Clarity Leads to Power

The next 'C' in the 5 C's of Success is Clarity. I would like to be clear about this particular topic, so what do we mean when we say that clarity is one of the five most important characteristics of success? Well, Merriam Webster defines clarity as "the quality or state of being clear." How many times have we forged ahead with only vague impressions of what it is we were looking to achieve, only to be disappointed with the final results? This is the product of not being absolutely clear about what it is we have set out to accomplish at the outset.

The most successful have the uncanny ability to articulate clearly what the point is that they're trying to get across in any given situation. Clarity leads to power. Successful people know this and lead with it. If you cannot get to the point and have your point understood completely beyond the shadow of a doubt, you will most likely end up with a mixed bag of results. Unless you get clear about your topic, it could be lost in translation. It's especially important today when we are speaking with more and more emmigrants on a daily basis. These are people who may be using English as a second or even third language. It's very easy to try and communicate something and not be completely understood. The best way to assure that our audience understands exactly what is being communicated, is to ask them to repeat what you've told them. Effective communicators know the importance of echoing back what they hear in their every day conversations just to help the speaker to know how their words are being interpretted. This proactive approach to conversation leads to clarity.

Being absolutely clear about our objectives can be accomplished by asking questions. How big? What color? How many whatcha-ma-call-its? Is it lighter or darker than this? Being as descriptive as possible all the way down to the tiniest detail makes for the clearest possible picture of what it is we're trying to explain or define. The more questions that are answered up front, the better the outcome. Without a clear understanding, we don't know whether or not the goals have been met. Be clear when you speak, write, design, describe, or try to get across your ideas in any fashion. Make your descriptions work with all 5 senses, what it looks like, feels like, smells like, sounds like and even tastes like. This might not work in all cases, but the better descriptions yield far better results so involve as many senses as apply, then ask and answer all of the important questions. This method will always lead to clarity. Use it and clear the way to better results.