I'm reading this and laughing -- reminds me of one of my bosses who sent me this long memo about conference room reservations and how she had made them all (that's MY job ...??) and mentioned "we'll be having lunch in 11I." I went around to talk to her to make sure she had thought of all the stuff I know has to be thought of, like, did she schedule break-out rooms, etc. etc., and while I'm still irritated she went ahead and did my job for me (can't delegate to save her soul), I felt like at least it was going to be done right -- only to have people calling me up on the day of the deposition asking me when lunch was going to be delivered. Um ... I don't know ... I was supposed to get lunch? Yes! because it says right here "We'll be having lunch in 11I." Note that nowhere does it say that I was supposed to order it!
Tell these people you need specific instructions and you're ready to work, but you want a deadline and to know who you're supposed to report to. Next time you get some vague crap as what got thrown at you, make them firm it up, and if they won't, at least be sure to end the conversation with, "Ok, I'll wait to hear from you on this, right?" -- Look them in the eye and get an agreement. It also helps if they can see you writing things down while they're talking. Make notes. Don't talk to anybody without pen and paper or something to type on, so they can see you writing down points that you're supposed to follow up on.
Also report what you're doing as you do it, and preface it with "Following up on our conversation last Tuesday, I have done such and such toward the goal of blah de blah. What else would you like me to do on this?"
Next time you are in a meeting, you take notes and let them see you taking notes, and then recap when they're finished stating the plan and the responsibilities. "Now, as I understand it, Bob and Mary are doing this, and I'm doing that, and it needs to be done by this date, is that right?" You need someone taking meeting minutes and circulating them after the meeting. If no one else is doing that, you can do it.
Cover your ass, it's called.
Oh, P.S., some management people have the irritating habit of saying We when they mean You. Jump in and say "Which We? Me We or You We? 'cause that was some dirty looks you gave me last time We were gonna get together and do something." Don't be shy -- call them on it. You need better instruction. This is not your fault.
Oh -- declining work -- "Sorry, my plate's kind of full just now." You might get some push back. Come back is, "Yeah, no, sorry, can't ... I'd be glad to help you out another time, ok? If there's nothing else, I need to get back to it, actually -- catch up with you soon!" and keep them moving along.
PPS (last one, I swear) -- the person in the example I gave is ISTJ, so no Fe involved at all. My other boss is so freakin' indirect sometimes it makes me laugh inside because I think of the old TV program of Lassie the dog. Lassie the dog could indicate all kinds of things just by barking and dancing around. Sometimes I want to say to my ENTP boss, "What? What's that, Lassie? Timmy fell down a well?" because he's so vague and indirect, he may as well be barking and dancing around, for all I can get out of it. JUST ONCE, I'd give my teeth for a "I need this tomorrow by noon" or similar clear and unequivocal statement. It's usually more like 10 minutes of free association and I'm supposed to intuit somehow out of that hash what he actually means. *sigh*
Oh, one more tip. If you can get away with this, use it -- when the person starts in, act a little distracted and say you're in the middle of something, would they mind please sending you an email and you promise you'll read it as soon as you can. Half the time, if you force them to document what they're about to say, they will think better of it and leave you alone. And if they don't, you have the crap instruction in writing to refer to when they ask you why We didn't get right on this.