Tuesday, September 16, 2003
TACTIC: Clarity is the key to motivation
Ambiguity is a major cause of death for momentum. When faced with ambiguity, employees, channels and customers tend to wait. People tend to revert to yesterday’s actions, not because they are thrilled with the results, but because it is easier than dealing with the ambiguity of doing something new. Few people enjoy blazing a new trail.
As an employer of management consultants, I used to ask my prospective employees how they deal with ambiguity. Only those who demonstrated an ability to define a clear path forward got hired. My favorite answer was “I cannot deal with ambiguity, so I make sure to eliminate it in all of my projects.”
If it seems too hard to get a good initiative off the ground, complexity and ambiguity are likely culprits. Direct strategies and action get results faster because they produce clarity. Not everyone will like what you do, but at least they will not be confused. That is what is appealing about philosophies like 'Worse is Better', ‘The KISS Principle’ and ‘Murhpy’s Law.’ All three assume that simple things are easier to understand, easier to implement and easier to fix when they inevitably go wrong. This is why I like direct strategies and simple implementations.
Change is tough enough by itself. Reduce the pain by making the plan simple, clearly identifying the actions required and publishing metrics.
Scott@ChannelVentures.com
Ambiguity is a major cause of death for momentum. When faced with ambiguity, employees, channels and customers tend to wait. People tend to revert to yesterday’s actions, not because they are thrilled with the results, but because it is easier than dealing with the ambiguity of doing something new. Few people enjoy blazing a new trail.
As an employer of management consultants, I used to ask my prospective employees how they deal with ambiguity. Only those who demonstrated an ability to define a clear path forward got hired. My favorite answer was “I cannot deal with ambiguity, so I make sure to eliminate it in all of my projects.”
If it seems too hard to get a good initiative off the ground, complexity and ambiguity are likely culprits. Direct strategies and action get results faster because they produce clarity. Not everyone will like what you do, but at least they will not be confused. That is what is appealing about philosophies like 'Worse is Better', ‘The KISS Principle’ and ‘Murhpy’s Law.’ All three assume that simple things are easier to understand, easier to implement and easier to fix when they inevitably go wrong. This is why I like direct strategies and simple implementations.
Change is tough enough by itself. Reduce the pain by making the plan simple, clearly identifying the actions required and publishing metrics.
Scott@ChannelVentures.com
