Table of Contents

• Hello, October!

• Where You’ll Find Me

• What AI Taught Me About Communicating with Humans

  • When we skip clarity, we build chaos.

  • A simple, human version of SPECS for leaders:

• A Reading and 1% Solution

• Resources

• 1% Solutions

• What I’m Reading/Listening

Hello, October!

I’m not sure why I am still surprised with how busy October can get- events, fundraisers, conferences, off sites and facilitations. I find myself disconnecting on the weekends in order to rest up for the weeks ahead.

If you’re in schools, it’s also a time that morale tends to dip. If you work in that world, it’s a good time to have general check-ins with folks, see what resources they need, and monitor key indicators like absences. Throughout October through Thanksgiving, I’ve often found that this is the time that cracks in your culture will begin to emerge (I do see some of this is non-educational spaces, but it tends to happen like clockwork in schools).

Also, a quick note- I have been really thinking about my newsletters and their purpose. The fact is that social media algorithms are consistently changing and unpredictable. I also made a promise to myself that I will not automatically add anyone to my list without their consent. So growth is slower but i think more meaningful. But I do want to give a little something extra to the folks that have subscribed (thank you!) Moving forward, the full list of resources, 1% solutions and things I’m reading will only be visible to subscribers (it’s free!) So if you are new here, subscribe and get to see everything I’ve put together.

Where You’ll Find Me

• Leaders are often unclear with their teams when they haven’t taken the time to be clear with themselves. Enrollment for my cohort Lead WIth Clarity is open, and we start October 29th. Registration is here. Prices increase after this week. There are three pay-what-you-can scholarships available for self funding leaders- just email me to find out more.

• Too often, feedback sounds like a judgment of who someone is. This erodes trust, reinforces bias and leaves no path to improve. On October 23rd, I’m leading a free webinar on how to spot and avoid personality driven feedback— and what to say instead. Sign up here.

• On November 4, I’m joining a panel on AI in Coaching. This is a practical, hands-on session for talent leaders. You can learn more and sign up here.

• I’ve begun to speak with a few folks interested in my 1:1 90 Day Executive Onboarding Coaching- either CEOs looking to set their new executives up for success (and just don’t have the bandwidth) or executives stepping into a new role. It’s like having your own advisor to create your strategic plan to success. If that sounds interesting, let’s talk- let’s find time or email me directly. I have two spots available starting in December.

What AI Taught Me About Communicating with Humans

I’ve been taking an AI course on Coursera lately (yes, I’m a proud nerd). In one session, the instructor introduced a framework called SPECS — a structured way to write prompts so AI actually gives you something useful.

It goes like this:

• S: Name the specific situation — what’s the context or background?

• P: State the purpose and problem you’re trying to solve.

• E: Define the expected output — what you actually want back.

• C: Share the critical information or constraints — facts, tone, priorities, or timeline.

• S: Set the scope boundaries — what’s in, what’s out, and what “done” looks like.

And I began to think: what if we communicated with people the way we’re being trained to communicate with AI?

Because let’s be honest — most of the chaos at work doesn’t come from incompetence. It comes from misalignment. People are running, but not always in the same direction.
Leaders are assuming context that others don’t have. And entire teams are quietly operating with different mental pictures of what success looks like.

Imagine if, before launching an initiative or assigning a project, we took a page from the AI playbook and front-loaded clarity instead of cleaning up confusion later.

When we skip clarity, we build chaos.

Think about your last “quick Slack request” that turned into a week-long back-and-forth.
Or the project kickoff that everyone thought they understood — until the first deliverable landed.

We tell ourselves we’re saving time by jumping straight into execution. But skipping context almost always costs more on the back end: rework, frustration, and sometimes relationships.

And let’s name it: some of the generational tension we see in workplaces stems from this too.
Younger employees may crave more context before diving in. Senior leaders may expect initiative and speed.
But often, it’s not about motivation — it’s about mismatched assumptions.

Front-loading isn’t hand-holding. It’s leadership.

A simple, human version of SPECS for leaders:

1. Start with the situation.
   Name what’s happening and why. “We’re preparing for a funding proposal due next month,” or “Our customer response times have slipped, and we need to tighten them.” Context grounds people in reality.

2. Clarify the purpose and problem.
   What are we solving for? What matters most right now? Purpose focuses energy.

3. Define the output.
   Be explicit: “A one-page summary,” “Three draft slides,” or “An updated process doc.” Specificity prevents mismatched expectations.

4. Share what’s critical.
   Don’t make people guess your priorities or timeline. The more information you share up front, the fewer pivots you’ll need later.

5. Set the boundaries.
   What’s in scope, what’s not, and what success looks like at this stage. Clarity is kindness.

We often treat clarity like it’s extra credit — something we’ll get to once we “have time.”
But clarity creates time. It protects relationships, reduces rework, and helps people show up confident in what’s expected.

So, before you roll out your next project, take 60 seconds to run through your own version of SPECS. Because the fastest way to move work forward… is to slow down long enough to get clear first.

Reflection for the week:
Where could a little more front-loading save your team time, energy, or tension right now?

A Reading and 1% Solution

• Reading: How Executives Can Fast Track Their First 90 Days- Save this Fast Company article either for when you enter a new role or when you are onboarding a new executive.

• 1% Solution- In line with my mention on morale, add this question to your check-ins (and tell you managers to do so as well): “What’s one thing that would make your job easier this week?” (for more, be sure to subscribe!)