If work is frequently delayed because workers await your arrival to make decisions, what conclusion is most helpful for a supervisor to draw?

• A. The workers lack initiative and need encouragement
• B. The jobs given to you are generally more difficult than the average
• C. Your orders and instructions may not have been sufficiently clear to complete
• D. You have incurred the workers' dislike and should look for the cause

Answer: (C)

When work slows because people wait for you to decide, the underlying issue is insufficient clarity and delegated authority in your instructions. Clear orders, defined expectations, and explicit decision rights allow workers to proceed without waiting for you each time. If you lay out what needs to be done, the standards to meet, and who can decide within what boundaries, tasks move smoothly and delays shrink. You might also establish standard procedures or quick check-in points for exceptions so decisions stay in the right hands without constant supervision. The other ideas miss the core problem: it isn’t necessarily that workers lack initiative, that the jobs are inherently tougher, or that you’re disliked; it’s that guidance and authority to act aren’t clearly and confidently granted.