Lead with Clarity

A shrill blast from the coach’s whistle brought everything to an abrupt halt. Silence dominated the gymnasium. “You’re as soft as tissue paper right now,” the coach said to one of his players. He had selected his words for the impact that I’m sure they had on the young player. The coach had clearly seen some behaviors from this young man during the practice that weren’t up to the standard the coach and what he knew would be necessary for the young man to be successful against seasoned opponents. I watched as the dialogue played out. The conversation was one way, coach to player. It was clear that the coach wanted more out of him. What wasn’t clear was just exactly what “more” was.

I’d seen the same from this coach time and again. What was clear to him remained largely unclear to his team. The team executed what they believed was the standard, but repeatedly found that they performed below the expectations of the coach. “Our pace is terrible,” he’d say. “Do it again.” The team would reset, run the play again, and somehow satisfy the coach enough for him to allow practice to continue. Moments later, the coach would bring practice to a halt, offer vague criticisms, then practice would resume. Eventually, the coach would give up despite the obvious frustration on his face. Sadly, this cycle repeated itself in games with predictable results. The team underperformed. In postgame interviews, the coach openly shared his frustrations with what he perceived as his team’s inability to adapt to his style of play. Truth be told, the team’s poor performance had much to do with the coach’s inability to clarify his standards and expectations.

We all do the same thing. We think that what we say is perfectly clear to those we say it to. If you’ve been married for even a day, you know that’s simply not the case. But in high paced, competitive environments, leaders who fail to lead with clarity become a detriment to their team. If you lead in this type of environment, you know that time is not your friend. Your ability to communicate standards and expectations clearly to your team with speed could mean the difference between success and failure. If you’re looking to improve your ability to lead with clarity, consider these techniques.

1. Be specific: Specificity is a critical component of communicating standards and expectations. So is applying a measurable outcome. Explaining that your team member is as “soft as tissue paper” surely implies a lack of toughness, but it does not specify what behaviors will result in “being tough.” When specifying, consider adding details that are measurable. For example, when “being tough,” what should others see or be able to record that illustrates toughness. If you want to gain speed in communicating standards and expectations that stick, make sure you include specificity and measurability.
2. Don’t shy away from explaining why: Much is written about the power of communicating WHY a standard matters. Simply put, communicating why it matters helps your people connect the dots between what you expect of them and the impact of performing to your expectations. The US Army offers a simple framework for leaders to use when communicating their intent: purpose, key tasks, end state. First explain the purpose (the why) of your standard. Second, list the things that must happen to meet the standard (key tasks). Finally, describe what a successful outcome (end state) will look like. Another framework that might help understand this principle is Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle. Though intended for organizations to help define their mission and purpose, the Golden Circle’s three components of what, how, and why, can be applied to help clearly communicate your standards and expectations. What is the standard? How do you expect it to be accomplished? Why does it matter?
3. Never pass up an opportunity to repeat yourself: Consistency matters. Once you’ve clearly communicated your standards, consistently repeat them. Even more importantly, make sure your other leaders are consistently communicating the exact same standards. When a team member or the team fails to perform to standard, immediately correct the failure. Have the team explain the standard to you and correct them if you hear discrepancies between what they say and what you expect. Retrain when necessary. No matter what, don’t let the discrepancy slide. Address it with clarity and tact.

If your team struggles to perform up to your expectations, there’s a good chance that part of the problem lies in the way you’ve communicated the standard. If you’re not sure, ask. Time won’t fix your problem, but leading with clarity will.

Lead with Clarity was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.