Expressing Intent — a Matter of Being Clear?

Abstract

How should a leader express his/her wish, or intent, to avoid misinterpretation so the subordinates know what he/she wants them to do? Two experiments were conducted to investigate how intent, expressed in terms of effects or capabilities, is interpreted. A number of staffs produced products and answered questions about the interpretation of the intent. In the first experiment the results show that the staffs who receive intent expressed in terms of effects produce better products and have a better understanding of the intent than the staffs that get the intent expressed in terms of capabilities. In the second experiment the intent expressed in terms of effects was purposely written less clearly than the intent expressed in terms of capabilities. The results show no difference between the produced products and the staffs' understanding of the intent. This indicates that it is not just a matter of clarity.