Principle of Clarity
Lots to Do & So Little Time To Do It
Everyday we have so many things we have to do, and only a finite time to do it in. Most of us try and maximize the time that we have to get the most out of our day. When something happens in our day that is unexpected and adds to our list to do, we tend to get stressed. We now have more to do and still so little time to do it in.
We Are So Busy – Our Communication Needs to be Quick
In order to get as much done as we can, our communication becomes short, quick, and to the point. Once our communication is done, we then walk away to address another task in our list. Remember, we have lots to do and so little time to do it. The question is… how do we know if what was said was clearly understood? What’s the risk if we were not clearly understood?
How Much Additional Time Do We Need For Clarity
When we don’t check to see if our message was clearly understood by whomever we were talking to, we are taking a considerable gamble, a risk. We have to decide if the message should have been clearly understood (ie. Give company XYZ a call to see if they received their shipment today, if not let me know – appears to be clear vs. Call XYZ company and see if everything is good with them – may not be so clear). If that call and the answer received from that call is very important, we may want to take a mere minute or two before we deliver the message to ensure our message is clear, or take a mere minute or two after the message to ensure the person we are talking to understanding what is being expected of them.
Why Should We Care About Clarity
Communication is the action we do to define what is expected. Clarity is our insurance the team knows what results we are expecting them to deliver. When managing, we start with the end in mind, we start with what result we want or need. Without clarity in the communication we lower the chances of our team’s results meeting our expectations.
If we want the best opportunity for our team to produce results that meet our expectations, clarity needs to be part of our communication process. All it may take is an extra minute or two. If you could increase your chances 10 fold that the result will be what you expect, and all it would take is an extra minute or two… what would your reason be not to spend that extra minute or two?
The Second Principle of Managing Made Simple
PRINCIPLE 02 – Clarity is Paramount
To ensure your team has a clear understanding of the results expected of them, Clarity needs to be more important that anything else. Expectations need to be clear.
Your Action For The Next Week
To make managing simple, the Managing Made Simple way, every time you communicate with someone where you are expecting a result from them, spend that one or two extra minutes either before the communication (to pick the best words for your team to understand the expectation) or after the communication (to ask a couple questions to ensure they clearly understand the result). Increase the opportunity for your team to understand what is expected of them. If you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you want to have your manager do the same for you?
If you have any questions, or any stories to share regarding the Principle of Clarity, please post them below.
Till We Meet Again Next Week …
Managing Made Simple