But What Does That Mean?
One of the most important things we can do as leaders is to create clarity of expectations with our teams. If we cannot clearly articulate what why we are here, how we know we are accomplishing our objectives, and why what we do matters, we cannot lead.
How often have you experienced someone in charge creating more confusion than direction in their communication? For much of the American workforce, the lack of clear direction and clear leadership has caused them to struggle. When employees don’t know what is expected of them, they simply do what they think is right. If they go long enough without clear direction from a leader, they often simply show up. Lack of solid communication is one of the leading causes of disengagement as well as one of the leading causes of errors at work, according to Harvard.
Every business was started to fulfill a purpose. This purpose is explained in the primary problem we solve. Once we know the primary problem we solve, knowing what the zones of measurement are will help us to allocate our time effectively. Once we know where our time should be spent, we map out how to spend our time to take care of the accountability zone and solve the problem we were designed to solve. The leader sets the stage for this clarity of direction and communication. Or, they are at least supposed to set the stage for this.
Quite often, leaders simply try to make sure the wheels don’t come off. They are more of a defensive coordinator than a leader. To create clarity of what it means to be a successful business, leaders have to know 3 primary things and be able to communicate those things to the team clearly.
- What is the problem we were created to solve?
- What are the zones of accountability (measurement areas) and who is in charge of each one?
- How do I communicate in such a way that others are inspired to give the best of their talent in service of solving the problem we solve?
