Human beings are deeply motivated by their social standing within groups. Recognition and acknowledgment are powerful tools to elevate an individual’s status, activating the brain's reward system, which encourages positive behaviours. Research shows that when people feel recognised, they are more likely to be engaged and supportive in their roles. On the other hand, uncertainty can trigger defensive behaviours as the brain perceives it as a threat. Providing clarity and predictability helps to reduce anxiety and create psychological safety. I think this allows individuals to focus on collaboration rather than self-protection, boosting performance and engagement.
How is change created?
Key questions for change:
What specific change are we trying to make?
Who are we aiming to influence?
Given our agreed-upon constraints and goals, is there a better path forward to reach our destination?
To proceed, we need clarity on the following:
Constraints:
What are the limitations or boundaries we’re operating within?Objectives:
What are the precise goals we are working toward?Target Audience:
Who are we trying to affect or change?
Without alignment on these key points, productive conversation becomes difficult. If we’re not on the same page, we risk revealing that we’re metaphorically on different journeys (or buses), heading in different directions. Contact me via email for a confidential conversation about your journey.
Setting a compelling vision
As a leader, you need to maintain the right balance between distance and closeness. When giving instructions, be clear and direct about what needs to be done, and when explaining how to accomplish the tasks, be approachable and supportive. I think it's also essential to provide your team with a clear understanding of both the tasks at hand and the underlying purpose behind them. This clarity helps them see the value in their work and understand why it matters, motivating them to fully commit to the goals you set.
Clarity 3 of 3
Do or should you care?
I think this question is crucial for individual employees and their engagement within an organisation. When leaders effectively communicate the organisation's purpose, values, and goals, employees will evaluate their alignment with these factors. Clarity in communication allows individuals to understand the impact of their work and whether it resonates with their own values and aspirations. When employees see the significance of their contributions, this fosters a sense of commitment, pride, and engagement within the organisation.
Clarity 2 of 3
What value does your organisation serve?
Identifying the value or purpose an organisation serves is closely tied to its mission. I think this involves recognising the impact the organisation has on its stakeholders, whether it's customers, clients, employees, or the broader community. Leaders should be able to clearly articulate the unique value proposition of the organisation and how it differentiates itself from competitors. This clarity helps employees understand the significance of their contributions and how they can create value through their work.
Clarity 1 of 3
Why does your organisation exist?
I think understanding the purpose and reason for an organisation's existence is essential for both leaders and employees. It also provides a sense of meaning and helps guide the decision-making process. By articulating the organisation's mission and vision, leaders can clarify the overall objective and communicate it to the entire team. This clarity allows individuals to understand how their work contributes to the larger picture and motivates them to strive towards shared goals.
Be extremely clear
Write down your goals, the more detailed the better and be flexible about the process of achieving them. Always be open and remain sensitive to the possibility of serendipitous events and I think, one should also be open to inspiration and inputs from other people. The best leaders I have encountered share some of the same characteristics, they are good listeners, they ask lots of questions and they take in all the information possible before making up their minds or concluding. When they make a mistake, these leaders also admit failure and cut their losses quickly so that they can move onto bigger and better things.
Sounds obvious
I think clarity comes from engagement not thought, as we learn best by action not through theory. I have observed many great marketeers throughout my career and the advise would give to anyone aspiring a career in marketing would be to study consumer psychology and focus on the following:
• Cognitive biases
• Objections
• Struggles
• Emotions
• Behavior
• Triggers
• Beliefs
• Desires
Redefining your goals
A campaign without a clear goal is essentially a waste of money, as you won’t know how to measure the impact or value of the work you’ve put in. Goals are there to provide clarity, purpose, direction and vision. Whether personal or commercial, they are what lead to success for you, your department, and the business as a whole. Hitting your goal proves you're making an impact. Contact me via e-mail for an evaluation of your goal setting procedures.
How clear are your questions?
After you ask a question, be silent and listen for their answer.
⁃ Active listening means you’re concentrating on their response, making direct eye contact, and taking notes.
⁃ Are you paying attention to nonverbal cues?
⁃ What’s not being said is usually more important than what is said.
⁃ Keep it positive and focus on what can be done, not what can’t be done.
Movers and shakers
If you don’t know where you are going then any road will take you there! Human beings are goal seeking organisms and we only function at our very best when we are working towards accomplishing something that is important to us. Clarity is the starting point of all success, and this means clarity in thinking. Clarity means the ability to determine exactly what it is that you want to be, have, or do in life. The more I study successful men and women, the more I find that every single one of them are very clear about where they are going and what it is they want to accomplish.
All the great movers and shakers throughout history have been dreamers. If you’re leading the ship and don’t know how to operate a compass, the journey will not be a fun one - for you or your shipmates. It’s vital to have a clear sense of where you are going. Clarity is especially important when you’re introducing change or working towards new goals with your team. The common mix of excitement and anticipation alongside anxiety and fear can be challenging and even unsettling. The differences between successes and failures are not that successful people make right decisions, it’s that successful people make their decisions right.
Sales tips on Sunday
Sales persons need to always show up in the moment and when I say moment, I mean showing up in a positive and curious state of mind for the sales performance. Sales is the transference of emotion that the solutions you are selling makes sense for the buyer and in order to do this, you must arrive with clarity, confidence and courage. Here are a few sales tips below, please contact me via e-mail for real world strategies, sales training and workshops opportunities.
1. Learn how to sell yourself
2. Know your products and services
3. Show empathy for your customers situation
4. Believe what you are saying
5. Be open to feedback
6. Learn from master sales persons
7. Learn the psychology of sales
Basically
I think you need these 3 things in sales and you need them now more than ever before:
CLARITY (who are you, what you offer and why it’s different)
FOCUS (who you want to serve and what problems you want to solve)
DECISIONS (where to find great clients, what to sell and at what price)
