Clarity as a Force Multiplier

Article 3 in a Series of 5 on each element of the 5Cs

What’s the most overlooked aspect holding back teams and organizations?

In asking leaders what’s holding them back, I hear the following answers again and again:

• ·        I don’t understand my role.

• ·        I’m not clear on our goals.

• ·        I don’t know what I am supposed to prioritize. 

• ·        I don’t know who the decision maker is.

The theme in these responses is there isn’t enough clarity in the team or the organization. Through our research on the 5Cs model, we discovered the Clarity ring is the most overlooked aspect that holds back teams and organizations from high performance. Clarity highlights how we get work done, what we’re responsible for, and what we should focus on. It encompasses the subfactors of roles & responsibilities, processes and shared goals. 

The 5Cs tool is an evidence-based model that captures the five critical elements to create high performing teams and thriving cultures. The elements are: Connection, Candid Communication, Clarity, Collaboration and Contribution. 

This is the third article in a series of five where I’ll dive into each element in depth. The previous articles focused on:

1. Connection: having the foundation of trust and care is the most important element at the heart of improving team cohesion and culture.
2. Candid Communication: sharing openly and honestly is the best predictor of performance.

This article will dive into Clarity. 

Overview of the Clarity Element of the 5Cs

While the elements of Connection and Candid Communication help make Clarity possible, when aspects of our work are unclear, it can be difficult to be effective. Clarity acts as a force multiplier by amplifying the effectiveness of the team and culture.

What it means: Clarity in a team and organization refers to how clear people are in terms of their responsibilities, the processes they follow and the overarching goals. Clarity can be achieved through delineating roles and responsibilities and their associated expectations, clearly defining workflows and processes, and creating and constantly striving toward shared goals.

Subfactors:

• Roles & Responsibilities refers to the clarity and the definition provided around individual tasks, authority, and expectations within the team or organization. 
• Processes refer to the clarity and documentation of operational workflows and systems used by the team or organization. 
• Shared Goals refer to the alignment and clarity of team or organizational priorities, goals, and the resources allocated to achieve them.

In the 5Cs tool, the Clarity dimension evaluates how well-defined roles, processes, and goals are at the team and organizational level. This enables organizations to refine structures and streamline operations for greater efficiency. 

Challenges when Clarity is Low:

When Clarity is low, employees are unclear about their roles and responsibilities, which leads to confusion, inefficiencies, and lack of ownership. Furthermore, lacking clear goals is the number two obstacle to employee productivity, according to Microsoft Work Trend Index.

If people don’t understand how to effectively get work done or the direction their team and organization is headed, it stifles decision-making and reduces the ability to be agile. At a team level, there are often issues with duplicative work, causing unnecessary conflict and like their time was wasted. People can feel like others are stepping on their toes and become overly protective of their work.

At an organizational level, when Clarity is low, it creates an us versus them culture within different parts of the business. For instance, when the line between centralization and localization is unclear, there can be large divides between corporate/headquarters versus the division/region. Instead of everyone seeing themselves as part of one company, each section of the company becomes combative and territorial towards the others.  

Benefits when Clarity is High:

There’s a misperception that organizations can become overly bureaucratic if there is too much focus on Clarity, but in fact, it’s the opposite. Clarity enables teams and organizations to effectively accomplish work in a complex system.

A high level of Clarity helps to eliminate ambiguities, ensuring that each task and decision is well-informed and purpose-driven. When we create more clarity in teams and organizations, people work more effectively. They operate with a security and confidence that allows them to move outside of their comfort zone. They feel calm and grounded to successfully deal with change and uncertainty. In complex, large systems, this can be a game changer.

For teams, the ideal looks like being in the sandbox together to lean in and help each other where possible.

Organizations with high levels of Clarity clearly define what they are doing now and why, including communicating shifts in priorities to support the overall goals. The organization is collectively going in the same direction. Organizations with increased Clarity are able to adapt and respond quicker to the ever-changing landscape of business. 

How to Improve Clarity

Teams can start by focusing on getting clear on each subfactor of Clarity.

1. Define Roles and Responsibilities

Start by clearly defining the roles and responsibilities in a broader perspective. One tool often used to create Clarity is the RACI Matrix, which stands for: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. RACI is a simple and effective framework for clarifying roles and responsibilities in projects, teams, or processes. There are several other models, so ensure you find the right fit.

While documenting is the first step, people need to internalize their roles and responsibilities. One way to do this is to analytically think about the roles they’ve defined and the potential ways they might bump into each other. Doing so can help teams understand where they might need to be flexible or if greater clarity is needed.

2. Create Clearer Meeting Processes

Building a thriving meeting culture is often an underutilized opportunity to improve Clarity on how work gets done. I commonly hear from leaders that they come into meetings that lack an agenda and meeting purpose. Oftentimes, the right people aren’t present either.

Creating and communicating clearer meeting processes improves Clarity, specifically: the meeting purpose, the agenda, materials, and who should be included. This results in the meeting being more productive, with attendees having the ability to step in with greater clarity to contribute effectively. 

One foundational step to help meetings be more effective is to include a purpose statement in the meeting description. For example: is this a brainstorming meeting, a working meeting, or a decision point?

3. Focus on Your Big Rocks First

Steven Covey refers to your “big rocks” as your most important priorities and goals in work and life. When you identify and prioritize your big rocks first, all the other aspects fall into place more easily. If you don’t focus on your big rocks first, unfortunately, it’s easy to get into unproductive ways of working where less important aspects take up all of your time.

What are the important initiatives you need to create space for in your day, week, and month? To create visual awareness of where you spend your time, color code your calendar for each separate big rock. For instance:

• Display a different color on your calendar for each separate big rock work initiative
• Have one color to signify blocks of time for space to think/plan, transition and self-care
•  Have one color to represent the less important work activities and tasks

If you notice most of your time is spent on less important work activities and task, consider one step you could take to increase your focus on your big rocks.

Clarity is often not recognized as an important ingredient for building high-performing teams and culture. However, if you ask leaders their greatest pain point, it is usually related to a lack of clarity on their role, responsibilities, processes or priorities. As the third ring of the 5Cs, Clarity amplifies improving team cohesion and culture.