How many times has someone asked you to do something without providing clear instructions? We often get mad in these situations because we can’t read someone’s mind.
However, it’s hard to give clear instructions. Not just to you, your manager, or your friends. It’s hard to give clear instructions even if you are a person whose main job is to provide clear instructions.
It was July, 1914. The beginning of WW1 was just a few days away. SMS Goeben, an Imperial German Navy battlecruiser built for speed and power, dominated the Mediterranean Sea, accompanied by a light cruiser, SMS Breslau. Goeben was significantly larger and better armored than the British Navy battleships, but it was experiencing issues with its boilers, which limited its speed and operational efficiency.
Winston Churchill, the political head of the British Royal Navy at that moment, ordered the British Navy to “shadow, not to engage” with SMS Goeben until the war was officially declared. And they did it.