Clarity is a Trap

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Leadership

“Clarity is a trap.” These are words recently spoken by Service Express’ Senior Human Resources Director in the UK, Kim Randers, and they really resonated with me.   

In my last blog, Chaos Creates Clarity, I talked about how through chaos comes clarity, and that’s great when that happens. However, sometimes we find ourselves searching for complete clarity when there just isn’t any. This is a trap that leaders and all employees can get into.   

If you need more clarity, go ask! Go find it! Don’t sit back saying, “no one told me. I don’t know what’s going on,” that’s a weak response, and I don’t like that.   

As leaders, our job is to communicate. Repeat, explain the why, and try to add clarity when we have it. It’s not getting leaders off the hook by any means. Our job is to communicate and create clarity.   

However, things are constantly developing and ever-changing when you’re a part of a growing organization like Service Express. You communicate as much as you know, but you often don’t have complete clarity. I like it that way; it’s part of what I love around here. I don’t have complete clarity all the time, but I get to figure it out.   

People can fall into a trap when they don’t know what to do and don’t do anything because no one tells them what to do. If you don’t know what to do, figure it out. That’s how I built my whole career. If you don’t know what’s going on, ask. If you don’t have the answer, go find it.   

If you think about your personal life, when do you have complete clarity? We know what’s going on right now and what we hope to accomplish in our lives. We should have goals for 2023 and directions for where we’re going, but we probably don’t know exactly how it will go.   

Life happens, and things change! You never have complete clarity in your personal life, and you very rarely have complete clarity in your organization. As leaders, it’s our job to create clarity and explain the why as much as possible. Things may change. Adapt, figure it out and keep moving forward. 

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About Me

I am the President & CEO of Service Express, a National Best & Brightest Company to Work For. Service Express has averaged double digit growth every year since 2001.

We attribute our success to a unique corporate culture that we call The Service Express Way. I am a member of the Young President Organization and sit on the Board of the Spectrum Health Foundation.