Sorry if this topic is stupid, I feel very stupid right now. I got transferred to a new department and I’ve had 2 or 3 clashes with the new boss about me not getting the hint. He finally gave me a metric, a number to get to. He spelled it out. I can do that, but I’m just freaking out that he’s gonna fire me because I couldn’t get the clue until today.
It would be best to establish that you work best with direct, very explicit communication. If I was in your situation, I would seek the advice of someone else (such as another coworker, HR, your boss’ superior) about how to achieve that with him in a non-controntational way. The point of seeking someone else’s advice is not just because they might have the insight or the capacity to help you indirectly (by answering the question) or directly (by talking with your boss alongside you), but because you’ll be painting the situation as an issue between both you and your boss that you’re constructively trying to solve, which would make him fire you slightly more difficult, since that will make him appear as unreasonable.