Mistakes happen. We all know that. But that doesn’t make them any less painful! Can you imagine my horror when one of my Clarity App users suggested I add some content that was already there?!?!? Seriously! I could see everything on both my iPhone and my iPad, but he couldn’t. Furthermore, a quick comparison indicated he was seeing only 4 of 11 categories. I called another user and found he was seeing only 8 of 11. I was seriously bummed!The good news? The bug has been fixed! And I am quite confident that all the content will be visible to you AS SOON AS YOU DOWNLOAD the latest version of the app. The easiest way to get the new version is to go to the App Store using your device, go to Updates, and then either Update All or scroll down until you find Ann’s Clarity App and update just that. My apologies for the inconvenience. The update is free. Please don’t delay. I hate to think some of you have been seeing only a fraction of the content!
It was a good week for letters. Another reader excited about my App, but the proud owner of a dumb phone, wanted to know if the content of the app was available to people like him. Yes, it is! Get a smart phone! I understand that not everyone is attracted to technology or has a desire to be more connected, but, frankly, how can you operate and relate in this business world without some understanding of what a smart phone can do? Turns out the guy who sent me the question is a consultant. Would you hire a consultant who is so far behind the times? I wouldn’t. Think that’s the only way he is behind? An executive in a huge global company recently confessed to me that she had never downloaded an app. Didn’t even know the password to do so. She was embarrassed and rightly so. Why would you want to subject yourself to such embarrassment and be so out of it? We aren’t talking a little behind the times here folks. I am not an early adopter; I prefer to let others weather the initial problems. Once the kinks are out, I’m in. And I’ve been in to the tune of three iPhones by now! It is safe, guys! Time to jump in the water!
“Dear Ann, I loved your webinar on meetings, your newsletters are so informative, and I have a couple of your books too! What I could really use is some advice on thinking quickly on my feet, especially when answering to a VP or Director.” Great question! Since I couldn’t recall answering this question before, I was intrigued. My reader and I exchanged a few emails so I could clarify the situation and ensure my answer was on target. My reader works in healthcare. Since accurate communication is so important to patient care, they use a proven technique called SBAR, which stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. This framework creates a structured and standardized format so that health care workers can exchange important information quickly and effectively. It creates shared clarity! I asked my reader if she has trouble thinking quickly on her feet when responding to questions within the context of SBAR. “No,” she replied. “It is only when senior people show up and ask me questions that catch me by surprise.” By probing further, I discovered that the questions that leave her struggling are all incredibly vague. They are the equivalent of asking me what I do. Let’s see, how many ways might I answer that question? I create clarity. I help my clients get better results faster. I consult, coach, and speak, I travel and read as much as I can, …. I could go on! Consider my reader’s plight: She is eager to be concise and helpful and waste no one’s time She is faced with a totally unclear question that could be answered in many ways She blames herself What should she do?
If you have downloaded Ann’s Clarity App but aren’t sure how to use it for the greatest value, here are three simple ideas with immediate rewards. First, encourage your colleagues to download the App. After all, the greatest benefits of increased clarity come in the form of Shared Clarity. Second, pick one of the following opportunities to practice creating clarity together: At your next meeting, don’t begin discussing any topic without first identifying which of the six possible outcomes you seek. (see Meetings – Meeting Process – Before a Meeting – Only 6 Possible Outcomes) Whether meeting, emailing, or talking on the phone, SOAR through a decision by consciously following each of the four steps of the process in order. (see Decisions – Decision Process) Next time you are planning, discuss which tasks belong in each of the quadrants in the diagram “The Trouble with Plans”. (see Planning – Top Planning Mistakes – Planning the Wrong Things!) Stay tuned for more pointers, both here and in the App itself!
Stacking firewood this weekend brought out a bit of the craftsmen in me. Stability was somewhat important, of course. We didn’t want it to topple over. Finishing was most important. Beauty and consistency were nowhere on the list. Nonetheless, I faced ample temptation to build a fabulous wood pile! It must be human nature – pride in workmanship, a little aesthetic compulsion, the intrinsic reward of learning how to do something better, finding a challenge to combat the tedium, … Who hasn’t done a better job than necessary on some task at some point? And who hasn’t been proud of delivering a better than expected result? Don’t we applaud excellence at every turn? Well, yes, until we decide it is eroding profits! Companies everywhere struggle with gold-plating tendencies – producing quality and features the exceed the requirements. Whether your employees are:
My husband and I rendezvoused with our daughter and her husband in the Reykjavik airport a few weeks ago and continued on to Oslo together. While waiting to board our plane, one of us, probably me, brought up the question of the actual time back home. “There is only one time zone.” said my son-in-law. “The one you are in.” In that instant, I realized he was absolutely right. It was 6:30 AM Icelandic time. That meant 2:30 AM East Coast time. We would arrive in Oslo at 12:30 PM, which would be 6:30 AM at home after a night without sleep. What do calculations like these accomplish? Nothing. Actually, they are worse than nothing! They make you feel sorry for yourself. They make you agonize about the missed sleep. They make you dread something about the day ahead. I’m struggling to come up with a time when self-pity, agonizing, and dread were of value! When was the last time those improved your day? There is only one time zone that matters and that is the one you are in. If you are tired, get over it. You’ve probably been tired before. I sure have. And I don’t even have to get on an airplane to get a bad night’s sleep. Sleep is overrated. You don’t need a great night’s sleep every single night. More often than not, yes, but not every day. Talking and agonizing about the “real time” that is only “real” somewhere else, somewhere you aren’t, is like complaining about having too much to do. It is like complaining about the weather. It is like complaining about your boss. The only time zone that matters is the one you are in. Don’t whine! Especially around my son-in-law! And we didn’t. Instead, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon admiring the sculptures of Vigeland Park in Oslo.
I know few companies that would tolerate frequent disruptions to a production processes. So why do most companies tolerate daily disruptions to their thought and communication processes? Why do they put up with cumbersome decision-making, confusing roles and responsibilities, lengthy and worthless meetings, and much, much more on a daily basis? Because they can’t see what they can’t see. They are clarity blind. Clarity blindness prevents you from seeing the 74 sources of fog and confusion that are crippling your productivity. It leads you to accept as unavoidable the ubiquitous complaints that everything takes longer than it should because you can’t see the common thread – the lack of clarity – that is swallowing up your time, profits, and opportunities. When I am clear about my message, I can write with ease and speed. When I am unclear, I get stuck and circle back and around multiple times. When I am clear about what needs to be accomplished, I know exactly what to do and I make it happen. When I am unclear, I “wander” in, or not. I may check my email instead. Time slips by and I can’t honestly say I’ve begun. When I am clear about my deadline, I am disciplined, determined, and fast. When I am unclear, tasks expand to fill all available time. When I am clear about my objectives, I am articulate, persuasive, and helpful. When I am unclear, I am silent. These statements likely apply to you and many of your employees, except maybe the silent part. Some people talk regardless of the circumstances.
I learned about the Brat and the Chicken at a conference last week. Laurie Gerber of the Handel Group gave a lively talk on time management at one of the sessions. We all know about the little voices that sit on our shoulders, whisper in our ears, and generally prevent us from doing what we need to do. What I liked about Laurie is that she reduced the voices to the two most prevalent. The Chicken is the fearful voice, scared and afraid of failing. The Brat is the little whining kid with constant complaints and masterful arguments as to why you shouldn’t do what needs to be done at any particular moment. Neither the Brat, nor the Chicken, have any business controlling your life! What shocked me was how readily I could come up with examples from my Brat, especially when it came to exercise! I don’t feel like it today. The weather is bad. I don’t want to stop what I’m doing. I’m on a roll. Awww, come on, just 10 more minutes! I need a cup of coffee first. I need to finish this, and that, first. I can’t decide whether to pole walk, lift weights, ride my unicycle, do yoga, read on the treadmill, …. Time to squash the Brat!
I am happy to inform my corporate and government clients that Uncommon Clarity, Inc. has received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Center for Women & Enterprise, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC’s national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations, and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs.
I received emails from two CEOs this week demonstrating their ability to dispatch responses quickly and move on. No fluff, to the point – very executive! Problem is both emails were also totally unclear. Three rounds and three days later, with the necessary details finally sorted out, we accomplished what we could have finished the first time around! But the real problem is far more significant. I have no qualms about pushing back, asking more questions, and following up until I clear up any confusion. Do you think that is true of the average employee? People eager to appear knowledgeable, competent, determined,and willing to take on responsibility? How many times will they persist? Most employees are going to do their best with what they’ve been given. They may engage in one clarifying round, but not two or three! Few are willing to risk looking bad in the eyes of an executive. Very few are interested in exposing any lack of knowledge or skill. So what are the real consequences of those dashed off emails? Lots of guessing. Guessing what the CEO meant. Asking others to guess what the CEO meant. But, ultimately, guessing. The damage may range from a wasted morning to many months of wasted effort to poor decisions involving critical customers to unnecessary delays. In your rush to clear your inbox or your determination to increase your efficiency, don’t “act like a CEO.” Remember that the point of communication, the point of leadership, and the point of those emails, is to help your people succeed. And the best way to do that, efficiently and effectively, is probably to pick up phone instead of the mouse!