The Power of Clarity
So often we think that we explain things properly, concisely, and clearly but unfortunately the person(s) receiving the information or instructions don’t agree. Or worse yet, don’t realize that they don’t fully understand.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “clarity” has three parts:
1. the quality of being clear and easy to understand
2. the quality of being easy to see or hear
3. the ability to think clearly and not be confused
I feel that there are two very important elements of clarity. One is to be clear and understandable in your communication so that you get the exact results from another person(s) that you are seeking. The other is to have absolute clarity in the desired outcome of what you want. In order to be successful, you cannot have one without the other.
So where do we begin?
I believe that you need to have absolute clarity about what you want. Once you have a clear picture of what you desire then you can create a plan to achieve it. From there you can explain it to others so that they know what your expectations are and how you want them to get the desired effect and goals.
The best examples of clarity in thinking, planning, communicating, and execution are found in the Bible. God put the plans for His Holy temple into David’s heart. God is in control of everything! David was not to build it; his son Solomon was. This is important because David was a planner and Solomon was blessed with wisdom and execution. God knew that for the temple to be built certain things had to be in place. What can we learn from His clarity?
1. You must have a plan with exact details. With the temple, there were porches, houses, treasuries, upper and lower chambers, parlors and the mercy seat. Even the utensils, vessels, wall hangings and anything that could be seen were planned perfectly to the smallest detail.
2. You must have the right people. David couldn’t build it because there was blood on his hands, so his son Solomon did. Builders, craftsmen, artisans, and laborers were needed, and God chose those who were the best for each job.
3. You need the right material, with the correct amounts. God told David the exact amounts of stone, timber, gold, silver, bronze, and anything else that was needed.
4. You need the “buy in” from those you are working with. God put it on the hearts of the Israelites to donate the material needed as well as set aside what they were personally working on to do the work on the temple. As it turned out there was more material than needed, and plenty of workers who worked happily on the project.
5. You need to take action. Nothing happened unless you decide to do it and follow through.
G. E. Wood penned some interesting benefits of clarity in different situations when he wrote:
- Clarity will determine whether a company responds to changing conditions or falls further back.
- Clarity will determine whether an individual takes the steps to move forward or flounders in mediocrity.
- Clarity will determine whether the population of a country will stand up for their rights or be suppressed by an iron fist.
- Clarity will determine whether a newly married couple will move forward in harmony or devolve into dysfunction.
The burden is on you to be clear with your communication. How can we be as clear as possible in our communication?
1. Honesty– Be honest with what you are trying to achieve and what you want others to do. To do this, you need to know your “why” inside and out.
2. Always give very explicit instructions on what to do and how to do it. Don’t use large words when small will do the job. Don’t use technical terms when a simpler term will get the same message across. Most importantly, after you shared with people what you are expecting don’t micro-manage.
3. Avoid weak or vague words. Kind of, sort of, could, might, maybe, hopefully, I think, I guess, a little, a lot, many, not too much, soon, as soon as possible are all communication killers. Be bold, be strong, be clear.
4. When writing, talk to your readers and personalize it as much as possible.
5. Have specific and reasonable deadlines.
6. Keep to the point as much as possible. Avoid segues and try not to bring negativity or past conflicts into the conversation.
7. Promote and allow plenty of time and space for questions.
8. Learn about body language and be totally aware of yours. 55% of how a message is perceived is through how you are perceived when communicating.
9. Often the old army way of communicating is most effective. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Short and sweet!
10. Be grateful to the person(s) who you are communicating with. Their patience, understanding, cooperation, and time is valuable, and they are spending it with you. They chImageose you. Honour it.
Chuck Groot’s CPA, MPA, MBA credentials as an author, teacher, business coach and entrepreneur are noteworthy. His clients credit their success to his uncanny ability to get right to the root of any challenge that they put in front of him.
He credits his success to his clients and their willingness to being open to new ideas and desire in pursuit of excellence.
As an entrepreneur, his enthusiasm and innovative approach have garnered him both professional success and the recognition of his peers. But his greatest delight is being able to share these skills with others and enabling them to be successful on their own.
I really do value your opinion and would appreciate any comments, thoughts, suggestions or critique. Let me know below, thanks.
FOLLOW US
