Welcome to Friday 411, issue #133. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’ll see the difference clarity can make in leading change.
1 Insight
Clarity is a gift. Without it, people grow angry, confused, and frustrated.
Last Thursday, the two of us were booked on a flight from New York City home to Knoxville. The Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia has the reputation as one of the most luxurious in the world. We had been looking forward to cocooning ourselves inside of it as soon as we passed through security.
The lounge lived up to our expectations—calming atmosphere, excellent food and drinks, impeccable service, and Dorothy even took advantage of a complimentary facial.
But then our flight got delayed.
And slid back again.
At first, no bother. Just means more time in this lavish lounge.
Then our flight pushed even farther, long enough that we would miss our connection.
The airline automatically shifted us to a flight with a different connecting airport.
We were just about to leave the lounge to board our new flight, when we got the message no traveler wants: Your flight has been cancelled.
No warning. No explanation. Silence from the airline. No help. Nothing.
I (Garland) started chatting with customer support right away. The rep told me they couldn’t place us on another flight for two days. They could cancel the whole trip and refund us, but if we hoped to fly within the next 24 hours, we needed to figure it out ourselves.
My anger spiked. This felt like the worst customer service I had ever experienced. I decided to talk to another customer service rep, only to have him tell me the same information.
Fueled from fury and adrenaline, I jumped online, reserved a hotel and booked a flight out of Newark for the next morning with a different airline. But before we could leave LaGuardia, we needed to head to baggage claim to grab our checked bags.
That’s when everything shifted.
When we left the sanctuary of the lounge and stepped into the terminal, the whole airport pulsed like a scene from the apocalypse. People crowded every inch—no chair left unfilled, exhausted bodies on the floor, lining the walkways. Every outlet claimed by charging phones. Restaurants overflowed. Faces sagged with defeat.
Then I (Dorothy) spotted the departure board.
Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled down the board. Flights out of LaGuardia were grounded because of record-breaking severe weather.
No one was going anywhere.
The reps hadn’t ignored us. They hadn’t slacked off. They hadn’t withheld any help they had to offer.
They simply hadn’t communicated why our cancellation was unavoidable. Once we knew that, we stopped being angry and felt grateful that the airline hadn’t put our lives at risk.
Why Your Team Is Angry with You
This same scenario happens every day inside teams.
You push new plans, new processes, or new goals. You tell people that some kind of change is happening. You explain what the change is and what each person needs to do.
Then you get surprised when they have a bad attitude.
But have you explained the forces that are causing this change? Have you helped them see the pressures, the deadlines, the risks, or the shifting conditions that make these changes necessary?
If not, they will get frustrated and confused.
They’ll see the change as arbitrary.
Whenever you’re implementing change, you must create clarity by answering four questions:
- Where are we going?
- How are we getting there?
- What’s each person’s role in getting there?
- Why is it important to get there?
A lack of clarity holds everyone back from accepting and making the necessary changes. That lack of clarity leashes your leadership, imprisons your team in negative emotions, and delays (or even stalls) the change you want to make.
Clarity is the fourth issue that holds you back from your greatest impact as a leader. In our new book, Unleashed Leadership, we reveal all seven of the issues that hold you back. More importantly, we give you a three-stage process to get unleashed. Grab a copy today for yourself and the other leaders you know.
1 Action
Give your team the gift of clarity. Communicate your answers to the four questions the next time you initiate change.