Each time you communicate with someone else, you have the opportunity to deliver your message on a spectrum of directness, ranging from extremely specific to extremely ambiguous. No right or wrong here; rather, understanding the most appropriate degree of directness – per the specific context & relationship at play – would reflect the strategy that best supports successful delivery of your intended message.
Do you need something done right now? You should probably be more specific. Are you trying to test the interest/initiative of someone else? You could probably be less specific. More times than not, choosing which side of the spectrum to veer towards can be determined by the immediacy & accuracy to which you need (or don’t need) your message delivered. While direct demands and questions are fairly straightforward, indirect messaging presents (and challenges) the navigation of a broader art in interpersonal interaction.
My siblings and I still joke about how my mom would typically ask us to do chores when we were growing up. Instead of specifically telling us to do something, she’d often ask a question like, “Wanna empty the dishwasher?” (To which I’d say, “Uh, no.” Followed by some smart ass comment: “Mom, are you asking me or telling me?”)
Switch gears to coaching/teaching youth, and a new wave of educators are instructed to implement guided discovery, a teaching style that prioritizes asking open-ended questions in lieu of giving specific directions. For example, rather than telling a soccer player to pass a ball in a specific direction after conceding a goal, you’d ask, “In what direction(s) might a better decision have been?”
So, what the hell does this all boil down to?
A challenge to take inventory of how directly (or indirectly) you’re currently communicating the messages most important to you… is it working for you? Patiently honoring space for others to process & engage with what you’re telling them does require a level of indirectness. At the same time, ambiguous communication, like ambiguous goals, can only yield – at best – ambiguous results.
1/7/21 WOD
DEUCE ATHLETICS GPP
[Meet at Anderson Park]
DEUCE BACKLOT GPP
[Meet at Pan Pacific Park]
DEUCE GARAGE GPP
5-5-5-5-5
Pendlay Row
Then, Complete 3 rounds for quality of:
8 DB Strict Press (ea)
10 Hand Release Push Ups
12 False Grip Ring Rows
Then, Complete 3 Rounds for reps:
In :90…
15/12 Cal Row or Bike Max
Alternating DB Snatches (50/35)
-Rest :90-
Then Complete the Following for Quality:
100 Powel Raises