Step 1: Documented Clarity

"Better Work" Series: (2 of 5)

Do you allow your team members to review your performance? I remember a moment many years ago when I started doing this. A team member—now a great friend—looked at me and delivered some of the best (and most painful) feedback I’ve ever received:

"You have great ideas, and you move so fast that we don’t understand what you’re saying half the time. We just try to figure it out along the way."

Over the years, I’ve led teams, built businesses, coached leaders, and problem-solved my way through more messes than I can count. One thing I’ve learned? Clarity—true clarity—is hard. I've also learned that true clarity, is documented. 

Without this degree of clarity, people assume, misunderstand, and waste time fixing the wrong problems. With it, everything moves faster, smoother, and with purpose. Expectations are clear, standards are met, decisions are easier, and success becomes measurable instead of just a vague hope.

But here’s where most leaders get it wrong:

• They think they’ve communicated clearly, but their team is still confused.
• They have a vision, but it’s locked in their head instead of documented.
• They set expectations, but they don’t write them down or reinforce them consistently.

True clarity isn’t just about explaining things better. It’s about deliberately documenting alignment between objective, structure, and process. If we want better work—for ourselves, our teams, and our organizations—clarity is where it starts.

The Cost of Unclear Work

So, what happens when clarity is missing?

• Decision Fatigue: You spend more time debating and second-guessing than actually moving forward.
• Firefighting Mode: Every day feels reactive because no one is clear on what’s truly important.
• Misaligned Execution: Your team is working—but not necessarily on the right things.
• Wasted Effort: Resources go to the wrong priorities, and progress is slow (if it happens at all).
• Low Morale: You hire great people, but they’re left confused and dissatisfied in their work.

Clarity isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a performance multiplier. The best leaders don’t assume their team understands; they make sure of it. And they do that by writing it down.

12 Key Elements of Documented Clarity

1. The Leader Profile (2 of 12)

Before we define the work, we have to define ourselves as leaders. Our leadership perspective and profile shape everything that follows.

• Perspective: What are the details that got us where we are, and what values drive us?
• Profile: What are your skills, strengths, weaknesses, and leadership style?

Why it matters:
We are the ceiling of our business. If we are not aware of and developing our own strengths, tendencies, and limitations, we cast an unnecessary shadow over our business. This can be the greatest threat to its success.

2. The Strategic Direction (5 of 12)

Your team can’t follow a vision they’ve never seen. If it’s not written down, it’s not real.

• Backstory: What were the significant events that led to our founding?
• Vision & Mission: Why do we exist? Where are we going? How will we get there?
• Customer: Who specifically are we designed to serve?
• Core Message: How do we talk about who we are and what we do?
• Core Values: What principles define how we operate and make decisions?

Why it matters:
These define our intent and core identity. This is why we do everything we do. Tough times will come, and tough decisions will need to be made. If we don’t clearly know who we are and why we exist, we won’t stand strong in those storms.

3. The Playbook (5 of 12)

If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it. The Score tells you whether you’re actually making progress.

• Business Objective: What are we trying to accomplish in the next 2–5 years?
• Business Structure: How do we organize responsibilities within the business?
• Current Objectives: What are the 1–3 current milestones we’re pursuing in the next 90 days?
• Performance Score: What are the results and action items that will get us to our current objectives?
• Key Processes: What standards and steps define how we execute our work and interact with each other?

Why it matters:
Without a clear playbook, time is wasted, money is drained, and effort is inefficient. You will have performance, but not high performance. You will have a culture, but it’s probably dysfunctional. You can make some progress without a playbook, but eventually, you’ll plateau—and likely burn out.

Let’s Keep It Simple: Start Small and Build

I know—this can feel like a lot. But don’t overcomplicate it. Start small.

If you’re drowning, start with the Current Objective and Peformance Score and Key Processes. These three go a long way in getting you focused traction. Even if you don’t have a perfect vision statement or playbook, knowing what success looks like (and how to measure it) changes everything. This is like putting on your oxygen mask before helping others.

From there, build around it.

The most important thing? Start documenting. Even small steps toward documented clarity make a huge difference in how we lead, work, and build momentum.

And trust me—once you see the impact of a little clarity on paper, you’ll want to bake out the entire thing.

So, what’s the first thing you’re going to document? 

Next ---> Step 2: Better Calendars