Clarity is preferred to confusion in business and life.

The clearer I am the more powerfully I communicate. The easier I make it to understand me the greater the probability that I will add value to you. The more value I offer the greater the potential you and I have for engagement. Engagement offers all sorts of possibilities. Deeper engagements of value can enhance our lives and our businesses. We may even find ourselves sharing and advocating for one another. Loyalty is ultimately a possible outcome from repeated engaging.

Sometimes life and business is as clear as water. Crystal. Others times life, business and communications become about as clear as a chocolate jungle. Unclear. But I wouldn’t mind getting lost there ever so briefly…

Clarity is underrated.

So what if the results you want are just a clarity process a way? What if simplification and clarification is all we need to suddenly experience the power in our lives and businesses we desire? What if clarity and simplicity not complexity and more is all we need to realize the yet unrealized?

Perhaps that is why I like questions so much. They have a way of uncovering that which was hidden or that which I was unclear about, confused over and all wrapped up in my under wear over.

People ask me how I ‘see’ that which seems hidden to them ( and then silently I’m sure, wonder why my shirt is inside out…)

I don’t know why I can see so clearly and why my brain seems to do better with things which are not yet in existence. Why possibility seems real to me and why living in others shoes seems so normal. Blame it on co-dependency, delusion or perhaps I just got an extra helping of empathy and vision because they shorted me on good luck and looks. I don’t know. It just is what it is.

Any how you see it. I see it differently. But the good news is you too can learn how to see differently. And so can your team. And you won’t even have to wear your shirt inside out or backwards.

Okay so let’s take this clarity process out of the clouds and walk through the process I use when a business is not clearly communicating it’s value, when it’s gotten ALL wrapped up in it’s own underwear ( has it’s arm, head and leg through the waist and leg holes).

If it gets murkier before the flash of divine inspiration comes, that’s how clarity works. And you can always call me to come in to help you if your team is stuck but for now here’s a few ideas on how to clarify your business and communications.

Business Clarity Process: Questions

Inside Perspective: What does it look like from the inside? In a company this means clarifying how the team and the individuals within the team describe the company; mission, value, purpose, products, services, team, culture, operations, etc.

Outside Perspective: What do external stakeholders, those not within the company think about the company? Now it’s time to listen to clients, vendors, associates and tribe members. What is the unadulterated view from the outside in? Yesterday a reader of my blog said he loved reading my blog but he wasn’t quite sure how I was going to make money from it. Now that’s an unadulterated comment. How open are you and how much feedback, in real time comes to you to keep you clear about how others see your venture, organization or business?

Market Perspective Next complete a competitive landscape for each market you compete in. Clarify what competitive elements are offered by which players. What makes you different? What is the innovative value you offer others. Is it real or imagined? Be clear on how you relate to others offering similar or alternative solutions.

One Perspective ; Now take the inside, outside and the market perspective and ask; where are the gaps? What isn’t working? What isn’t clear? What isn’t as we thought? Do our clients perceive our value as we do? Is our delivery aligned with our brand promise, value proposition? Do we offer the market innovative value, are we different than our competitors, are we communicating this clearly and do external stakeholders articulate our value, purpose? Is our employee’s perception what we expected? Any gaps between what employees think and feel and our intentions?

Gap View: Now all the gaps between reality and what we thought was reality are listed. We are getting clearer. Our deep unconsciousness is being replaced by awareness.

Clear Decision Making: Now it’s time to make some decisions. Do we need to make improvements, changes, re-invent, develop new products and services, improve service, operations, finances, clarify communications, simplify our processes and systems, take better care of our employees? We clearly identify the ‘gap priorities.’

Value Clarification: Now we can craft a one sentence promise that sums up who the heck we are and why we are so incredible; call it brand proposition, value statement, positioning I don’t care. But call it done. Clearly and Simply. And by goodness sake get everyone’s agreement.

Personality Overview: Some call it a brand overview I call it the personality overview for the company. It will serve as the filter to keep all communications consistent, powerful and simple. Its everything from values, likes and dislikes to mantra’s, symbols, avatars, logos’, client stories and more.

24-7 B.S. Feedback

Now getting confused doesn’t just happen. It happens because we aren’t listening to ourselves, team and tribe. It comes because we don’t filter decisions through our vision, goals and values. We don’t engage everyone in honest authentic feedback and we don’t listen or take action when we do get valuable feedback. So now the final step for now is to develop a 360 degree engagement, listening process to help us never lose sight of our clients, market, employees or our own perspectives again.

Don’t think clear is spin. Clear is the path that unveils value, engagement and innovation.

First Be. Then Do. Then Tell. And do it clearly and simply so that we understand your incredible power to add value to our lives…

Okay what are some of your thoughts about getting clear?

Pam Hoelzle