Clarify to Collaborate Better
- Mélanie Gatt, ACC
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
Get Clear to Collaborate Better: 3 Keys to Avoid Misunderstandings at Work
Have you ever given a task, thinking you were super clear… only to realize later that it wasn’t understood the way you intended?
Good news: these misunderstandings can be avoided with just a few adjustments. In this post, you’ll discover three practical strategies to clarify expectations and improve collaboration at work. Bonus: it’ll boost your team’s vibe too!
1. Why clear expectations matter
Vague expectations are the perfect recipe for:
Frustrating misunderstandings
Gradual disengagement
Inconsistent performance
On the other hand, clear expectations brings: smoother coordination
When everyone understands their role in a project:
Fewer overlaps or forgotten tasks
Better individual planning
Natural, efficient collaboration
Example: launching a new service
Who’s writing the content? Who approves it? Who publishes it and by when? Answering these questions up front prevents a lot of confusion.
Stronger ownership
When you know exactly what’s expected:
You take more initiative, without overstepping
You feel capable and confident in your role
You work with more autonomy, without needing to be micromanaged or to micromanage others
Example:
❌ “You’re responsible for onboarding new hires.”
✅ “You’ll plan the first day, organize a team lunch, and hand out IT access.”
A safer team climate
Clear expectations reduce anxiety by:
Cutting ambiguity
Creating space to ask smart questions
Lowering fear of “doing it wrong” or “bothering” someone with clarification
Real-life case:
A vague task = no one asks for help, afraid of looking incompetent.
A clear instruction = the person can ask relevant follow-ups: “Got it. What format would you like this in?”
PRAI in action:
Pitfall: Giving vague instructions
Risk: Low motivation, disappointing results
Advice: Take a few seconds to be specific
Impact: A team moving forward in the same direction—clearly
2. Use the 5 clarity questions
Clarifying isn’t just saying what you want. It’s giving the other person what they need to succeed. Here are 5 clarity questions to include in every request:
Who?
Who’s responsible? Who’s involved?
❌ “Someone should handle the survey.”
✅ “Sophie, could you create and send out the satisfaction survey?”
Result : Sophie knows she’s in charge. Others know how to support her.
What?
What exactly is expected?
❌ “Can you do the client file?”
✅ “I need a one-pager with goals, key results, and recommendations.”
Result : No more guessing or misunderstandings.
When?
What’s the exact due date?
A gorgeous cake arrives Thursday. Too bad the birthday party was Wednesday! Clear deadlines prevent priority mismatches.
How?
Is there a specific method or format?
❌ Word doc
✅ Excel chart with graphs
Even great work can go unused if it’s delivered in the wrong format.
Why?
What’s the purpose behind the task?
❌ Filling out a form, then realizing it wasn’t meant to be sent yet = frustration.
✅ Sharing the why gives context, boosts motivation, and leads to better decisions.
These questions help make the implicit explicit so your message gets understood, not just heard.
3. Check for understanding
Even if you think you were clear, the other person may have understood something completely different.
The transparency illusion
We tend to overestimate how clear we are—because our message makes perfect sense to us. But others don’t have access to our thoughts or intentions. That’s why we need to check for understanding, not assume it.
3 proven ways to do that:
1. Ask open-ended questions
❌ “All good?” → gets a polite yes.
✅ “What are the main takeaways from this task, for you?”
Example: After explaining a new procedure, a manager asks: “If you had to explain this to a new teammate, what would you say?”. That reveals what’s been understood and what hasn’t.
2. Ask for a quick recap
Instead of repeating yourself, ask the other person to summarize what they understood—in their own words.
Example: “Just to be sure we’re on the same page; what are you planning for Thursday?”
A simple check that avoids last-minute surprises.
3. Give feedback along the way
Even if things were clear at the start, things change. Weekly check-ins or progress updates help: catch misunderstandings early, adjust expectations, support without micromanaging.
Example:
A manager starts every Wednesday check-in with: “What’s clear—and what’s still unclear?”
A quick way to realign and reduce stress.
PRAI in action:
Pitfall: Saying too much… or not enough
Risk: The message gets lost or misinterpreted
Advice: Keep it simple: what’s the goal, what’s expected, and by when
Impact: Clear, digestible communication that gets results
Wrap-up: clarity is collaboration
A clear request is one you make on purpose, not just on the fly. The 5 clarity questions are a simple, universal tool. And checking for understanding is the final touch to avoid confusion and build trust.
Try this today: Pick one situation where you can rephrase a request using the 5 clarity questions.
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