Garbage In, Garbage Out

The Illusion of Saving Time

The fastest way to waste time is to give unclear instructions.

I was reminded of that while using ChatGPT. I started using it more intentionally because I wanted to move faster, but instead I found myself re-writing prompts, opening new chats, and trying to “fix” answers that weren’t quite usable. The responses weren’t wrong. They just weren’t specific enough to act on. At first, I assumed the tool was the problem.

Then I reread what I had written. I was vague, left out context, skipped constraints, and expected it to understand what I meant instead of taking the time to say it clearly. When I rewrote the request with real precision — clear boundaries, intent, and relevant detail — the output changed immediately.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Performance Is an Output

That phrase has been around for decades in technology and data systems, but it applies just as directly to leadership and operations. In business, we tend to focus on outcomes. We ask why the team is moving slowly, why something keeps getting done incorrectly, or why customers seem confused. We analyze performance because performance is visible.

But performance is an output. The input is the instruction.

If a task is assigned vaguely, it will be executed vaguely. If expectations are implied instead of stated, they will be interpreted instead of followed. If an offer is described loosely, customers will hesitate. People and systems respond to what we actually say, not what we think is obvious.

Precision Feels Slower

Being precise requires effort. It means slowing down long enough to define the standard and document the step you assume everyone “just knows.” It means clarifying what good looks like before correcting what went wrong.

That can feel inefficient in the moment. It is far more expensive to repeat yourself, rework mistakes, or repair confusion later.

Where Most Friction Actually Lives

In my own business and in client operations, I rarely see dramatic failures. What I see are small gaps — missing clarifications, implied expectations, instructions that were explained once but never clearly defined.

Individually they seem minor. Over time they compound. They show up as tension, wasted time, and inconsistent execution, not because people are incapable, but because the input wasn’t strong enough.

The Real Lever

We often want better results without improving the input. The fastest way to improve performance is to upgrade the instruction.

Precision may feel slower at first, but it is almost always what makes the business move faster.