Identify your critical moves in advance and share them with your team

Determine where the ambiguity and confusion may be coming from
Let’s say you’re struggling to get employees to file their reports by the due date. Instead of resorting to threats, find out why some employees are unable to submit their reports on time. Is it possible that the report format is too confusing and is causing decision paralysis? Is there ambiguity in the way employees are expected to fill in sections of the report? Observe these employees as they fill in the report to determine where the confusion may be.

Simplify the process of achieving the goal
If the reports are too complicated for some employees, ask the relevant department to simplify them. You can even preload the employees’ names in the report to make it easier to fill in. Do whatever it takes to make it as simple as possible to complete the report.

Create rules that eliminate ambiguity and promote clarity
Instead of telling your team to “Be more creative,” give them specific action steps on how to achieve that goal. For example, tell members of different project teams to meet once a week for a brainstorming session to share ideas.