Why “I thought that was obvious” is never obvious
What is obvious to you is invisible to them, because they were not in your head. The phrase makes them feel foolish, and next time they stop checking.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Say this instead: “I should have been clearer. Here’s what I meant.” “I thought that was obvious” sounds like a small slip, but your employee hears: you’re the problem. Say the goal, the standard, and the deadline out loud, even when it feels obvious, then ask “What would you do first?” to check the message, not the person.
GO DEEPER
Why “obvious” is a trap
By the time you give an instruction, you have been thinking about the task for days. The goal, the standard, and the deadline all feel obvious because they live in your head.
Your employee was not in your head. What is obvious to you is invisible to them, so a gap is almost always a gap in the message, not in the person.
“I thought that was obvious” turns that gap into their fault. They feel foolish for not knowing, and the safest move next time is to stop checking and hope.
Own the gap instead: “I should have been clearer. Here’s what I meant.” Then say the goal, the standard, and the deadline out loud, and ask “What would you do first?” That tests the message, not the person.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Say the goal, the standard, and the deadline out loud, even when it feels obvious, then ask what they would do first.
TEST YOURSELF
An employee delivered work that missed an expectation you never stated. What is the best response?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
