Near, Clear and Sincere – How to Align Your Team in Uncertainty - Fiona Gifford

One of the consistent features of high performing teams is that their leaders actively manage both alignment and engagement. Alignment ensures that the right stuff gets done, at the right time, by the people with the right skills to do it well. Engagement creates the energy and motivation to deliver performance beyond the expected; it lights the fire in individuals and teams that becomes their eternal flame. Together these sustain high performance.

What do leaders do when there is so much uncertainty? When the goal-posts are constantly shifting and the future is so hard to predict? What purpose do we align to? Without a sense of purpose and clear outcomes, how do leaders lead?

The answer is that they apply the principles of Near, Clear and Sincere.

Near

“Near” is about pulling the timeframe closer to now. There is no “right” time period; it could be the next three months, the next week, or even the next few hours. There may be logic to it such as a specific event or deadline (informed by “Clear”). Or it may be simply be a creation of the leader. Whatever the actual duration in time, it creates a firm horizon for the team to work towards that refocuses their energy away from the uncertainty on something they can have some certainty about.

“Near” does not ignore the bigger picture or pretend that the time beyond it does not matter. But it does allow it to be “fuzzy” without distracting the team or scaring them into inaction.

Clear

“Clear” is about creating as much clarity as the situation allows within the “Near” timeframe. “Clear” and “Near” can be chicken and egg concepts and leaders have to be prepared to work with them together in iteration.

One very important point; “Clear” is not the same as certainty. Creating “Clear” involves a deep understanding and clarity about both what is known, what is not known and what possibly may not even be conceivable.

So, like “Near”, “Clear” does not ignore the uncertainty, it creates sufficient certainty to allow the team to align and act according to a purpose. The team will still be wondering and perhaps worrying over what is unknown, but the power of taking meaningful action increases the feeling of having some control. It is the lack of control in changing situations that creates most anxiety.

Sincere

Together, “Near” and “Clear” allow the team to align behind a sense of purpose and engage to create the energy to move forward. “Sincere” is the third, and possibly most important principle.

The “Sincere” leader, says what she really feels and believes. There is no deceit and no pretence of superior knowledge. The “Sincere” leader is therefore highly trusted by the team. Sincerity also breeds sincerity. As a result the whole team is able to face up to, and discuss reality, while getting on with the “Near and Clear” activity at hand. They perform in the moment in the sure knowledge that the leader will tell them when things change and also will fulfil any promises made.

“Near, Clear and Sincere” in Practice

Lauren is Head of Strategy in her organisation and is leading the divestment of one of the company’s business units. Following the announcement to staff and the kick off of the subsequent consultation process, there was a significant drop in performance in the business. This would be hardly likely to impress a buyer or enhance the value of any sale.

Lauren noticed that every communications meeting with staff was spent denying rumours, but she was also unable to give staff the certainty they needed. In the absence of clarity, the staff where guessing and making assumptions about what was happening. So Lauren applied the “Near, Clear and Sincere” principles to leading through the process.

At the next communication, Lauren told the staff;

“I do not know what the outcome of this process will eventually be; no-one does. What I do know is that we will sell this business unit and I feel very strongly that this must be completed in a way that treats staff with respect.

I am meeting a number of interested companies over the next week. I cannot tell you anymore because I am bound by a confidentiality agreement. I do promise that I will come back in one week with an update. I will not always be able to give you full details because buyers will insist on confidentiality. However, I do commit to communicating what I can; both in terms of what we know for sure, and what we do not know.

In the meantime, nothing else will change and we are operating in business as usual mode.”

As the process developed, Lauren followed through on her commitments. At every staff comms, she set the next timescale for “Near”, gave an update on what she could and what was still unknown (“Clear”). Most critically, Lauren did what she said she’d do and never said anything she did not believe to be true.

Sincere.

The process was neither comfortable, nor particularly smooth – these changes never are. However the performance of the business returned to its previous high level and the eventual buyers paid a good premium for the business.

Fiona Gifford is MD and High Performance Consultant with The Performance Collective. For more information on how you can build High Performance in your organisation, contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .