When we convey information and assign work, do we often find that some details are misunderstood or missed and that execution deviates from the plan? Japanese companies have a practice that seems worth emulating. It is said that when their leaders assign tasks to employees, they generally explain them 5 times. The first time, they clearly explain the task; the second time, they ask the employee to repeat it back. The third time, they discuss the purpose of the task with the employee. The fourth time, they discuss contingency plans with the employee. The fifth time, they ask the employee to offer their own views. By explaining it once, having it repeated once, clarifying the purpose, formulating contingency plans, and soliciting personal views, they convey the information 5 times so that the other person can understand it comprehensively from different angles, thereby achieving the goal of lossless understanding and deviation-free action.
Some leaders in China have a communication style that leaves you to figure things out for yourself. Most leaders will say, “Don't make me say it twice.” If you ask too many questions, they say, “Can't you think for yourself?” But if you make a mistake, they say, “If you didn't understand, why didn't you ask me?” Many people therefore compare these two communication styles and judge one as better than the other. Yet they are methods suited to different situations. The problem is not the methods themselves, but the reasons for using them. Important matters need to be communicated thoroughly and followed through on. Some managers go beyond the five-step approach to make the process more rigorous—for example, involving more people, ensuring everyone has the same information, or even making recordings, holding discussions in meetings, and taking minutes,
So when conveying information, we must always take the recipient as our reference point. If you want the recipient to be absolutely clear, you should at least explain the task once, have them repeat it back, clarify the purpose, develop a contingency plan, and invite their input. If you only want the recipient to be aware of the information, there is no need for such an elaborate process: simply explain it once and have them repeat it back.