Clear, simple and thorough directions — we all want them. Then why are they so hard to give, and so hard to get?
Perhaps we can learn something from an organization with worldwide operations that issues thousands of directions daily to coordinate thousands of independent working groups — one for which keeping everyone moving in the same direction is critical to the accomplishment of strategic national goals.
For years, the United States military has taught managers at all levels to use a simple five-paragraph format to give directions. It’s known as Operations Orders (OPORD). The British, Australian and Canadian military forces use
