Session 1.3: Andy Stanley #3

9/11/2020

Essential #3 - Clarity is the next best thing to certainty.

In times of disruption, clarity will suffice. Information doesn't usually create panic - withholding of information can create panic. By providing clarity it doesn't take away the uncertainty (which you can't do), but it addresses the uncertainty.

As leaders, how can we get (and stay) ahead of situations to show up and provide clarity to those we lead?
Share a story of a time where you (or another leader) emulated the practice of over-communicating and providing clarity.
Have you experienced a negative experience when lack of clarity caused issues?

*Click 'Comments' and join the discussion below*

9 Comments

Emilee Tucker

9/14/2020 10:23:54 am

1. I think it is important to share information as we receive it and (as stated in the video) provide a time that those we lead can expect to hear from us again - even if we don't have an update. Communication and transparency is important.

2. A software company that my teachers have used for years changed some of their policies due to COVID-19 which caused a delay in access for my teachers at a time when they needed it most. I gave my teachers weekly updates on the progress and alternative solutions. I was unsure about the amount of communication I was providing because I thought it might be too much, but an overwhelming amount of my teachers thanked me for the continued correspondence and updates - even when the update was to say nothing had changed.

3. Yes, and it can have a detrimental effect on morale and the credibility of the entire organization.

Kelsea Lowery

9/14/2020 11:31:00 am

1. Communication. In my opinion, I can never be over communicated with, especially when things are constantly changing.

2.When Covid really starting hitting the US hard, North Arkansas College decided to shut down and have all of their employees work from home. During that time, I felt like I sent an unprecedented amount of emails every week, but when we returned to campus in June, a lot of colleagues were thankful for the constant communication and updates I provided during that time, most of them being technology updates to continue teaching the rest of the semester in an online format.

3.Yes.

Kyle Evatt

9/14/2020 01:26:14 pm

1. Be prepared to share what you know and give updates as they come.
2. When planning an Adventure Based Counseling trip with a previous employer, I would always try to over-communicate what the expectations where for the group participating. This included itineraries and guidelines for safety. Over communicating these things helped to prepare the group for what they might experience during the activity.
3. Yes. When a previous employer was planning on shutting down one of their facilities, they refused to communicate what their plans were with the employees. In turn, the employees became unsettled and had their job performances impacted by the ongoing confusion.

Katey Sims

9/15/2020 08:52:26 pm

1) To get ahead of situations, we must address the problem and plan how to overcome it. Sometimes people try to pretend the problem isn't there and they shove it to the side. This cause the problem to become greater. Also, communication is a big key in any problems.
2) I was doing a project with one of my friends and we were going to have to extend it over the weekend. Over the weekend, she had to go to a family event that was out of town. We had to communicate extremely well to make sure we got everything done. We made a plan before she went to the event and we got everything done over the weekend. We ended up making a really good grade on this project.
3) Once again, I had a negative experience with a school project. This group project had many people contributing to it. One of the people hadn't done all of the work that they were supposed to do, and we didn't know until about an hour until it was due. It was very stressful trying to fix the project and it resulted in getting a B on the project.

Addie Jones

9/15/2020 09:06:25 pm

1. Everything comes back to communication. Leaders can stay ahead of situations by immediately relaying information to those they're in charge of. Leaders need to keep their followers involved in every step of their processes.

2. A time I provided over-communication was when I was in charge of our class float. I would constantly send updates on our work dates, themes, and supplies needed, and message people in groups and individuals to keep them updated.

3. I have definitely experienced many issues involving lack of communication. One of these was recently where we got counted off on a group project There were six people in the project, and it was hard to communicate between all of these people who was doing what topic(s). Therefore, the lack of communication led to a poor grade.

Emily Still

9/15/2020 09:11:26 pm

1.) Preparation and Communication. We need to allow public to know things, not keep them shadowed. When we do this, it makes everything look 10x worse than what it might actually be.

2.) I think the recent time I had was when I thought I was over-communicating my theater speech. I was trying to get the kids to understand what I was trying to say, but kept talking and talking. I felt bad, but they came up afterwards and thanked me for telling them certain things. Turns out I had answered many of the questions they had about theater and acting, it was amazing!

3.) Yes, I failed a class that way. The teacher never thoroughly explained anything to any of us, which made us fall farther and farther back. It was an awful time, I was glad when the principal finally got involved and helped us.

Tori Hudson

9/15/2020 09:39:36 pm

1. As a leader, we can create solutions in advance for common problems and communicate them to our team. We also need to have very open lines of communication for when problems do arise.
2. A common occurrence for over communication is before I leave for quiz bowl meets. I am considered the "team mom" which means I often over communicate to make sure everyone has brought what they need, and to make sure everyone is studying periodically.
3. I often experience communication issues within group projects at school. The most recent occurrence of this was a 6-person group project, where different topics needed to be broken up between each team member. There was very little communication between members about which theme would be given to each person, which led to multiple people doing the same theme, and some themes not being completed.

Nathan Windel

9/16/2020 08:36:58 am

1. As leaders, we can be exceptionally clear about the situations we find ourselves in while also being honest about what we know. Letting people into the thinking that we are doing about a disruption we're facing can give people a clear view of where things are and where we think they are going. We need to do this work immediately and communicate effectively through various means.

2. I lead a cave ecology immersion program in summer, and this year our camp did not occur due to COVID-19.
I had applicants that were awaiting news about the camp, whether it would happen, and how it would look if it did.
I communicated often and clearly to keep students in the loop, even though that did mean sending messages that were uncertain and even changed as the situation developed.

3. Unfortunately, these experiences seem plentiful and stand out. Perhaps that is because they can so frustrating. It is so difficult to make good decisions when you lack the information to do so.

Joseph Faria

9/21/2020 09:14:15 am

I found this section of the video to be fairly accurate. There is nothing worse than a leader who tells you during an uncertain time that everything is going to be ok without more information as to why everything is going to be ok. An example would be a change in a department without an explanation as to why the change is beneficial to the department or the company. This leaves a certain doubt in the minds of the employees, especially when there is no fore mention or plan coming out of the change. This allows the employees begin to formulate their own ideas and rumors.
I think it is best to communicate early and often to provide clarity to the employees and eliminate any unnecessary anxiety.

LeaderChat 2020