Never Assume

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

Never assume your instructions are clearly understood and will be carried out. The Bible says, ‘The hand of the diligent makes rich,’ and the word diligent means paying careful attention to details. When you give someone instructions, check to be sure they’ve made a note of them. If not, you should be concerned. The unlearned and uncommitted tend to trust their memory with everything, but the shortest pencil is still better than the longest memory. When someone doesn’t consider what you’re saying important enough to write down, they are sending you a signal; the light is flashing red. Even if their intentions are good, in their busyness or overconfidence your instructions can easily be forgotten. Those who are follow-through people always ask additional questions about the assignment and instructions you give them. For example, when you ask them to telephone somebody about a particular matter, they should automatically ask you: a) Is there a deadline on this? b) When do you need a report back on the results of this call? c) Is there any additional information I need to know? If those kinds of questions are not forthcoming, chances are that person is not giving enough thought to their assignment. When someone tells you, ‘I’ll try to get to it,’ that’s another flashing red light, because much of the time they won’t. The word try often reveals half-heartedness. Give your instructions to one specific person – not two. Document the date you gave it to them and when you need them to report back. In other words: only give instructions to someone who is qualified to receive and implement them.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to never assume and be a person who writes things down and follows through on what I commit to. In Jesus’ Name, Amen