Be an American... Not a-Rush-in

[With apologies to my Northern-Asian comrade brohams...]
I'll make this quick and -- hopefully -- simple:

Slow the Eff Down.

That's it. Not tricky. But SO MANY parties and raids are fail at this. They don't take the time to make sure everyone is on-board and ready to go. I don't know if it's arrogance, cockiness, stupidity, mental instability... it doesn't matter. Take the time -- before every pull -- to check on the following things:

• Does the party know who the tanks are?
• Does the party know what the healing assignments are?
• Does the party know the special instructions/tasks for the imminent fight?
• Are mana reserves full?
• Is everyone buffed?
• [Add your own common sense item here]

Taking the few minutes it requires to ensure the party is properly prepared can save a wipe, a run-back, people bailing, armor repair costs, frustration, dolphins from nets, second-guessing of strategy, and maybe a starving child in a third world nation (prove me wrong). Seems like it's worth it.