Unlock Clarity: Lead with Confidence!
Boost trust and productivity with The Perk's clarity-focused leadership training. Elevate your team's success now!
The following is an excerpt from our September 2024 issue of Hey Leader.
Hey Leader, crafted with thought & care by The Perk, is a monthly email series all with the intention to help you lead better. You belong here!
Hey, Leader —
Before we get into this month’s newsletter, a quick story:
One day, Dan had the idea to walk with Betty from our house to one of our favorite places in Madison, Bloom Bake Shop (the best place in the world, IMO), to get breakfast & bring it home for all of us.
Betty, forever the BEST helper, came to me & took my order.
“Well, I’m super hungry this morning,” I told her. “I’d like a sweet potato doughnut, & I’d also like a biscuit sandwich.”
She made eye contact with me & actively listened as I told her my order. After I finished talking, she triumphantly said, “Got it, Mom!” & started to leave the room to report my order to Dan.
“Actually, Betty? Can you repeat back to me what you just heard? I really want to make sure that I was clearly communicating what I wanted,” I said.
“Sure!” She smiled confidently. “You want a potato, a carrot, & a sandwich.” 😂😬
I share this story about Betty because clarity in communication is one of the most important elements in our lives AND in our leadership. Being clear, as the always-spot-on Brene Brown says, is being kind.
Clarity is also directly related to trust. When we take clients through our Trust by Design Framework at The Perk, “Be Clear” is one of the five Core Behaviors that we teach. Because think about it: How much do you trust someone who’s constantly ambiguous & super confusing? Probably not much, right?
When there’s a lack of trust, a lack of productivity follows. According to our friends at Boldly & Co., 30% of a typical employees’ day is wasted because of people not being clear about who owns what or what they’re supposed to be working on. And when there’s a lack of productivity, there’s a direct hit to your bottom line.
It’s not just employees, either. A recent Harvard Business Review article (which I’ve been sending to practically everyone I know because it’s THAT good) talks about how a lack of clarity on goals, roles, vision, & culture is the #1 reason why leadership teams fail.
Okay, so we know clarity is important. How do we create more clarity for ourselves & the teams we lead? Here are a few things we always tell our clients:
Be clear with your expectations. Let’s be honest: expectations exist no matter what, & they are either clear or they are stealth. It’s when they’re stealth — i.e., living inside your head — that they’re not very helpful. Have you ever wished for a very specific birthday gift, never communicated that wish, & then been disappointed when you got something else? It’s no different with team or leadership situations.
For example, one of the things that’s important to us at The Perk is to set clear communication expectations—so we literally wrote a “How We Communicate Here” guide.
Communicate your “why”: Instead of simply asking someone to do something, give context around why that thing needs to be done. Connect it to the mission, vision, values, or client success metrics. This one most likely seems obvious, but trust me—the “why” is often the first thing that falls by the wayside when teams get busy & there are deadlines to hit.
Take ownership to ensure clarity: This is especially critical for middle managers, who are often communicating expectations from leadership to their teams. Before you move on to the next thing, take the time to make sure everyone understands what the expectations are.
One more thing I want to leave you with—and that’s the fact that clarity is co-owned. It’s only complete when the person you’re communicating with has understood you AND their behaviors are in alignment with the desired result.
Co-owning clarity means the difference between a sweet potato doughnut & biscuit sandwich for brunch…or a potato, carrot, & sandwich. (Unless you really want that second order, of course).
PS: I’ve heard from so many leaders that this year—or next year—is their “Year of Clear.” If that’s your goal as well, The Perk can help.
Whether it’s taking your team through our CLEAR Leadership Training Program that empowers leaders through a clear, concise, & consistent method for leading with confidence or by working with us on a vision setting workshop to ensure your team is crystal clear on where you’re collectively going & why, don’t hesitate to have a conversation with us to see how we can best support you!
Four Questions to Ask to Achieve More Clarity
A quote that we love at The Perk is “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Thanks for that, George Bernard Shaw!
As Leah mentions above, clarity is indeed co-owned—which is why it’s so critical that we get curious & ask questions to make sure clarity has indeed been reached between two parties.
With that said, these are some of our favorite ways to do that. These “clarity questions” are ones that we consistently use with our team, & they might be helpful to you, too:
“Would you mind repeating back to me what you heard? I just want to make sure I communicated it properly.” At first glance, this question might seem condescending—like we’re saying they may not have been listening to us in the first place. We promise, it’s not—because it’s about making sure what you’re saying is actually understood. What you SAID might not be what they HEARD.
“What’s most important about this, for you?” This is a great way to build connection with your team, & it’s also a way to assess if they truly understand the big picture of what’s being communicated.
“What is super clear about this expectation? What could be clearer?” This is feedback for you & your leadership team. Understanding what’s clear & what’s a little fuzzy still can help you communicate even better next time.
“What’s one thing that excites you about this? What’s one thing you’re hesitant about? What is one question you have?” We call this “The Perk Trifecta” & it’s one of the best ways to demonstrate that it’s okay for your team to have multiple feelings about what’s being communicated.
As with so many things in leadership, context is everything. This is where it might be helpful to have a conversation around these questions, & explain that these might be a new communication norm for your team.
If you give these a try, please let us know how it goes! We’d love to know if they helped, or if anything else came up as you used these questions.
What's The Perk saying?
Our media selections this month focus on ways to communicate & reinforce a culture of clarity with your team!:
5 min read
55 min watch
16 min watch
What's our community saying?
We’re always soaking in the latest news & insights on culture, organizational development, & leadership. This month’s resources focus on empowering you & your teams to build trust through clear communication.
5 min watch
Katherine Hampsten | TED-Ed
10 min read
Michelle Myers | Women’s Leadership Today
36 min listen
Michael Hyatt & Megan Hyatt Miller | Business Accelerator podcast
Teams large & small love working with The Perk!
SEE results in action!
GE HealthCare, building next level leaders.
Focus on building confident, compassionate leaders, & developing high-trust teams takes innovative, world-renowned healthcare company to the next level.
About The Perk
We're a premiere leadership & culture development studio.
The skills your leaders need today are very different from the ones they needed 5 years ago. We equip leaders with the skills they need to confidently & effectively lead their teams now & going forward.
And we have quite a lot of fun doing it!