Do you believe clarity can make a huge difference in productivity? What’s your favorite example of waste caused by a lack of clarity? Here is one of mine:
I am so honored and appreciative that these amazing, busy people took the time to read my newest book and provide an endorsement!
Everyone knows clear roles and responsibilities are important, right? That’s why we write job descriptions. That’s why managers work so hard to set expectations. That’s why smart employees make an effort to clarify those expectations. Clear roles and responsibilities matter! Unfortunately, we aren’t doing enough. These techniques simply aren’t adequate.
Do you ever wonder how patient you should be? I’ve got executive advisory clients who struggle with this question. Some of them are naturally impatient, know they need to work at being more patient, but worry that being too patient sends the wrong message. Do you ever feel that way? So what can you do? Here is the short answer:
I remember being given a task as a new intern years ago. The request was so vague and confusing that the first thing I did was to dig into the project and try to figure out what my manager was asking of me. A week later I went back to him with a list of concrete objectives. He agreed. I smiled and said I was finished. This is what you call lucky delegation. I had just completed the task that he expected would keep me busy for the whole summer. That’s not the norm. More common results include: Continue Reading
During the opening rounds of a pickleball tournament, I played with seven different partners. I’d played with some of them before. Others I’d never even met. In order to get a lot of games in without delays, the organizers set time limits on the games. I don’t think any of us had a clue as to how long our games usually took, but we did know that the points we scored in each game would accrue to our individual tournament scores. Thus, not finishing exacted a big penalty. No one wanted to be caught down 2-8 when the bell sounded while someone on the next court walked away with 11 points for finishing the game. This combination of competition and time pressure was pretty nerve-racking. It also provided the opportunity for me to compare the way my different partners reacted to the pressure. The best partners not only helped us win by hitting great shots and chasing down lops, they also helped me play my best by:
If I overlook some of my personal fiascos such as: the airline that sold us nonstop tickets to London and then put us on a plane that couldn’t cross the Atlantic without refueling and the major appliance manufacturer with initials GE that decided it was easier to replace our six-month-old washing machine instead of sending a repairman to make adjustments – and then left us with a brand new machine that won’t run at all If I ignore those, and, instead, consider the many businesses I’ve worked with or talked with recently as a consultant, I’m pretty impressed. Lots of them are doing many things really well. But, of course, everyone can do better. So let me share some of the areas where I see the most pain and the greatest opportunity for improvement.
Increased clarity is the best option for improving profits, performance, and engagement. The reason more leaders aren’t pursuing greater clarity is they don’t recognize the lack of clarity that permeates their organizations and consumes their profit. A good part of that problem starts with the belief that they themselves are clearer than they really are. Where do you stand?
When I was hitting tennis balls this weekend, I noticed quite a few people out running. Ugh! I’d much rather chase a ball, a frisbee, or a hockey puck. I also enjoy honing a tennis stroke or carving the perfect turn on the ski slopes. But running? No thanks. I get bored. For me, there is no challenge in putting one foot in front of the other over and over again; I mastered that a long time ago. When I convince myself to run, my brain quickly conjures umpteen pressing tasks, articles to write, and alternative activities that are actually fun. My husband is different He likes to run. He gets in the zone. Mile after mile after mile. The lesson here?