Clear Communication

Have you ever come to an intersection or a highway exit and felt like this? 

GUESS WHAT

This is how our employees feel when we aren't clear in our communication and set unclear expectations. 

Assuming Clarity is a leadership mistake—Here’s Why

Early in my leadership career I had an employee that wasn't meeting expectations. At first, I was frustrated. Why were they not hitting the mark and underperforming? 

Before I jumped into feedback mode, I sat down with them and had a conversation about their work and asked why they were taking some of the actions they were taking. After they explained their actions, it hit me. I HADN'T BEEN CLEAR with them about what I was looking for. This wasn't an issue with their performance, but a leadership mistake on my part for not having clear communication of expectations. 

After one focused conversation—where I laid out exactly what success looked like—their performance improved almost immediately.

🔹 The lesson? Leaders can’t assume expectations are understood.

Unclear expectations lead to misalignment, frustration, and underperformance. Clear expectations drive accountability, motivation, and results.

🚦 Just like road signs: If directions are vague or confusing, people end up lost. But when guidance is clear, they move forward with confidence.

Leadership check-in: Have you ever assumed clarity when it wasn’t there?