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Translation of Sadenova’s post (RUS)

There’s something about us. We don’t follow directions well – worse than in America.

There, if you have a problem of some sort, you get a set of instructions and read them carefully. Then, if you still have questions, you ask them. It has often happened to me that all my questions would have been answered in the instructions, but I would have missed something and asked anyway. I got many kind and reproachful stares from Americans.

Here, people hastily listen to the problem, then try to solve it on their own, then it doesn’t work, so they start asking questions, and only after others refuse to answer do they turn to the instructions. It’s neither worse nor better. It simply is the way it is.

Here’s an example: we send out information regarding mini grants, but people keep asking what’s already stated in the text. At the Center for Public Services, people first line up (the line is holier than all the electronic ticket machines put together) and only then figure out what documents they need to have ready.

I attended a funny training session once. Everyone was given sheet of instructions for what they were told was a timed assignment. You had to read the instructions and perform a series of actions. The last step said you didn’t have to do anything listed above and simply raise your hand when you were done reading. Of all the people in the room, only one girl raised her hand and sat there for about twenty minutes, the poor thing, while everyone sweated over the different tasks.