Improving Clarity
“Own the complexity and pass on clarity.”
I share this quote because it so elegantly and concisely articulates my approach as a leader.
The first example of this playing out in my professional life happened when I was only 19 years old. Preparing to leave my very first job at a print shop, I wrote down everything I thought the next person needed to know and left it for them on the desk. I wasn’t asked to do this, I was compelled to do this. This was before I had even heard the term “onboarding” or knew that mine had been lacking. I just wanted to pass on my knowledge and experience to the next person.
I’m still compelled to share my knowledge and experience with others so they don’t have to learn things the hard way. Today, I combine this empathic motivation with sharper analytical thinking, pattern recognition, business acumen, and more to truly own complexity and discover and provide clarity. Below I’ve provided a recent example of doing just that.
The Problem
After a significant department reorganization I noticed that colleagues above and below me seemed confused about what should be included in their domain of influence. Without clarity, higher level leaders sometimes found themselves too involved in the weeds of the day to day and lower level leaders found themselves feeling disempowered when they didn’t know where they could make an impact.
The Solution
In response to this, I mapped a chart of where different levels of leadership could focus their thoughts and efforts in order to most effectively contribute to the whole without stepping on each other’s toes and presented it to our leadership team. Each level of leadership came away with an understanding of the areas where they should be exhibiting thought leadership. While leadership levels would still collaborate, this chart served to provide useful boundaries that helped each team member channel their energy effectively. This clarity was empowering for leaders as they could now clearly see where they could make an impact in the department. I’m proud to say that this chart was so useful that it was also adapted and implemented by other departments at the company.
Leadership Levels Overview
Bree defined a structure for how each of our leadership levels in the department could contribute to our success more effectively as a whole. The chart she made set a clear direction for how and where each level can channel their efforts and influence the department. It made so much sense. Leadership above and below Bree have really benefitted from the clarity.
— VP of Creative