Testimonials
As a writer, found the chapter on Facts vs Stories particularly relevant. "...the Facts vs Stories polarity highlights the difference between something that is observed and that which is interpreted."
"Scientists have to know the difference between the data they are observing and the conclusions they are drawing from those observations, right? If they aren't clear on this, we question the validity of their research, their claims, their findings."
"...when we rely entirely on our Stories, we make mistakes. We lose the ability to interact with the world as it actually is, so we create chaos, cloud our decision-making process, or miss out on important opportunities."
"If you want better results, you need to have a solid grip on the Facts of a situation, and you need to be aware of where you are making assumptions--which of your Stories are you erroneously calling facts?"
The chapter goes into greater depth with case studies of leaders learning to differentiate between facts and stories and how it helped them make better decisions with clarity.
Other chapters in the book help leaders use that clarity to have creative conversations with other leaders, employees, and relationships.
"When I say 'conversations' I don't mean small talk. I mean the kinds of conversations that are responsible for everything we have, or don't have."
I think you'll find the information author Brit Poulson shares in this book to be generous and helpful. No doubt his workshops and counsel are even more so.
Breezy P.
The Clarity Compass is in one sense a conventional leadership and relational improvement
But I urge you to take time when you read this book not just to scratch the surface and go as deep as you’re comfortable going – or just a bit beyond that if you can stomach it. For me, fundamentally, the Clarity Compass has increased my awareness of, well, my lack of awareness. That is, it has helped me discover more about my own motivations for behaving certain ways; both my reactive/bad behaviors and the ones that are most of the time constructive and positive. It has increased my sensitivity to how much I assume versus actually know about someone else’s reasons to behave the way they are – in what they say, how they act and react. It gives tools and suggestions on how to check these assumptions in positive and constructive ways.
One of my favorite lines in the book is: “Like the fish having a difficult time being aware of the water its swimming in, we are so immersed in our Reality Maps that we barely realize we are existing and acting within them.” As I continue using the Clarity Compass, the fun and sometimes uncomfortable process of learning about my own “reality map” and then acknowledging how little I know of others’ maps has opened up the opportunity for new, creative conversations in a way that often wasn’t possible.
Seth J.
I've read a lot of books about success and happiness and becoming a better person and what I've noticed in many is that most of them share a common flaw: they "attempt to steal first base" by inadvertently skipping over what may the most important (and difficult) aspect of personal development: discovering and acknowledging the ways in which each of us is seeing ourselves, others, and the world through flawed lenses.
That is not the case with The Clarity Compass, which bravely starts in the deep end of personal development by adeptly guiding readers through a powerful self-examination of the ways in which we are NOT seeing clearly, so that we might then start to find greater clarity in our lives, relationships, and careers. Dr. Poulson uses his own life, client case studies, and a deeply studied perspective on the human experience to "de-code" the often mysterious and difficult to perceive dynamics of personal change.
Joel P.
There is a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Well clarity eats culture and strategy for lunch. The less clear a leader is, the more subordinates who will defer to his or her authority will, smile and politely nod from the neck up, and then go back to what they were previously doing.
When in doubt, don't put your neck out. The Clarity Compass is a game changer in that it helps leaders and managers provide the clarity that results in subordinates voting (and implementing) with their feet, because they have more clarity of where a company is going, why it's going there, and where and why now. More importantly people know what they specifically need to do to align their actions with that clarity. Go out and buy Clarity Compass today. It's YOUR true North for success.