the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing

the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

In a situation or setting in which people are working together, certain people in the organization are ignorant of the actions of certain other people in the organization, leading to dysfunction. The contradictory emails I've gotten from that company lead me to believe that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

See also: hand, know, left, right, what

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

the ˌleft hand doesn’t know what the ˌright hand’s ˈdoing

(saying, informal) one part of an organization, a group, etc. does not know what another part is doing: First I got a letter from them saying they couldn’t return my money, and then the next day they sent me a cheque. Obviously the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing.

See also: hand, know, left, right, what

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017