Fourteen years ago, I left my corporate job and moved from Minneapolis to Massachusetts to create Uncommon Clarity®. As a newly minted entrepreneur, I began publishing and speaking immediately, the latter after a stint in Toastmasters to overcome no minor case of fear. From there, it was on to my first radio and TV interviews. Since then, I’ve published three booklets and, just this month, The Clarity Papers, my first full-length book. I’ve worked with clients representing over 40 industries, non-profits and for-profits. The focus of my practice has shifted from operational excellence to include strategic planning and then executive coaching and advisory services. That first year, I was out of my comfort zone 99% of the time. Maybe more! The second year it was maybe only 75%. By the third year, that number had dropped even further. And so had my income! That lesson was pretty obvious. Less obvious, and maybe only to my husband, was how much I had grown and changed.
There is a big, hulking shell of a casino rising on the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts. Many people have been hoping Wynn Boston Harbor would sparkle like a Bellagio East with grand restaurants, glittering ballrooms, dancing fountains, floating furniture, and riverfront paths. The promise of jobs galore, both during construction and for years to come, was another crucial part of the dream. But now we’ve got a little problem. Wynn Resorts, even without Steve Wynn, is a tainted name. No one wants any facility in Massachusetts to be associated with a name that reeks of sexual misconduct. Casino construction is on hold, the fate of the casino license is up in the air, and the ensuing mess could take years to resolve.
I was the special guest on a TV broadcast of the Hopkinton Coffee Break recently. It was a lot of fun and a good way to get to know me. You will also hear some good pointers on clarity, of course!
Massachusetts recently tried to make changes in state health care programs for retired civil servants. They had to back down when the retirees protested. The Governor, Charlie Baker, blamed a lack of communication. The Boston Public Schools recently tried to change school start times. They too had to back down following excessive protests. Once again, a lack of communication was cited as the culprit. This is stupid. This is the kind of thinking that leads to endless meetings where everyone is invited. Truth be told, no matter how many meetings you have, no matter how many people are allowed to have their say, and no matter how many explanations you distribute, you will have protests if you mess with people’s lives and expect communication to be the preventive medicine.
“I hadn’t realized how entrenched I was in so many time-wasting habits until Ann Latham made them transparent. It’s almost embarrassing,” said Jim Goodwin, CEO of CHD. Just a few days ago, I talked with another client who told me that after working with me, he can’t not see the lack of clarity surrounding him. The lack of specificity, the lack of cognitive process clarity, and the lack of effective communication that are so ubiquitous. The language that drives activity, not results. The time-wasting habits so firmly entrenched in business-as-usual. The disclarity that was completely invisible to him before, and that is now so transparently an obstacle to progress. I share these examples to demonstrate that just because you are a competent, successful, hard-working leader, like these two, doesn’t mean you are aware of the disclarity around you.
It’s tough to grow when you are breathing your own exhaust, getting little useful pushback, and not knowing what you don’t know. That’s why my best clients enlist my services as a trusted advisor.
The street carts in Ljubljana’s Public Market serve up a gourmet feast of Argentinian beef, Slovenian pastries, grilled vegetables, crazy pancakes, and more. Too bad you can’t enjoy them all with a nice glass of wine. But you can!
When I told you about my newest book, The Clarity Papers, I forgot one important detail: the Special Offer!
If you saw my email or blog post yesterday, you know that my newest book, The Clarity Papers, is now on Amazon! And you also know that Amazon is offering the Kindle version for free today, January 24th, through Friday this week. Three days only. I promised to remind you. So, you might want to download it now before you forget: The Clarity Papers.
Remember when Bambi was born and Thumper was jumping around yelling, “It’s happened! It’s happened! The new prince is born!”? Well, that pretty much describes the way I’ve been feeling the last few days and I’m really excited to share my news. No fawn, unfortunately, more like a dawn! My newest book, The Clarity Papers, has arrived! Furthermore, the Kindle version will be available for free tomorrow, January 24th, through Friday this week. I’ll post a reminder tomorrow morning with the link so you don’t forget. What’s The Clarity Papers about?