The clarity gap. And why it’s costing your organisation more than you think (and how it’s affecting your people!)
Clarity is one of those things we all say we value… but rarely slow down long enough to actually create.
😮We assume people know what we mean.
😮We expect them to read our minds.
😮We pile work on top of work, change on top of change, and then wonder why our teams are confused, overwhelmed, or quietly disengaging.
Clarity isn’t a nice to have. It is the lifeblood of extraordinary teams. When it’s missing, things slip into confusion quicker than you think.
Clarity is Humans First in action. It tells people… you matter. Your time matters. Your energy matters. It respects the human behind the “job title” and gives them the grounding they need to do brilliant work. When there is clarity, people breathe easier. They move with more confidence. They make better decisions. They show up with more purpose and less panic. It’s not magic. It’s just good leadership.
And here’s the truth that most leaders don’t want to admit. Lack of clarity is almost always a leadership problem. Not a people problem. When people are confused, it’s because leaders haven’t explained, aligned, prioritised or repeated the message enough. We get bored of our own words long before our team has even heard them properly. Clarity takes courage because it requires us to slow down, be intentional and make sure what we’re asking actually makes sense.
Across every industry I work in… education, food and fibre, professional services, blue collar… the pattern is the same. When things feel chaotic, it’s usually because clarity has slipped. Too many goals. Too many projects. Too many assumptions. Too many stealth expectations. Not enough shared understanding of what matters most. People are busy but not moving forward. Leaders feel frustrated. Teams feel stretched. Culture feels brittle.
Is some of this starting to resonate?
Clarity cuts through that noise.
Clarity needs to live at every level of the workplace. At the organisational level, clarity means purpose, values and direction that are lived daily, not laminated on a wall. It means everyone knows why the work exists and where the organisation is heading. At the team level, clarity means outcomes, accountabilities, priorities and rhythms that help people feel anchored. It means people understand how their part connects to the whole. And at the individual level, clarity means expectations, feedback, support and the psychological safety to ask the questions that matter. When clarity exists at all three levels, work shifts from chaos to cohesion.
This is why the Radical HR pillars exist. Attraction requires clarity about who you are, what you stand for and what kind of humans you want to bring into your world. Alignment requires clarity around purpose, priorities and performance which shows up in OKRs, workflows and the real conversations that drive momentum. Leadership requires clarity around decision making, communication and modelling the behaviour you expect. Retention requires clarity around growth, Hauora (wellbeing) and the pathways that support people to thrive. Clarity isn’t a step in the strategy. It is the strategy.
But clarity is deeply human. At its heart, clarity is care. It says… I want you to succeed. I want you to feel confident. I want you to spend your cognitive energy on doing great work, not trying to decode what I actually meant. Clarity removes the invisible labour of guessing, interpreting and silently stressing. When workplaces prioritise clarity, people feel valued. They feel trusted. They feel part of something grounded and real.
So here’s the question I ask leaders all the time.
If I walked into your workplace tomorrow, could your people answer these four things with confidence?
• What matters most right now?
• What does success looks like?
• What their role is in creating that success?
• Where they go when they need help or direction?
If the answer is no… then clarity is your starting point. Not another restructure. Not a new system. Not more meetings. Clarity first. Always.
Future ready teams don’t happen by accident. They are designed through intentionality. They are held together by shared understanding. They move faster because they’re grounded in what matters. Clarity is the foundation that turns good workplaces into extraordinary ones.
And if you’re feeling a bit called out right now… good. That’s the Courageous Curiosity part. The mindset that helps you lean in and ask the bold questions. What have I assumed? What have I left unsaid? Where do my team need more direction, more meaning, more grounding?
Here’s the Radical HR truth. Clarity creates calm. Calm creates capacity. Capacity creates impact. It is the simplest, most powerful leadership move you can make… and it costs absolutely nothing to start.
Ready to design a future where your people don’t just work harder… they work clearer? Let’s go.
Author:
Lisa Shaw
Chief Empowerment Office (CEO) / Founder
Radical HR
lisashaw@radicalhr.nz
029 226 8862