HOW HARD IS IT TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS?

#SMED11


The following quotation which I found online, beautifully summarises today’s blog :

“A minister asked a little boy how to get to the Post Office. After the little boy told him, the minister said, Why don't you come to church tonight? I'm giving instructions on how to get to heaven. After thinking a minute, the boy replied, I don't think so. You don't even know how to get to the Post Office.” - http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/instructions/


I believe following instructions is a two-way process which includes the sender and the receiver of the instruction. From a theoretical point of view, instructions should be clear, concise, unambiguous and directed with the target audience in mind. The KISS theory (keep it simple, stupid) is of the utmost importance.

Life is made up and on a daily basis we are surrounded by instructions at various levels. The ‘How to” list is endless :
- How to cook the perfect lasagna
- How to assemble the kitchen cupboard
- How to change a flat tyre
- How to wash and iron woolen garments
- How to read a road map to get from point A to point B

In most cases, if one wants the desired outcomes, it is expected of us to follow instructions to the letter. If not, there can be various consequences ranging from the ridiculous to the more serious :
- Ending with flaming green hair instead of blond for following incorrect hair-dye instructions
- Being suspended and/or losing one’s job for not following work instructions or the detailed operating procedures

On the other hand, ‘‘discoveries are often made by not following instructions, by going off the main road, by trying the untried.” – Frank Tyger. Here, particularly artists come to mind.


Many a married women would agree with my analogy that the following quotation has been written with husbands in mind - especially relating to kitchen appliance instructions: “If everything else fails, read the instructions.”

In conclusion, how often have we not wondered how hard is it for guest speakers to understand and implement the following instruction: "Be sincere; be brief; be seated.”