>> Poor or No Direction from Person Assigning Task

All too often bosses assign work to employees with little or no direction on what's expected or how to complete the job. Just as commonly, workers are ordered to report to another boss without clear guidelines. The results are frustration and incomplete or incorrectly completed jobs. The problems take many forms; bosses may:

	Withhold information the employee needs, either intentionally or unintentionally.
	Deliberately offer misleading information.
	Use a third person to communicate information; this person may lack a clear grasp of the task, not understand how to pass on the assignment to the person being assigned the task, or both.

When the lack of direction is inadvertent, participants recommend that you:

	Ask for clarification.
	Document all steps, to allow for learning from any missteps.
	Restate understanding so the boss or other person assigning the task can clear up any confusion.

When the poor communication seems intended, you have the dual responsibilities of trying to complete the task while protecting yourself from repercussions. Participants recommend:

	Document everything, including instructions and steps you've taken to complete the task.
	Double-check sources of information. If the person assigning the task seems unclear on the purpose of the action or how to complete it, you should ask to talk with the original source.
	Follow up frequently via e-mail or other written communication. It may be the boss or other individual who delegated the work was distracted and the misdirection was unintentional. However, the situation will never become clearer until you share your misunderstanding as well as understanding.