Without clarity you are carrying unnecessary baggage with guest expert Ann Latham

Ann Latham, author of The Power of Clarity: Unleash the True Potential of Workplace Productivity, Confidence, and Empowerment

Bill Ringle and Ann Latham discuss how clarity streamlines effort and improves productivity for managers and leaders in small business.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview

Vague instructions can lead to bad judgement calls that can cause wasted time and effort, damage trust and confidence between leaders and their teams, and lessen self esteem. Avoid this unnecessary problem by being specific and clear on how much time and effort is needed for a specific task and be clear on what needs to be done to have the desired result.Clear communication often requires specifics. If in doubt, ask. Not everyone should be included in any given meeting. Choose the people who are needed to contribute or who are efficient and well-versed on a specific task that needs to be done to achieve the goal. It would be a waste of time to include those who are not contributing.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Ann’s father who taught her how to speak her mind. [01:21]Her outspokenness earned the rare and probably one of a kind recognition as the ‘most likely to dispute recognized authorities.’ [02:07]Moving farther away from the production process to management is often a big problem because management responsiblities often are more abstract and lacking clearly defined goals and objectives. [03:45]Meetings are important but a lot of people, based on surveys, think that meetings are just a waste of time. [05:16]The two steps to having a meaningful meeting is to decide what needs to change after the meeting and to have specific steps on how to get to the end result. [08:03]Case: Jess, a healthcare company manager, and her boss miscommunicate about the approach to making hand lotion available in public parks. It eroded her boss' trust and confidence in her judgement due to the lack of clarity. 10:02]After assessing the situation, Ann points out that the root of the problem was a vague request made by the boss causing the new employee Jess to misjudge the amount of investment she has to put on this project. [12:18]The importance of asking questions. [13:11]Case: Peter, a marketing director who submitted his marketing plan to his boss but did not get the expected feedback. [17:41]The six cognitive cognitive objects that constitute real progress are: a decision, plan, problem resolution, a list, confirmation, or an approval. [19:05]My Quest for the Best Lightning round begins.

Expert Bio

ANN LATHAM is the founder of US-based consulting firm Uncommon Clarity®. Her clients represent over 40 industries and range from organizations such as Boeing, Hitachi, and Medtronic to non-profits such as the Public Broadcasting Service and colleges and universities.

She is widely considered an expert in strategic clarity and strategies for improving productivity, performance, and commitment. She has been interviewed by publications such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, MSNBC, and is an expert blogger for Forbes.com.

Ann is an accomplished speaker and the author of The Power of Clarity, The Clarity Papers, and Uncommon Meetings. Ann is also the sole recipient of a corporate award that she cherishes to this day: Most Likely To Dispute Recognized Authorities.

Contact Info and Social Media for Ann Latham

Primary WebsiteTravels from: New HampshireConnect on Twitter | LinkedIn

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