Thrive: The Case for Clarity

In a world where the needs of customers are shifting in real-time, where the way work gets done must shift in response to those needs, and where we prize being adaptable and “comfortable with ambiguity”, it is easy to ignore the human need for clarity. We need reasonable clarity about our job expectations, our processes and agreements for how we will work together, and the value we are delivering as a team or organization. When we don’t have clarity, fear rises. When we do have clarity, we feel a fundamental safety. This supports meaningful, confident actions.

We see the impact that clarity or the absence of clarity has on our clients. And we surely have felt it ourselves too. As a leader with a HIGH level of comfort with ambiguity, I have come to really appreciate how critical it is for me to ensure my team members have as much clarity as possible. And that this is both loving in that it decreases fear and leads to thriving. Read on to reflect on what happens when we don’t have clarity individually, as a team, or across the organization, and then check out the ways to create clarity to help you and your team thrive.

Lack of clarity creates suffering.

Without clarity, we struggle. Without clarity, individuals don’t have enough information about their roles and expectations. They flounder and make mistakes, unsure of who to ask for direction. Without clear expectations, the work on teams and between teams is muddled and creates conflicts, missed opportunities, and wasted effort. Worries grow that failure and job loss are imminent.

Without clear responsibility, principles, and priorities, decisions stall waiting for direction, uncertain of how to choose well. Without a clear organizational purpose, people aren’t confident in why they are there and how they actually contribute.

Without clarity, we over-process and then are asked why we are spending so much time on a deliverable. So then we pull back and try to adjust but underdeliver and catch flack for not bringing good quality.

All this careening back and forth trying to work without clarity is demotivating and stressful. It creates chronic negativity, despair, and exhaustion which can lead to burnout and disengagement. It’s become clear to us as we work with struggling teams that often what they long for is not a resilience program or traditional wellness practices but clarity.

People need clarity to thrive.

To thrive, we need confidence that we know what’s expected on a team and what is required for a job to be considered well done. We want to know we are doing the right things in the right ways at the right time with the right qualities and features and the right communication. We also want to know if it is possible to get it right!

To thrive, we want to work with a reasonable degree of harmony between teams and on teams, not constant conflict and misunderstanding about the right way to do things. We want to know that what we do matters to the organization.

These desires for clarity that lead to thriving are fundamental. They foster the essential satisfaction and inner peace that we are spending our lives and valuable time well.

Sadly, many organizations and teams do not have clarity so everyone suffers.

But here’s the good news: We can create clarity! The means to find clarity are not mysterious, but they do require commitment and a bit of discipline.

How to Create Clarity

Organizations create clarity by describing and sharing their collective purpose and then making explicit how each division or unit contributes to that purpose. Teams tie their work to that purpose all the way to the job level so that every person in the organization knows from the day they are hired that no matter what they do, they have a hand in furthering the mission.

A famous example of such clarity occurred in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy visited the NASA Space Center. He stopped the tour he was on to speak to the janitor saying, “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy, what are you doing?” The janitor responded: “I’m helping put a man on the moon, Mr. President.” The janitor clearly knew the purpose of the organization and had a clear line of sight for how his job supported that purpose. Such individual clarity tied to organizational clarity is distinct and motivating. It elevates and respects every team member’s contribution resulting in pride and focus. This supports mental and emotional well-being of team members along with competitive advantage and outcomes for the organization.

In addition to this line of site from job to purpose, individuals need role clarity about their specific responsibilities, quality standards, deliverables, timeline expectations, productivity targets, communication, coordination needs, etc. Working in the absence of these is cruel and confusing. But such clarity is kindness and supports confident performance and well-being.

Importantly, teams can also create clarity by setting working agreements about how they will operate. When doing this, they discuss and document their objectives and goals, roles, communication expectations, decision-making approach, and other details about how they will work together. By not jumping straight into action, but making an upfront investment to establish clarity, teams can work with greater confidence and effectiveness as well as satisfaction. The added benefit is the conversation itself builds trust and collaborative skills on the team.

The Search for Corporate Well-Being Solutions

The idea that to thrive our team members need what we think of as resilience practices misses getting to the source of the problem. When we think of what it is to thrive and the search for improved mental and emotional well-being by organizations, our first inclination should be to make the work itself a positive experience for team members. Don’t reflexively reach for programs and tools to repair the damage done by negative workplaces, by confusion, overwhelm, and fear. Instead, focus on improving that workplace experience so that it is uplifting, respectful, and motivating. To begin, help employees thrive by creating more clarity.

And, check out the other Thrive blogs to about learn other components of thriving that should be cultivated by leaders and organizations … courage, wholeness, spaciousness, simplicity, and hope.

Our Thrive Strategy Lead is Faith Addicott and our Thrive Program Lead is Lili Boyanova Hugh. To learn more about the Invitation to Thrive, reach out here.

I share more on To Work: With Love a NEW series airing on the Gut + Science leadership podcast. Listen to the first episode, Love: A Workplace Value HERE.

If you’d like to take a Thrive Self-Assessment, email me at Renee@MakeWorkMoreHuman.com

And if you want to talk about real strategies to address burnout, contact us here.