Clarity in direction is of utmost importance if you expect employees to accomplish the objectives you have set. Being clear should be simple, but it is often a failure on the part of organizational leaders. Clarity can be achieved with three simple steps:

1. What is the expected result? If the result is an increase in sales, improvement in customer service, increase in productivity, reduction of cost, or compliance with regulations, then state the required result clearly. Make the expected outcome measurable: increase sales by 10%, win a new account, improve the customer service satisfaction rating from a C to an A, reduce operating expenses by 15%. The old adage that what gets measured gets done always applies. It doesn't matter what area you manage.

The Crass Captain thinks that employees should arrive at their own conclusions on what the desired outcome is. When his nebulous requirements aren't met, he makes his subordinates walk the plank.

2. How do you want it done? If there is a set of required processes or policies that must be followed, then be clear that compliance is not optional. If an objective can be met with some latitude applied to those processes, then be clear on what latitude is allowed. If you allow latitude on process, then make sure you tell them with whom they should consult on their methods and what people should be informed.

There is one caveat to all of this. Process is a good thing, but can be perceived as a stubling block to progress. Let your employees come to you and suggest new ways to get things done that might be outside of prescribed policies. Listen and you may find that there are new, creative ways to get things done. Remember that your job as a manager is to let people do their jobs and to kick obstacles out of their way when they need your help. If you never listen, you'll never learn what the obstacles are and your people will be less effective.

The Crass Captain often thinks that method is madness and creates chaos within his group, or worse, with other groups of employees by letting things get done any which way. When he operates at the other extreme of process, he strips his people of their ability to be creative in finding solutions or impedes their ability to get to the desired result. There are sharks in the ship's waters at both extremes. Beware.

3. When do you want it done? Things that should get done sometime get done never. Providing deadlines for progress and for final results is the only way to keep people on track and to know what the status is of things happening in your organization. Use the deadline ASAP with great care. Requiring everything ASAP means that your employees will have a hard time prioritizing and may get overwhelmed by having everything be an immediate requirement.

The Crass Captain assumes that his reports knows what his priorities are and what the deadlines should be. He's an angry pirate when everything isn't completed ASAP. Arrrrg!