Having Difficulty With Vague Instructions

[Spinning Compass]

I am having difficulty with a co-worker who is training me for new duties. The problem is, I don't understand her communication style. She is often vague in some of her instructions. For example, she will refer to a document but not give its address on the server, and when there are two or more documents with similar names in several different places, this can be very confusing. Furthermore I am a very visually oriented person and often need to see what she is talking about before I can grasp it.

Today she was leaving early so she asked me if I thought the priority task I was on would take the rest of the afternoon or if I would need something else. I said I probably would need something else. So she wrote down what my next task would be. But when I opened the document, I did not understand the instructions! There was no one else to ask. So I ended up putting it aside as I did not want to screw it up.

I don't know how to handle this situation. I am pretty sure that it is a communication issue caused by my Aspergers (which officially I don't have), but I don't want to say the A-word. I don't want to go to the supervisor either, because I am trying to make a "new start" in this new position since I was spared in the last round of layoffs. Previously I'd had some stress issues and I really thought that I was going to get the axe because of that, but for some reason the gods were kind. So I am really, really trying not to make trouble. But I feel so stupid when I am faced with instructions I don't understand, and I really hate having to say, "look, I am really confused here," because that doesn't look so good either. And it's not that complex a job, compared to what I was handling before, it's just that the tasks are all new and I am still learning the formats.

 

[Sherlock10]

I find that it is better to ask for clarification as soon as possible. Even though people sometimes get annoyed that you don't understand, they seem to take it better than asking later, which sometimes leads people to think that you were not paying attention.

 

[Firnafth]

That sounds really frustrating. I had some problems like this when I started this part-time job I have now. My supervisor gave me some instructions of what to do but didn't tell me why I was doing it at all. It was a writing assignment and in order to write you really have to know what your audience is and why you're writing. I was very stressed out about it. I ended up just doing what I thought best and seeing how it worked out, but I also asked some questions (which he didn't answer well half of the time).

Maybe it would help if you ask directed questions. One type of question to ask is "so I do this?," explaining what you think you should do. At the very least this can help you narrow down what you are/aren't supposed to be doing, because the answer should be yes/no.

 

[Spinning Compass]

I talked to the person training me and I think things will go better now. I guess I was worrying too much and being too hard on myself. We discussed ways of making the instructions easier to understand.

 

[Droopy]

Good to hear that you have got this sorted.

 

[LgndKllr24]

I'm glad too that you were able to talk to them and get everything straightened out. I'm sure if I were in your situation I would have had the same problems.

 

[gouldgrl]

I really "feel your pain." I had a supervisor who also was not very good at communication, mostly because she had a poor grasp of basic grammar. I often had the added task of trying to figure out what she was really trying to say. As difficult as it may be, I think you have to let your supervisor know when her instructions are not clear enough. If she's a good supervisor, she'll appreciate your honesty and your desire to do the best job possible.

 

[Cerulean]

After my second surprise "performance review" I decided to tell my HR/supervisors about having aspergers, because most of the problems they had with me are related to that. They've been quite understanding and we've been experimenting with different forms of communication to make it easier for everybody. I know telling an employer isn't the best idea for everyone and I got really lucky, but I'm glad I told them.

 

[Nolan1971]

Some employers are good about it I really liked how well Stop & Shop treated me! I always got great reviews and the benefits were awesome a minimum
25 cent raise every 3 months, 1 1/2 times pay sunday and 2 1/2 times pay holidays.
If they had any in florida I would still be with them!

 

[Mike_GX1]

I have had similar experiences with co-workers and supervisors. They often do not like having to write down instructions (which I prefer) and can get quite frustrated when I still haven't got the instruction they've just told me because I haven't got a piece of paper to hand. It's like trying to work in another language and having to translate it to a medium I can work with.

I did have a really good work system going for a number of years until a number of people exited the company. My colleagues would email me rather than tell me face-to-face and I found that way of delegation so much easier to deal with. The newer recruits coming through the ranks to manager status just don't understand and won't compromise - they will give instruction verbally or not at all. There aught to be a royal society for the prevention of bad people management (RSPBPM) making sure that all workers are given fairer pay and work conditions. Some managers are bullies and such mal-practice is bad not just for the reputation of whatever company it is but it's also bad for overall staff morale and productivity. Such managers aught to be shown the door or at the very least thoroughly re-trained.

 

[umbrellabeach]

YES. Oh my word yes. Vaguery is a big problem for me at work. One time a customer forgot something, and the cashier I was bagging for told me that she'd forgotten it and was going out the door - but there was more than one person going out the door, as always, and since I focus more on my tasks than the people around me, I usually don't remember which customer is which. I asked what the customer was wearing but the only thing the cashier would tell me was, "She's going out the door right now." Needless to say, the cashier ended up being the one to go after the customer. This has happened more than once.
I agree with Firnafth about directed questions. They help me a lot. They should have helped in the situation I just described but the cashier either couldn't hear me over the noise or just refused to answer the question. Other than that, they usually work.

 

[Spinning Compass]

A while back I started this thread about being frustrated by vague instructions. Well, things have taken an interesting turn since then. It seems that I was being too hard on myself and blaming my Asperger's for being unable to understand what was being asked of me. Let this be a lesson: sometimes it is Asperger's getting in the way, and sometimes it's simply an incompetent trainer.

When this situation first started, I was feeling quite frustrated and left out because not only was the person who was training me giving me confusing and contradictory instructions (I'd start a project as she said only to have her come back and say, no, no, you're supposed to do it this other way), she was spending more time training another person than she was actually sitting down with me and going over things. At least that is what it seemed like to me. But things aren't always what they seem. Come to find out, she is doing the SAME thing to others who are also frustrated with her approach to training, and what seemed like neglect was actually a blessing in disguise because it meant I wasn't involved in some of the other shenanigans which were going on.

As things are now, I have formed an alliance with another person, which makes me rather uneasy because I feel we are ganging up on her (or she may see it that way) and I don't want to do that. I've had that done to me all too often. I am willing to be a sounding board up to a point because I understand what my friend is going through, BUT I also understand why this person who is supposed to be training us is having the difficulties she is having, because I've been there as well. She feels threatened by some of the changes that are happening in our department, namely the automation of certain tedious procedures that are currently being done by hand. (I say go for it, anything that saves my hands is a good thing). She also doesn't have the educational background in the sciences and therefore doesn't know the meanings of many of the terms we use, nor, apparently, does she want to learn. Her fear has blinded and paralyzed her and unless she can get over it, as I did, and learn to work outside of her comfort zone, I'm afraid that what she fears most will come to pass and she will be out of a job. What my friend does not realize, is that I did not seek to be in the position that I am in; it was something my supervisors wanted for me. They wanted me to be the "go-to person" for certain procedures; that was never my desire. But I rose to the challenge and that, I think, is why I am still here.