Core values are often well-intentioned things implemented in large organizations, but nobody actually adheres to them. For instance, I once worked at a company where ‘Trust’ was one of the core values. It was also, of all my previous employers, the company where the most lying and scheming took place.
But what if there are certain values or guidelines that genuinely help you? For me, that’s Clarity. By that, I mean, for example, that you know:
- What your company exactly offers and to whom.
- What the needs are of your customers and your potential customers.
- What the financial situation is.
- What your employees do, how they feel about their work, and what their ambition is.
- Where you want to go with your company
- What your priorities are and what you therefore won’t be doing
The situation at many companies
I encounter many entrepreneurs who lack clarity in their business and struggle considerably with it. You can imagine that if, as a startup, you aren’t clear about your services, you can’t sell them effectively. Or if you have a company with 200 employees, you often no longer understand why your employees are doing something entirely different from what you envisioned.”
Clarity means asking, talking, and asking follow-up questions. As long as clarity comes from a sincerity to move forward, to respect and value each other’s opinions and visions, to create something better together, then that’s only positive. That might sound very woolly, but it’s also just good business. How can you make rational decisions if you don’t have all the information?
Avoidance
I often see entrepreneurs, managers, or directors avoid clarity out of fear of confrontation. What if a client tells you your product is too expensive or your service is subpar? Or if your employee tells you they don’t work as hard because they never receive any appreciation? That’s uncomfortable. But it’s less painful than letting problems simmer.
Because if you don’t ask anything, you often end up with such low revenue that you have to close the business, employees who experience burnout, or who are angry because their requests are never answered. That might sound like doom-mongering or exaggeration, but I hear about these kinds of issues weekly. And we only have to look at the Dutch Tax Authorities and the culture there to see the painful consequences of an organization where people and the truth were handled in anything but a clear manner.
The Approach
Often, that confrontation isn’t a confrontation at all. Instead, it’s just a really pleasant and positive conversation. People appreciate being asked for their opinion and being involved in what’s happening.
What can be difficult is knowing where to start with clarity. What should you tackle first in your company? How do you initiate the conversation if you find it daunting? And once you have that information, what do you do to make it useful? My colleagues and I can, of course, help you with that. In addition to discussions, we also use tools to visually map out your future or priorities, for example.
If you already have everything completely clear, then my compliments to you. And if there are still things that aren’t so clear? Start with those today. I wish you much success and enjoyment.
Author: Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and business coach. Voted best coaching and consulting firm in the Netherlands for SMEs for 2019 and 2020. Most of their programs for freelancers and SMEs are [The sentence cuts off here, please provide the rest of the sentence if you’d like it translated. 50-100% subsidized. Lizanne was voted one of the top 50 consultants in the United Kingdom during her time living there and is a leading speaker on entrepreneurship and smarter working.
