Verbal Instruction

[Lauran]

I'm pretty good at written instructions, but verbal instruction? Oh, God! Why is it so hard?

My dad literally just asked me to pick up the screwdrivers on the left, and my dumbass brain suddenly stopped working. I'm like, where's the left?

I

 

[Rodafina]

Likewise. It’s frustrating. If I have written instructions, I never miss a thing, but verbal? Forget about it.

But, I don’t think it’s because we are dumbasses.

@Lauran, have you ever read about auditory processing disorder?

Auditory processing disorder (APD) - Symptoms and causes

 

[Jumpinbare]

I'm fine until multiple steps are involved

 

[NB79]

I guess is because we need to 'think' and process all the steps?

 

[tlc]

I guess is because we need to 'think' and process all the steps?

I believe so. I am this way. My boss has learned to give me one thing at a time. Unless it’s dirt simple. I also do better if I understand the hierarchy process itself. Like WHY do you want the process done in this order? That way it’s less to remember, and I can just do the process when get to it. And understand it in my own way and expand on it.

If it’s a pure list, I won’t remember unless I write it down. Even for myself. It does help if I know what’s being done with those items. Again the why factor.

I’m the same way when giving instructions. I’d rather give something written. I do well at that, and even used to write the IOM manuals for my job. Or if I can put my hands on it, then I can show and describe it. I have a hard time putting things into purely verbal words without sounding like a little kid, or scatterbrained.

I almost never eat at restaurants anymore. But when I did, I would treat the order taker the same way I would want it done. I would give them one step at a time, and make sure they had it entered before giving them the next step. Also I would pay attention to how it showed up on the slip, and next time say it in the same arrangement and terminology.

I have utmost respect for fast food and similar workers. Customers rattling off a ton of stuff at once and expecting it to be perfect. Sometimes being indecisive or argumentative, or in hard to understand accents. All in the midst of a ton of background noise and being under pressure when it’s busy, and having to maintain a friendly face. I am an engineer but I could not do that job.

 

[tlc]

Likewise. It’s frustrating. If I have written instructions, I never miss a thing, but verbal? Forget about it.

But, I don’t think it’s because we are dumbasses.

@Lauran, have you ever read about auditory processing disorder?

Auditory processing disorder (APD) - Symptoms and causes

This is very good. Most of these symptoms describe me well. It's not that I can't hear. When it's quiet or a controlled environment I can hear things very well. Can diagnose mechanical things based on sound. It's the word processing of what I hear that is lacking.

 

[Rodafina]

This is very good. Most of these symptoms describe me well. It's not that I can't hear. When it's quiet or a controlled environment I can hear things very well. Can diagnose mechanical things based on sound. It's the word processing of what I hear that is lacking.

It seems strikingly common among forum folk.

 

[Shevek]

I have a hard time remembering a procedure unless I know how it fits into a larger pattern. When Richard Feynman was working on the Manhattan Project, he got a top security clearance for a whole warehouse so they wouldn't make dangerous mistakes, not understanding the hazards around them.

 

[Masked Man]

You're certainly not the only one! I prefer to have instructions written down because I have a mild auditory processing disorder along with pretty bad social anxiety. So when someone is speaking to me, especially someone I may not know very well, I'm paying too much attention to their face and the emotions running across their face and trying to read them to actually hear the instructions. I can't do both.

With people I know well that doesn't seem to happen as often, but yeah, it's frustrating.