Clarity, or lack thereof, is one of the main factors contributing to the success or failure of any endeavour.
If you are vague in your definitions of what it is you’re trying to achieve, or if you are using broad terms that mean different things to different people, your results will also be vague and indefinite, at best.
‘I want to make more money’ – is a vague definition of a goal, rarely leading to a positive outcome.
‘I will increase my earnings by 20% this financial year’ – is a better defined, actionable, measurable goal.
‘We will achieve excellence in customer service’ – is a vaguely defined goal.
‘Within 12 months, we will achieve 99.9% of satisfactory resolutions to customer issues’ – is more precise and achievable.
Achieving clarity is not as easy and straight-forward as it may seem. It requires a great deal of diligence and discipline which is what I help my clients with.
But even a clear definition of a goals is not sufficient on its own.
Goals must be viewed and evaluated from a higher vantage point, because, if, for example, increasing your income by 20% this financial year may come at the expense of your relationship or your health, you might want to re-think your priorities.
Same goes for organizations: if resolving all customer issues in a satisfactory manner takes your eye off the bottom line, you might find yourself with no business to run and customers to satisfy at all.
In large organizations, clarity is particularly important and particularly hard to achieve. The more people are involved, the more assumptions are made and the more distorted everything becomes.
This is why asking yourself the question ‘what exactly do I want and why?’ is so important. And it’s important to take the time to really explore this question and get past the superficial answers. You might want to ask the ‘why?’ part of the question several times, applying it to the previous answer.
Clarity on a personal or organizational levels will ensure a healthy flow of energy, creativity and enthusiasm. It will ensure that you get where you want to go without wasting effort or resources.
And if you need help with achieving clarity in your personal life or in your organization, I offer it through my online and in-person workshops:
- Accomplish Anything Like A Boss
- Achieve Your Career Goals Faster
- Create Your Own Life Plan
- Create Your Own Website And Online Store
- Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
- Defragment Your Mind
- Design Your Legacy
- Expand Your Business Through Social Media
- Get To Know Your Authentic Self
- Grow Your Business
- Grow Your Personal Wealth
- Improve Your Important Relationships
- Re-energize Your Non-Profit
- Turn an Idea into a Business