows where you want to go and she knows how to get you there. She would never steer you wrong.

“Turn right in .5 on Jackstopper Road. Continue west for 1.3 km”

“But there’s a lake.”

“There is not lake.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a lake.”

“Continue west for 1 km.”

“But what about the lake?”

“There is no lake. Continue west for 39 meters.”

Splash.

Taking directions is something the majority of us have no problem doing. Unless you have some deep-seated problem with authority, you follow directions. This acquiescence just makes life easier. Following directions requires trust. You must trust the director and the director must trust you to follow directions. This is not as fascist as it sounds. We both give and follow directions thousands of times a day almost imperceptivity. At home. At work. Shopping. Socializing. Travelling.

My wife is terrible at giving directions. Too many times to mention, she’s instructed me with only partial directions assuming I will either be able to read her mind for the rest, or just somehow know the rest without full explanations. This is how we became hopelessly lost on almost every family vacation. Just for the record, something is clearly wrong when you are expecting to see Lake Ontario but instead end up seeing Lake Huron.  Sometimes I know the directions she gives me are wrong. So I don’t follow them as I’ve already seen Lake Huron.

At work, we all have a shared responsibility to give and accept directions. When you are giving them, be clear and concise. Keep your directions simple leaving little room for misinterpretation. If someone suggests that your directions are wrong, hear that person out. Maybe they are. No problem. If you are in the position to receive directions, listen carefully. Take notes if required. If you need clarification, ask for it. If you are directed to drive your truck into Lake Ontario, don’t. The directions are wrong. It’s supposed to be Lake Huron.
 

For those about to work, we salute you.