How much Clarity do you have?

Hi,

In the intricate world of change and transformation, clarity emerges not merely as a desirable trait but as an indispensable asset for your organization. The journey towards achieving unparalleled success is fraught with the challenges of vagueness, misunderstandings, and unfounded assumptions, often culminating in frustration among teams, customers, and board members alike.
What do I mean by Clarity?

If you think you are clear, think again!

I would usually start with the Why, but this time, I will start with What? Why.. The word clarity itself is overused and is becoming too vanilla, inviting a yes or no response.

Clarity is not attained in a workshop, or 2. It is not about consensus on what the team thinks the leader wants to achieve.

Clarity is a multifaceted, multi-layered, and well-integrated set of components. It is like a chain, as strong as its weakest link.

I spent over 10 years going deeper into what clarity really is and breaking it to its components. So when the team responsible for executing the strategy says they are Clear, then we are really clear.

It is worth mentioning that this is not about getting it perfect; this is about being clear enough to move forward and continue to evolve your clarity level as you move forward. Because eventually, you will deliver what you are clear on.

The tricky bit about being clear enough is that many say that they are clear enough. However, there is a big difference between having partial clarity that is clear enough and having a holistic level of clarity that is clear enough.

There are aspects and practices of Clarity that are non-negotiable. That is if you want to avoid the rework and frustrations of execution (or at least reduce them)

Why Clarity Matters

Clarity is the cornerstone of all strategy execution efforts, ensuring that every aspect of your strategy execution is understood, actionable and effective. It eradicates the common pitfalls that can derail progress and compromise your return on investment (ROI), setting a clear path for achieving business outcomes.

No effort matters if clarity is not attained.

So before you hire your $$$ consultants, your big 4 players and hit Go. Pause and consider having another look at your clarity levels.

The Multifaceted Nature of Clarity

Understanding that clarity is not a monolith but a spectrum of critical considerations is essential. It encompasses:

• Future: Envisioning the direction in which we are headed.
  
  
• Outcome: Understand what we need to make the future happen. What building blocks do we need to add, remove, improve and what capabilities are required.
  
  
• Roadmap: Crafting a detailed, integrated, prioritized set of activities and programs on how to get there.
  
  
• Role: Clearly defining who we need. What would make them tick? What would their contribution be? With a clear team agreement in place.
  
  
• Success: Establishing what success looks like and clearly defining how we keep tracking towards success. The kind of success that is a lot more than being on time, on budget and on scope - I wrote about this here What does success look like .

Why each component matters

Each of those components is quantified with a score which is then used to give each component a colour based on a traffic light system - Red, Amber, or Green (RAG). Each one of those components, if not defined well enough, leads to a series of micro-failures and a set of assumptions that, when combined, will certainly deviate the strategy execution efforts from its desired goal.

Another problem that arises from not being clear enough is the emergence of a set of behaviours and reinforced norms which comes into play, which will eventually result in a much harder problem to solve as it starts to shape your team's culture (the way we do, feel, and value things around here).

Each component has a series of:

• Practices
  
  
• Mindset shifts
  
  
• Behaviors
  
  
• Measures
  
  
• Capabilities

That needs to be in place in order to become better at providing clarity to your teams over time.

Your Invitation to a Conversation

Drawing from a wealth of experience garnered through working with industry giants like Emirates, Apple, Google, ABN AMRO, and Barclays, I specialize in bringing this critical element to the forefront of your strategy execution.

My approach has been meticulously refined over the years, proving itself as a game-changer in the realm of strategic clarity.

The model I've developed and refined is more than just a tool; it's a transformational force that has become my most sought-after offering. The quest for clarity in strategy execution is not a solitary journey but a collaborative effort that necessitates precise, accountable planning free from costly errors.

This exercise does not necessarily need to be done before you start your execution journey. And certainly scales up and down from being applied to the whole enterprise or to one program.

If you are a leader committed to fostering change and building a resilient organization, I invite you to consider clarity's pivotal role in this endeavour. Let's embark on this journey together, assessing the clarity of your strategic direction and execution plans.

Your path to achieving outstanding clarity and subsequent success begins with a conversation. Let's connect and explore how we can tailor a clarity model that aligns with your organization's unique needs and aspirations.

Till next week…

Jess “Clarity” Tayel