67. Be Specific

We need less ambiguity in our world. Too much is open for interpretation. It’s why we’re always confused and wondering where we stand. It’s difficult to understand what’s going well and what isn’t because specificity is sparse.

Maybe it’s because we don’t want to offend anyone. Maybe it’s because we don’t want to be offended. Whatever the case, our lack of being direct is making things harder than they need to be.

Things take longer than they need to because nobody stands up and says when it’s going to be done. Just yesterday I had an accountant tell me something would be ready for me sometime “hopefully in the next day or so”. What am I supposed to do with that?

We give ourselves an escape by the way we communicate. Rather than using language that requires us to stay true to our promises, we turn to phrases that leave room for mediocrity.