When I checked into a hotel recently, I was delighted to find that my accommodations featured a jacuzzi bathtub. With its several nozzles for creating swirling water, this would be a real treat.

Over the jacuzzi timer was a sign that said, "Fill tub before setting," Why, I wondered. As one possessed by a profound sense of "what if?" I turned the timer, curious to see what would happen. The answer: nothing. Odd, I thought, why would they post a meaningless instruction?

I filled the tub part way, covering all but two of the nozzles. I set the timer, noticing that once again nothing happened. Foolish sign, I thought, and settled into the soothingly hot water. Thus ensconced, I pushed the "jacuzzi on" button. Be aware, dear reader, that up till this moment, the rest of the bathroom was dry.

Suddenly, instead of the underwater swirling I was anticipating, water from the nozzles sprayed fiercely in all directions. Quickly, I pulled the shower curtain closed, but the projectile-like jets of water blew aside the shower curtain and drenched the entire bathroom. In the few moments it took me to turn the jacuzzi off, all the towels were soaked, along with my bathrobe, the floor, walls, ceiling, and a swath of carpet in my room.

Ah, I realized (too late, of course), the cryptic sign was intended to prevent just this sort of water-ific situation: Fill the tub, it was warning me, because if you don't, the bathroom floor will become a training ground for ducklings. But given the sopping wet consequences of ignoring its advice, surely the sign would have been more effective if it had explained the "why" behind the warning: Instead of a lackadaisical "Fill tub before setting," perhaps something like "To avoid damage or flooding, fill tub above nozzles before turning jacuzzi on."

There's a larger lesson here than mere jacuzzi-ing: Don't assume that others will follow your instructions simply because you've provided them. If their failure to follow your instructions could have dire consequences, explain the reasons for those instructions. Or at least indicate that these are Really Important Instructions and they'd better pay attention. And if you haven't explained the consequences of failing to follow the instructions, recognize that some people (myself, for example) will be inclined to test them, just out of curiosity.

Wetter but wise, I wanted to confirm my revised interpretation of the sign. I filled the tub further, till the water covered the remaining nozzles, and with trepidation aforethought, I turned the jacuzzi on again. Sure enough, it behaved flawlessly, creating exactly the sort of underwater turbulence that a well-behaved jacuzzi should. After a pleasant soak, I bailed out the bathroom, returning it to its former state of unsogginess.

Happily, I found that the jacuzzi was a luxurious stress-reliever, even if the stress it relieved was caused by my attempt to use it in the first place.


About the Author
Website: www.nkarten.com

Naomi Karten has always been fascinated by human behavior. Her background includes a B.A. and M.A. in psychology and extensive corporate experience in technical, customer support and management positions.

Since forming her own business in 1984, she has presented seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally. Her services, books and newsletters have helped organizations and groups

• Manage customer expectations,
• Enhance their communications and consulting skills,
• Provide superior customer service, and
• Establish successful service level agreements.

She is the author of several books including:

Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, which provides strategies and guidelines for improved communication in such contexts as building strong relationships, delivering superior service, fostering effective teamwork, and managing change

Managing Expectations: Working With People Who Want More, Better, Faster, Sooner, NOW!, which offers a serious, lighthearted look (yes, both!) at policies and practices for successfully managing expectations in the workplace

How to Establish Service Level Agreements, a handbook based on more than a decade of experience providing SLA consulting and seminars internationally and which is designed to help you avoid the flaws and failures she encounters so often