When we define clarity, we most often think in terms of the resources surrounding us. Are our water and air pure and clean? Can we see to the bottom of a stream with clarity, or are smog and particulates obscuring the skies? The problem is that anything that obscures our senses makes us vulnerable to misunderstandings, mistakes and miscommunications.

Business success depends on clarity as well. Good decisions demand clarity and foresight – you need to assess conditions with a clear understanding of what is happening and seek solutions from a well-defined perspective.

To achieve clarity, and implement the ability to keep a business running smoothly, you must be able to define an issue immediately and without hesitation. This means knowing the goals and objectives you have set for a project or a sales season and seeing them through to the end. You have outlined what production you must have for the season, and if you are not meeting your goals, it is essential to quickly and decisively tackle whatever obstacle is in your way.

Secondly, clarity allows you to swiftly identify immediate impacts to your business. What will happen if you do not reach a goal, produce what you planned for or cannot meet retail obligations? Once you have identified issues causing hold-ups or strangulating your production, you can act to remediate the problems and get back to business as usual.

Achieving clarity impacts how well you are prepared for doing business in the present and into the future. If you have good market research, watch for industry trends and prepare good business plans, you are more able to tackle rough patches and keep moving forward.

Clarity is also defined as coherent and intelligible reasoning, or the ability to clear up misunderstandings and provide rational explanations of issues. This reckons to getting to the heart of the matter, or cutting to the chase of any challenge. Can you stand back, and without emotion or sidebar obscurities, define the problem and then seek solutions?

If you can think back to a time when your business has experienced a downturn or problem, how well were you able to define the situation and come up with clear and precise answers to move forward? If it happened again, would you be more prepared to cut through any business “smog” and seek clear answers?

We tend to write business goals and objectives as vague plans we can clarify at a later time. We have in mind our intentions, but often fail to actually define how to adequately achieve them. For a new business, this is how things begin, while with more seasoned operations, objectives gain more clarity with experience. It is that experience which helps give us a clear picture of what we have the resources and capabilities to achieve.

If you can be as clear and precise about your goals and objectives from the beginning as possible, you have already set up steps to move forward in any given situation. This saves precious time and energy in meeting challenges, and saves you from miscommunications and costly mistakes. Clarity, as being able to see to the bottom of a stream or to the next mountaintop, is no small metaphor, but rather a way of doing business based on good foundations.

The above information is intended for educational purposes and should not be substituted for professional business or legal counseling.