April 1, 2009Poison Phrase of the Week ~ He’s the teacher. I shouldn’t question his decision.
When Kathy’s teacher put her ceramics project in the kiln, she wondered why he didn’t put sand under it to ensure it wouldn’t crack as it dried. The words, “Shouldn’t we put sand under it?” ran through her mind several times as he put it in the kiln, but the thought,
- He’s the teacher. I shouldn’t question his decision.
…kept her from speaking. Kathy regretted her silence when her project came out cracked.
Misplaced respect for authority is one of the Lame Excuses that keep us from speaking up. Respect for authority shouldn’t override our own observations. When in doubt, ask. If the answer doesn’t satisfy, keep asking until it does. When you realize later that you didn’t speak up when you should have, practice the words you wish you had said to reinforce the idea of speaking up for the future.
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Much time is wasted when a boss tells us something to do and because he/she is the boss, we don’t ask for clarification. Then we speculate what the assignment is, the scope, etc. If we has just asked up front, we could save time, energy, money, and stress
Comment by Deb — April 2, 2009 @ 10:12 am
When I have trained staff, I tell them the one thing that will aggravate me is saying, “I thought about asking about that, but didn’t.” All other interruptions and questions are welcome.
May I suggest one of Meryl’s tools? Treat yourself like a client. What advice would you give your 3rd person self?
If the instructor makes you feel bad for questioning, then it’s time to evaluate the instructor. Ditto with doctors.
Comment by Susan — April 2, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
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Pingback by A PowerPhrase a Week » Poison Phrase ~ I thought about asking, but didn’t — April 7, 2009 @ 8:10 am