The Leader Lab. Tania Luna

and clarify. For example:

      “This quarter our priority will be improving our customer service response time …. To Deblur what I mean by “improving” – the goal is to cut our response time in half, from an average wait time of 10 minutes to an average wait time of 5 minutes by the end of this quarter.”

      Practice Station

      Right now, describe someone you enjoy working with. What makes them a great coworker? Jot down your description below, underline each blur word you used, then convert them to specific language.

      To hone the Deblurring BU faster, check back in with Mia's adventures in making her first hire:

Version 1

Mia:	So what did you both think of Kofi?
Luca:	I like that he brings a different professional background, but he wasn't a culture fit.
Mia:	Oh, really? What did you think, Liv?
Olivia:	Yeah, I agree. He was nice, but I think we need someone quicker on their feet.
Luca:	Right. He was friendly, but I also got the sense that he wasn't that interested in the job.
Mia:	Okay. Let's move onto the next candidate, I guess.

       When the debrief ends, Mia is left with a nagging sense that they may be overlooking a terrific candidate. She remembers the team saying something about him not being a good “culture fit” and realizes she made an assumption about what that meant. So, Mia takes a deep breath and uses her Do-Over Button to go back in time and Deblur:

      Version 2: Do-Over

Mia:	So what did you both think of Kofi?
Luca:	I like that he brings a different professional background, but he wasn't a culture fit.
Mia:	Hmm. Can you share what you mean by “culture fit”?
Luca:	He had low energy. To be honest, I couldn't even tell if he wanted the job.
Mia:	Okay, so it sounds like two things: energy and interest. Is that right?
Luca:	Yeah, I think so. Well … I guess I felt like he wasn't all that interested because of his energy. That's probably me jumping to a conclusion.
Olivia:	I agree about his energy, though. He was just so mellow.
Mia:	Was it his talking speed?
Olivia:	A little bit. But he also took these long pauses before answering each question.
Mia:	Got it. So he speaks slower than we do and pauses longer. What do you see as the negative impact of that?
Luca:	Well, it makes me wonder about his sense of urgency.
Mia:	I think I know what you mean by “sense of urgency,” but can you clarify so we're definitely talking about the same thing?
Luca:	Things like responding to problems quickly, meeting tight deadlines.
Mia:	Was there anything else from his interview that gave you the impression he doesn't have that sense of urgency?
Luca:	Well, no. Actually, he has a really impressive track record of getting things done. I don't know. Maybe it's just a cultural difference. We all grew up in New York City. He didn't.
Mia:	Yeah. And on the flip side, I wonder if either of you can see a benefit to that difference?
Olivia:	Well, yeah. Actually, it might be nice to have someone who makes us slow down and think things through before making a decision. We can go a little too fast sometimes.

       This do-over conversation wraps up with a different conclusion. After Deblurring several other concerns as well as their positive reactions, the entire team agrees that Kofi is the right choice. What's more, they are all more confident in their decision because they took the time to Deblur and understand one another's perspectives. Mia can now make her very first job offer.

      Later that day, Mia has another opportunity to practice her Deblurring BU when Luca vents to her about his career frustrations. Listen in and try to spot the blur words:

      Version 1

Luca:	It's just frustrating. I'm not growing in my career anymore.
Mia:	Oof. That's not a good feeling.
Luca:	I'm not trying to make you feel bad about the manager thing.
Mia:	No, no. It's okay. This isn't about me. Is being a manager still one of your career goals?
Luca: