Culture Focused Practice

Hey, hey, hey, Hey, Dr. Tara, Vossenkemper here and you are listening to the Culture Focused Practice podcast. Welcome, welcome, welcome. It's great to see you here. We are doing a mini series, I don't know what to call it 'cause it's basically two episodes and then a lab, so maybe a mini series. I think so we'll just go with that.

So the theme of this miniseries, if you will, is the clarity gap. What you think you're communicating, but totally are not. The focus is the clarity gap, which is that sneaky space between what you think you're communicating and what your team is actually hearing and us talking about where the confusion creeps in, how to clean it up without turning into a total control freak or dictator. And how to spot whether you're dealing with a clarity gap or an accountability issue or both. 'cause sometimes it can be a little bit of both.

So, last episode, we did you are not as clear as you think you are, why your team is confused and won't tell you.

We are currently on episode two. How to create clarity without micromanaging or going full dictator. So to give you a little bit of clarity, it would be that episode one is really setting the stage for how a lack of clarity can look. And episode two is about how do we shift this around? How do we ensure that we are creating clarity without, again, coming across as micromanaging or babysitting or dictatorship, or just breathing down people's necks, which nobody likes, especially the person who's doing it.

Episode three, which we'll launch on Thursday of the week that things go live, but maybe tomorrow if you're listening, and maybe it's available actually if you're listening already is gonna be a lab, which is new for this mini series and I'm very excited about.

So we're basically taking a concept and I wanna bring it to life in the form of specific examples. So that's what the lab is gonna be about. It's gonna be a couple of key examples or scenarios. And then basically me walking through how I would address these problems, how I would like the questions I would ask to start thinking about what's actually going on, and then slash or addressing what's actually going on, and then how I would further address it.

So. Really exciting. If you're not already, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast. God, I hate asking that every single fucking episode, but it's also important. I wanna reach people who this is relevant for, and if you are subscribed to the podcast, then more people like you, ideally who it's relevant for, we'll see the podcast and then they will subscribe and then they will benefit from the content of the episodes.

Right, right, right. Let's talk about an agenda real quick. An agenda for today's episode. This episode is really about the fear of clarity. So what stops owners from providing clarity? What stops leadership from providing clarity? Creating systems for clarity, teaching your team to own clarity. And then a quick recap. So really three main parts to this episode, and then just a recap and a call to arms, call to action or a call to arms.

Okay. So. If you have been that leader who has been just, you know, accidentally kind of vague, unintentionally vague, don't worry about it. I mean, we've all been there. We've all had these moments where we think we're very clear and we're actually not, we're not being clear enough with people around us.

Today, however, we are going to seek to clean that up. Hooray. So let's get into this.

Number one, fear of clarity. This is the shit that comes up for owners or maybe for leadership whenever they are worried about being too quote, clear end quote for people.

There's three components. First is. You might fear that you're gonna be too, too bossy or too rigid. So something about being direct in what it is that you expect, or what it is that you need, or the deadlines or the details of the project. Something about that directness is you're afraid it's gonna be too rigid or too bossy, or too explicit or too, um, rigid is, is the word. It's, it's gonna come across as too micromanage.

Cool. I mean, I, I absolutely understand where you're coming from. I, I really do. I don't like the idea of being so explicit with somebody that they have no ability to freeform within the parameters of that thing that I am trying to, you know, bring to life, or at least an idea that I have, that I want brought to life.

Here's the second thing though. Clarity does not equal a lack of control. When we provide clarity for people, what we're doing is we're actually giving them freedom to create within the confines of the things that we want. So if we are saying we want this 10 by 10 by 10 structure, what we're not telling them is all of the measurements within said structure, we are saying to them, this is what we want it to look like. Can you please create it?

And then we're giving them space and time and the ability to create within the parameters of what we want created. If we were not to give any sort of parameters and what we want created, we might get a 20 by five by 30 structure, which is not what we wanted. We wanted 10 by 10 by 10, or we might get a five by five by 50 structure. Also not what we wanted. We wanted 10 by 10 by 10.

My point is that if we're not given any sort of parameters, meaning if we hold back because we're afraid of being too bossy or too rigid, then we are also basically stopping them from being able to control what they can within the confines of the structure.

So by giving structure, this is so existential at its core- when we can give some structure, we're also giving people the ability to relax within said structure. So some parameters allow people a sense of control and autonomy. Too much, of course, if you said this is a structure, this is exactly how each, each tiny little micro piece within that should look. Too much.

You've gone too far. However, I. If you say, this is the structure, this is the outcome, make it, but I don't care how you get there. You're giving people autonomy and agency to build something. Not only do they get to say, oh fuck yeah, I want a part of this, but then they get to create it. They get to create the insides of that structure as long as it fits that 10 by 10 by 10 box, that 10 by 10 by 10 thing that you want.

That is so much safer for people. That's so much more comfortable for, for people to experience to say, Hey, here's what I want. Here's what I want it to look like in the end- you do it. That brings people a sense of relief. I had an instructor once say to me, and I've never, I just have never forgotten the phrase, the language and the way that she used it.

I think maybe I was actually the one that asked the question in class because I, I don't like not having something that we are operating within. I need to know confines. My tendency is always to go beyond what is set up. So of course I wanna know what are the limits of what we're doing. And she said something like, it might be beneficial if we had some structure to relax into.

I don't know what it was about her, which she was just a magical person. I, I think about her often. Dr. Lee Nelson, she was at UMSL. Or if it was something about the way that she said it or if it was just the existential nature of it, something about all of it was just like, oh my God. That's exactly it.

Like structure to relax into, oh, and then I could breathe. Like that's perfect. That's exactly what it is that I'm interested in. We get to do this for our people. We can provide some structure that they can relax into, and then they can build out something within the confines of that structure. So clarity does not equal a lack of control for us, but also for the person who needs some autonomy to build something out.

Third piece. So the fear of providing clarity. The fear of clarity, what it is whenever we, you know, the fear that we have whenever we provide clarity. Third thing is that your team cannot meet expectations that they don't know exist. So if you know what you want something to look like, but you're not clear, you're basically setting your people up to fail and that fucking sucks.

That's just is what it is. It just sucks. Don't do that. We have to say, this is what is expected. If we level with expectations, we're leveling with them with regard to expectations. They know what they need to meet, and so they have this very clear line of like, oh, cool. Got it. That's the thing. They're go, they're going for not like 50 yards or feet or miles beyond what it is that you expect, and not 50 feet or yards or miles below what it is that you expect.

It's exactly, they know that line and then they can operate from there. So that's section one. That's our agenda item number one.

Agenda item number two. So here are some very simple systems for creating clarity. I love this. Number one is job scorecard. So these, you could call 'em job score cards. You can call 'em role scorecard.

Ultimately, what does success look like in this role and how do you capture it with a measurable item? So if it's something related to marketing, marketing for me as a side note, is very difficult 'cause I think there are so many different things you can capture. And marketing in and of itself is, is a lead measure.

It's something that you are, you're measuring before you see an outcome. So a lag measure is gonna be after a thing is implemented, then you are capturing the effects of that thing. That's a lag measure. A lead measure is the thing before it's implemented. So there's an antecedent and a a consequence, so to speak. You need a job scorecard, and the job scorecard is gonna vary based on the role.

Second thing, and again, we're simple systems for creating clarity. The second thing is that you need. This is so funny to say out loud 'cause it seems so obvious. You need very clear vision and values. So you have to basically talk about your vision and values until you are just fucking exhausted of them.

Because even at that point, your team might not know what they are. So the more that you can be clear about your vision and values, the more that your team is gonna integrate what they are and how they exist with the group and what they need to look like. You have to have clear vision and values. Where are you going and how do you engage with each other as you're on your way to getting there.

Third thing is you need a very clear meeting structure. So meeting structure, being like, um, I think a very simple way of saying this is just a, a clear agenda. I mean, I think that that's like a cut and dry version, but maybe the, the bigger sort of like thing is what's the point of this meeting?

So what's the point of this meeting? And then what happens next? So if the point is to get connected as a leadership team, okay, cool. What needs to happen next? What's the point? What happens next? I love this. It's not just what happens in the meeting, but why are we here and what are we doing and what's the outcome? Beautiful.

Okay, so the fourth piece to this agenda item, the, the simple systems for creating clarity is. Clear communication. So thinking about what does done look like, it might seem very easy to you. This kind of ties in with like assumptions that we might make about, you know, our expectations and whatnot. But I need you to clarify it with your team.

So what does done look like? Ask that out loud. I want you to answer it, but I want your team to answer it too. So if you have people who are engaged in this process with you, with you, excuse me, ask them what they think done looks. Like super important. Okay, so that's agenda item number two.

So the third piece here is that we really wanna teach our team to own clarity. I said that like as a question, we want teach our team to own clarity. So. Three main components.

One is we wanna normalize asking for clarity. So it might be where you say to them, you say out loud, what does success look like here? Or you might say to them, why don't you ask like, what does success look like here?

And you have them ask the questions, get them in the habit of feeling it come out of their mouth. What does this sort of like muscle memory, you know, what does this feel like? I'm asking this question, they have the felt sense of what it is to ask that question and to hear the answers and to answer it on their own, and to hear from you what the answer is.

So sort of just changing up the, the position of who's asking the question. You know, maybe it's you and then you pass that over to somebody else and have them ask that same question.

Second thing, I love this one, training people to identify when they're unclear instead of guessing. I would say that a better way of languaging this as I'm like saying it out loud. I'm reading it, I'm saying it out loud even though I've like read it and said it out loud before. What's coming to mind right now is asking people to clarify when they need more clarity. That's it. Just say. How did you feel when you didn't have clarity?

What was that in your body? What did that feel like? Okay, cool. How will you notice that next time? And then what can you say out loud to acknowledge that you, you have some confusion about this.

When we can identify those points, when we can identify those moments where we have a lack of clarity and we can instead say, Hey, what do we need to do next time?

How do we, um, stop guessing, so to speak. We are basically baking in moments of providing clarity where there isn't any, and it's not just based on us. We have everybody around us who's engaged in that same process. That, to me, is beautiful because I might think that, you know, section A is confusing when really it's not, and, and it's section F that's confusing, which I think is super clear.

But if everybody around me or at least two people around me are like, fuck, what the hell is she saying? If they're confused about this, then they should speak up. I need them to speak up so that I can then provide clarity, or they need to speak up just to own that they're confused about something.

So having people in the habit of having people having this felt sense of what it's like to speak up when they don't have clarity on something is just. Man. Super important. Super important.

Last piece, something you could just sort of, mm, I'm gonna say bake in or embed in like systems that you already have. You might just repeat over and over at any meetings. I would get in the habit of saying this a lot actually. Anytime I introduce new projects, I would probably start with it. I would, maybe in the middle I would like, tie this in, I would end with it. I would begin meetings with it. I would end meetings with it.

That's like how frequently I would, I would include this. Clarity is kindness. Because when you have clarity and people around, you have clarity. Everybody feels more, I'm gonna say primarily everybody feels on the same page and also they're comfortable speaking up, even if they don't exactly know at that point in time that they're asking for clarity, because clarity is kindness.

So they're not thinking that they're lesser than, they're not thinking that you're gonna get mad because they have to ask you more questions about something that you've just explained. They're not thinking, hopefully, fingers crossed, they're not thinking that they are the solo person who doesn't get in, get it, excuse me.

I might say, say even clarity is universal and clarity is kindness. So that way it's something, there's something in this where I'm trying to send a message that not only is it normal for you to ask for clarity because others around you are gonna need it, but also, this is an act of kindness to literally every single person here when there's a lack of clarity, who is bothered by it? Everybody.

The person sending the message, the person receiving the message, the people around who are maybe part of the message. The people who aren't even there because they're gonna have some impact from that message. Everybody is bothered by a lack of clarity. So when we say clarity is kindness, and I would say clarity is universal, meaning everybody needs it.

The clarity is kindness piece is super important in that it is actually kind to all of the people involved in this project and the the ripple impact that it has. Everybody needs clarity.

So. Let's recap, shall we? This is a quick episode. Well, for me it might be, I don't know if it felt quick for you, but for me it feels quick.

Three parts to the agenda. Number one is the fear of clarity, why owners and leadership sometimes have a fear of like really being clear. Part two is just a couple of symptoms, simple symptoms for providing clarity, making sure people can get on the same page. And that third part is teaching your team to own clarity. Really important.

A couple things that I'll close with. Number one, clarity is not heavy handed. It doesn't need to be. It can be very kind. It can be very clear. It can be very, it can just be nice. It can just be something like, oh hey, like I wanna make sure we're on the same page. Same page ness is just a fucking gift.

It's a gift for everybody involved in that song, dance plan, project, whatever. Being on the same page is. Incredible. It's an incredible experience.

Second thing, so that's one thing. Second thing is tune in, make sure you subscribe because tomorrow we're gonna do a couple of real life scenarios. A couple of realistic scenarios or examples or scenarios or examples of assessing is this clarity or is this accountability or is this a little bit of both?

So if you're ever wondering, well, fuck, I think I've been clear, but things still aren't happening. Cool. Tune in tomorrow because we'll do a couple of real world examples and you can sort of figure out how I might start to work through these.

And the questions you can ask yourself to figure out, is this me or is this a system? Like what, what is happening? Or is this the other person, you know, what's actually going on?

Third thing. Join me if you need more support and you really wanna work through your people and your systems and your clarity and your scorecards and your leadership and your EOS and all of these things. These are all of the things we do in the Culture Focused practice membership. So if you really want some more, I hate saying supportive support, but like more engaged support if you really want somebody to be there with you as you're trying to build something out. Just join us to join us. Join us in the Culture Focus Practice Membership.

So you go to www.taravossenkemper.com, hover over work with me, and click Culture Focus, practice Membership. Join that membership there. You get two lives every single month at our Q and as, two lives every single month at our trainings, which you absolutely have a hand in. So whatever training you want, assuming there's not a bunch of shit on the docket.

You get a say in what comes next. All of the recordings from previous q and as and trainings as well as random consulting episodes I've done. And fri- a private, a free and private a private group, so I would love to see you there. So if you have any questions about that, of course, let me know. Otherwise, it has been really great seeing you here.

I hope this is helpful. I can't wait to do the lab tomorrow and I think that's it. It's great seeing you. Thank you for making this. Awesome. I will see you next time. Bye.