I love road trips. On our honeymoon, my wife and I embarked on a ‘round the island’ tour of Maui. She designated me the driver. That decision won her the role of navigator. Clarity accomplished, roles established, we drove off into an 8-hour argument.

Why?

Because we both had different interpretations of what we thought those roles meant. We both expected a different ‘experience’ from the other. I turned out to not be as consistently levelheaded as advertised. She, in turn, would ‘turtle’ if things felt tense. I wanted to accomplish goals! See things! Make schedules! Check-off the places on my list! She wanted to…enjoy the scenic route…stop and smell the flowers…look for serendipity…enjoy nuptial bliss. Aaagh!

One of the most common sources of organizational conflict is ambiguity regarding expectations; particularly, those wrapped up in the concepts of: Roles, Responsibilities and Organizational Goals.

People do not thrive or operate well without clarity. Instead, they will either:

• Shut down and check out of meaningful involvement

• Create their own clarity and fight for their turf

Clarity provides guidance and direction for members of your team and organization. It creates unity in effort.  It helps people understand what they can expect from each other and how they are responsible to each other.

Ambiguity often exists due to oversight. People’s jobs or roles evolve and definition of their roles and responsibilities isn’t updated. Departments or projects change in an organization, but it isn’t made clear how these changes impact the larger functioning of the organization. Organizational goals aren’t defined because planning is viewed as unnecessary; or it’s simply never been done.

Ambiguity can also exist as a method of control. Ambiguity can be a way of creating ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ groups. It can be used to prevent access to decision-making or to cover practices that likely should be reviewed. It is also a way to cultivate expectations of others without offering corresponding responsibilities. Organizational goals aren’t well defined because of fear of accountability.

Taking the time to create clarity will save leaders time, cost and frustration. Creating clarity helps people work together well. It supports their ability to self-manage. It prevents silos and factions from forming.

Invest in clarity.

Creating Clarity Checkpoints:

1. Get clear personally: Internal clarity creates external clarity. If you don’t know what you want, neither does anyone else. Those around you are not your therapists. As a leader, figure out what the priorities are. Determine what elements of process are important. Envision what success looks like and how you’ll know it (timelines, quality expectations, etc.).
2. Tell people: You do have a beautiful mind; but no one can read it. It is your responsibility to take your values, thoughts and ideas and make them accessible to others.
3. Build in regular communication: Schedule frequent, short check-ins. Explore and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Create opportunities to ask questions and receive answers. Allow people to discuss ambiguities while they help shape expectations and clarity.
4. Adjust expectations: Periodically (or frequently) you’ll discover you’ve overlooked something or something has changed. Maybe a staff member has become more ambitious? Or is it possible another member wants more time with family? Has the team matured? Or, is the team now made up of a stack of new hires?  Be willing to reshape and renegotiate expectations periodically. Don’t react to every small change; but intentional review and change supports growth.

What did I do to invest in clarity for our future vacations? I bought a GPS! And I’m learning to ask better questions. I discovered that learning the experiences my wife looks forward to on a trip, as opposed to the specific activities she wants to do, works much better. We’re still figuring it all out. Things change.

We’ve got a little guy now who has definitely changed our team dynamics. (editor’s note, 2014: now two little guys, more change)

But, following these clarity checkpoints is working. Our last trip was fun!

Think about your team, your workplace or your relationships: In what ways can you invest in clarity to safeguard against impending or future conflict? Share your thoughts below: