This weekend I asked my son what his plan for the day was. He said he wasn’t sure what he would get up to.
There were some chores that needed to be done, so I chimed in with…
“Maybe you could clean the bathroom, or do the laundry, or empty the dishwasher.”
To which he responded with, “ya maybe” and then walked away. 😏
None of those tasks were completed (to my chagrin). Why?
Because he heard a suggestion not direction.
And no wonder he heard a suggestion vs direction, the word maybe is used when expressing uncertainty and doubt.
Interestingly, I’m seeing the same issue inside organizations. Leaders are engaging their teams with “maybe” conversations.
- maybe you can provide 2 more options.
- maybe you could call the client.
- maybe you could update the process.
All suggestions not direction.
When we soften our delivery we confuse the message.
Here’s a thought; if you’re not getting the desired outcomes you want, maybe stop saying maybe when giving direction/feedback. 😉