The true meaning of Communication

I have a Coop at work who reports to me. This seems like it should be a good thing - I can defray work to my coop, bounce ideas off of him, and maybe get some people experience, right? Well, not really, but I am gaining some experience.

The largest lesson I am learning is about communication. An Olin education emphasizes communication, but does not necessarily prepare us well for communicating. You see, Olin students are above average. Olin faculty is above average. Olin staff is above average. Most everyone you encounter at Olin is above average. Thus, in the course of an Olin education, we get a lot of experience communicating with above average individuals. This is great, since we are all brilliant and destined to continue traveling in above average circles. Unfortunately, I work in an industry that often hires from the bottom rung in life. If the hourly workers have completed their GED they have an education in the top quartile among their peers. Interns and Coops are not selected for intelligence or work ethic, but often because a parent works at the plant. This nepotistic system has left me with a coop who seems to be more of a time sink than a time saver, but I am convinced this is my fault. I am used to people who will ask questions rather than run through 200 tests that are yielding obviously wrong data. I am not used to needing to e-mail, print out, and discuss the simplest of instructions. I am used to people who will find ways to fill their time semi-productively. I am not used to people who given a task list with 3 items will complete part of one and leave early. My communication skills are insufficient to truly make my coop understand what he needs to do or the fundamentals of the tasks at hand. My communication is so completely off mark that I can't even get across the concept of coming to see me before leaving. I can't blame my coop for his weak background, so I can only blame myself and work harder. I must understand my coop before I will ever be able to really communicate with him. I must try different techniques, clearer instructions, and more frequent and personalized contact. It's not communication unless the recipient understands what I'm actually saying.

In addition to this, I am learning a good amount about expectations (you can not hold others to your own), motivation (to other people, this job is all that stands between them and their family/friends/television), and frustration (Simon is awesome). Having a coop will be a growing experience for me. It will be rougher than expected, but some scrapes are expected when you fall out of above average bliss.