I will add one more thing that I've found super helpful in surfacing misalignments: before leaving the meeting, ask each person what they believe still remains to be decided. Inverting the question about the decision is powerful - what is obvious to some is not obvious to others at all!
Coincidentally, the topic of driving to clarity has been top of mind for me these days, in the midst of a complex planning cycle.
One point I really liked here Deb was your articulation of clarity not as an outcome, but as also incorporating the process to get to the outcome. The nuance is important, because things like writing down your opinions and then wrestling with them can sometimes feel slower than a quicker path to a “messy yes”. Even though it’s faster in the long run.
This resonates a lot. We’re in the middle of our 2026 planning right now, and everyone thought we were crystal clear on priorities because we’d talked about them so much.
The moment we actually wrote them down and forced a 1-to-N ranking, it exposed how much disagreement there really was about what mattered most. Conversation gave us the illusion of alignment - writing is forcing the team to make real decisions!
Deb - what I love about your posts is the practicality of the advice. A lot of these concepts may seem obvious - but they are hard to follow. And you sharing them with example so super helpful in bringing them to the top of mind. Thank you!
This is not only SO GOOD, but so resonant as our team is in the thick of 2026 planning. Thank you for this Deb! Sending this to our team so we learn from you and take the time to declare the hard nos!
So simple, but so important! Writing doesn’t just clarify thinking - it forces commitment. Ambiguity can survive conversation because everyone fills in the gaps differently. The page removes those gaps. That’s why clarity feels uncomfortable up front and expensive when avoided.
Love this. I’ve been thinking about clarity and I’ve realized that while I have it, it’s been hard to get that from others. A mantra I’m trying to get into walking into 2026!
Naomi is the GOAT!!!
I will add one more thing that I've found super helpful in surfacing misalignments: before leaving the meeting, ask each person what they believe still remains to be decided. Inverting the question about the decision is powerful - what is obvious to some is not obvious to others at all!
An important addition for sure!
Coincidentally, the topic of driving to clarity has been top of mind for me these days, in the midst of a complex planning cycle.
One point I really liked here Deb was your articulation of clarity not as an outcome, but as also incorporating the process to get to the outcome. The nuance is important, because things like writing down your opinions and then wrestling with them can sometimes feel slower than a quicker path to a “messy yes”. Even though it’s faster in the long run.
Great essay!
This resonates a lot. We’re in the middle of our 2026 planning right now, and everyone thought we were crystal clear on priorities because we’d talked about them so much.
The moment we actually wrote them down and forced a 1-to-N ranking, it exposed how much disagreement there really was about what mattered most. Conversation gave us the illusion of alignment - writing is forcing the team to make real decisions!
Glad to hear your team is on the way to more clarity, Kim!
Deb - what I love about your posts is the practicality of the advice. A lot of these concepts may seem obvious - but they are hard to follow. And you sharing them with example so super helpful in bringing them to the top of mind. Thank you!
This is not only SO GOOD, but so resonant as our team is in the thick of 2026 planning. Thank you for this Deb! Sending this to our team so we learn from you and take the time to declare the hard nos!
Annual planning is totally the time when we get the most messy "yeses". Extreme clarity is critical to give your team clarity.
So simple, but so important! Writing doesn’t just clarify thinking - it forces commitment. Ambiguity can survive conversation because everyone fills in the gaps differently. The page removes those gaps. That’s why clarity feels uncomfortable up front and expensive when avoided.
Love this. I’ve been thinking about clarity and I’ve realized that while I have it, it’s been hard to get that from others. A mantra I’m trying to get into walking into 2026!