What is the best way to make sure that employees understand how to perform a new task?

• A. Give them written directions to guide them in the process of the new task.
• B. Explain it to them and ask if they understood your explanation.
• C. Explain it to them and send them on to their work.
• D. Explain the task, explain it again using different words, and then rephrase again a third time.

Answer: (D)

Understanding a new task is reinforced by presenting the instruction more than once and in different words. When you explain it again using different wording, you address varying background knowledge, language, and how people process steps, so terminology and the sequence become clearer. Rephrasing the task a third time further reinforces the details and helps catch any remaining ambiguities. This approach builds comprehension more reliably than a single explanation or a quick check-in. After you’ve explained it in multiple ways, having the employee explain back or demonstrate the task can confirm they truly grasp how to perform it.