Clearing the Fog

Clearing the Fog

Most likely you have experienced driving in fog.  Not just the occasional foggy morning, but that deep, dense, and intense kind of fog.  The kind where you can’t see beyond your car.  Several years ago I took a “detour” – ok, I was lost.  I was returning from Atlanta for a work trip and I found myself on a two-lane mountain road.  It began to sleet and was very foggy.  I immediately turned off the radio (because that helps) and I sat up straighter and the white-knuckle driving commenced.  I remember feeling panicked and was berating myself for being so careless and ending up on that road.  As I rounded one of the million hair-pin turns, I saw a beacon … tail lights!  I followed those lights until I was on the other side of the mountain.  I felt instant relief.  Most likely, you have experienced something similar.

We tend to have these intense, dense, foggy moments in the workplace as well.  The situation is unclear, our path is not visible, and we feel unnerved.  However, when we have direction and vision, our way seems clearer.  Even if we feel pressure, we see the vision.  The strategy may be foggy, but we can still visualize the outcome.  I’m sure you see the connection.

When we lack vision for ourselves, our employees and our departments, we tend to make haphazard decisions.  The path can get blurry or we may even go off the road all together.  We can’t move quickly towards the desired results because we slow down when we can’t see.  Once our vision is clear, we can anticipate curves and bumps and we can move quickly.  As we’re now fully into 2021, my hope is that you’ve created and communicated a clear vision for your employees and your department.  If not, please share your vision so your message can provide a beacon for others.  Setting expectations, ensuring understanding, and holding each other accountable clears the fog!