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• The Burden of Clarity

The Burden of Clarity

written on October 12, 2009 by Kenyon Mau

Go to Wikipedia, look up "burden of proof" and you'll see it defined as "the obligation to prove allegations which are presented in a legal action." ¹ As a corollary, perhaps we could argue that the "burden of clarity" is the obligation for managers and leaders to supply sufficient specificity for outcomes expected in a business setting. 

As managers, when we communicate to an employee, we do so from a particular point of view - our own.   Often, we don't realize it, but in the background, we are communicating from an invisible vantage point that assumes our employee knows what we are talking about.  If, as a simple example, I ask an employee to have the XYZ Report complete and on my desk by Monday morning and he or she agrees, I should have the right to expect that the report will be complete and on my desk Monday morning, right?

Fast forward to Monday morning - its 10 am and the report is not on my desk.  In checking with the employee, I learn that it is not complete and will be ready in about an hour.  How should I react?  I need that report for a 10:30 meeting with my boss.  Now what?  Most people would probably get a bit frustrated, upset, and maybe even angry.  And furthermore, how should I view my employee...untrustworthy, unorganized, and unmotivated?

If we consider this very basic illustration even a little, we, of course, realize that when I asked for the XYZ Report, a very small but critical detail was missing.... no specific time was mentioned or agreed to.  Asking for something to be done by "Monday morning" is not clear.  "Monday morning" does not mean early, mid or late morning either.  Asking for the completed XYZ Report by Monday morning at 10 a.m. provides clarity.  Without clarity, you can't hold someone accountable.  What becomes hard to stomach is the fact that in this case, the initial, primary person responsible for the delay in the XYZ Report was the person initiating the request - me! 

This is such an obvious example that it seems almost silly to mention it.  And yet, put yourself in the hectic, fast-paced reality of your actual work environment, and it begins to appear more like a natural phenomenon - we cut corners, we use shorthand in our communication, we talk fast.  After all, we are so BUSY!  In that context, think about how often this occurs, and clearly, the answer is "every single day."  We leave voice mail messages saying "call me back at your earliest convenience" and then expect a call right away.  We send emails the same way.  In meetings, people take on action items without clearly defined timelines, not knowing what they are getting themselves into.  At home, we ask for things to be done around the house, yet we get frustrated when they're not done when we expect them to be done or the way we want them done.  Our wedding vows say ‘love, honor and cherish...", but the details for putting the cap back on the toothpaste doesn't get communicated.  If your little voice is stammering "Are you kidding?  Do I have to spell it out every time?" the answer is essentially yes - if the outcomes really matter to you. 

Clarifying expectations enhances communication and relationships in all realms of life.

In business, the methods we choose can ultimately make the difference between success and failure.  As an increasing number of workplaces demand more and more from their employees in less time, it is even more critical to be clear in communicating our expectations - especially for those in leadership roles.  Three easy-to-use techniques can help you develop this skill:  

1. Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals - This familiar acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound is a great goal setting tool, and a terrific way to improve your message clarity.  SMART adds a level of specificity to objectives, tasks and action plans and pushes for the kind of detail that reduces ambiguity. 

• Specific: Don't be vague.  Be precise in describing the result you want.
• Measurable: Quantify your expected outcome.  How will you know if it has been achieved?
• Attainable: Be honest with yourself/colleague about what can reasonably be accomplished; take into consideration current workloads.
• Realistic: It's got to be do-able, real and practical for the business.
• Time-Bound: Associate a timeframe with each expectation.  What is the expected completion date/time?  What are the checkpoints within the timeline?

2. Incorporate Visuals - Many of us know that there are three basic styles of learning: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.  When we deliver a verbal expectation, we are relying on the auditory style - not typically the most pronounced learning method for most people.  One good way to strengthen the clarity of your message is through the use of visuals.  These can be almost anything - graphs, symbols, pictures, even simple drawings.  In cases where words alone may confuse, visuals can be both unambiguous and memorable.

3. Ask Open-Ended Questions - For more complex or unfamiliar tasks, it can be helpful to ask open-ended questions to get a feel for how the other person is viewing the request.  Some examples: "What are your priorities as you begin to tackle this job?"; "What obstacles do you anticipate encountering?" and "How much time do you think you'll need to allocate to each step in this process?"

Investing in the practice of these techniques can have an immediate return, in the form of more of our requests being completed to our satisfaction.  But, along the way, remember this general rule: when things don't go your way, or when your expectations are not being fulfilled, it's okay to point the finger - as long as you point it at yourself first.  There's a good chance that something was missing early on in the process, and usually what was missing is clarity.  And when this is the case, there's no escaping the fact that the burden of clarity is on you.

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof