It’s Specific

Audience: Leaders, CEOs, Founders/Owners

Overview: Performance doesn’t break down because people lack effort—it breaks down because leaders communicate in generalities. This article shows how clarity, expectations, and outcomes improve when leaders shift from broad direction to specific, actionable communication.

I recently worked with a client and her team on identifying the types of things that were impeding their ability to improve performance. And up popped an issue I seem to encounter frequently.

Communication. Misunderstandings. Lack of discussion. Or unmet needs...not small, narrow or light subject areas.

When I asked for examples of the issues they felt impacted their abilities to succeed, they seemed to fall into 3 categories along with one consistent behavior:

• Lack of clarity

• Understanding the impact of their actions

• Understanding what success looked like

The culprit? Generalizations.

This list of communication issues wasn’t particularly surprising. What was surprising to them was what step they needed to take to help clear up these roadblocks AND motivate their direct reports.

In a word what was lacking was…specifics.

1. Speak in specifics. Avoid generalizations. They rarely work when discussing assignments with a team. An overview of a project or system is a beginning step. The specifics around those things are what needs to be communicated next. Outline the steps that needs to be taken, what happens if they aren’t, the timeline for reviews and final delivery.

And don’t forget that individual team members appreciate knowing how their specific contributions impact the outcomes…or not. None of this happens if the information is shared in an overall, general nature.

2. Provide examples. Many people learn conceptually. Some need a more specific, hands-on approach. I’ve found that providing examples of past work situations is a great option. Examples of how something didn’t work and why. And then examples of how something worked well achieving …and perhaps surpassing…the expected outcomes. Specifics.

A few days after my work with this team had ended, I received emails from the Owner and a VP that were full of specifics about what they learned, exactly how they were applying what they learned and what they would be trying next.

Their feedback was valuable to me because it was filled with specifics which let me know exactly how the training went, the steps they had already taken, and what steps they were going to take in the future to continue their journey to stronger communications and outcomes.

I love specifics.

Cynthia Kyriazis is the Chief Experience Officer at The Culture Think Tank. Her experience includes executive coaching, consulting, and training. Book a 15-minute chat to discuss your people, performance, or profit challenges.