"The Clarity Papers is truly a ‘guide to clear thinking’ – such a valuable read. One of those books you want to carry with you daily because there is an answer on how to approach any challenge and a lesson to be learned from every venture. Everything you can do to establish clarity in your personal and professional life, and even for those around you. Have to mention how excited I am that Ann’s new book is coming out soon." 

Kellie Britts

Netherlands

"Take it from this CEO: A must-read!

"If you’re looking for a book that will truly help guide your organization to achieve results, you’ve found it. I’m in my 60’s, have operated and led a mid-sized, family-owned business-to-institutional (B to I) customer distribution company for over 30 years, and if there’s any book I wish I could have read 30 years ago (and I’ve read many over all those years), it is Ann Latham’s The Clarity Papers. I was perhaps only a dozen or so pages into reading it when I realized I had something completely new and different in my hands, something refreshing, stimulating and inspiring. Latham pulls up the shades, lets the light in, and allows one to see all the ways so many organizations go astray or make their paths so much harder than necessary to accomplish what they and their people want. For a 'business book,' it’s a real page-turner, chockfull of fresh insights, examples of missteps in which most people will recognize themselves, and guideposts to embrace and follow for better outcomes. It is loaded with specific advice and tools for improving productivity, decision making, confidence, strategic alignment, and more.

"True to form, Latham’s writing is crystal clear, concise, easy to grasp. Still, I found, and expect most will as well, that I wanted to go back and read it through again to ensure I was fully absorbing the lessons I learned. Upon finishing, I bought copies for all our managers and asked them to write down a few things that they found particularly helpful and actionable, which we then discussed. To a person, everyone’s eyes and minds were opened wide. They saw themselves and their colleagues and recognized how our company’s challenges could be better tackled by applying Latham’s clarity principles. Her words immediately became part of the discourse and vernacular in our office, and some wished they could put Latham on their speed dial! It’s an exciting moment for our company, and we’re committed to bringing the book alive in our organization. Time will tell what we can achieve, but in no time at all, we can already see a difference.

"To Ann Latham, we offer our heartfelt gratitude. Thank you!"

George Carmel

Amazon Reviewer, New York

"Actionable advice, well organised, dip in and out-able, with game-changing ideas!

"A great resource for managers, leaders and individuals. I particularly love the Choose, Start, Focus, Finish model.

"Latham’s Treadmill Verbs has changed the way I look at all my communication – I can’t go back to my old sloppily communicated meeting agendas nor emails. I am clear that all my communications – with clients, or staff – must have a destination. Just this one mindset change has massively impacted my business."

Debs Jenkins

Amazon Reviewer, Spain

"I have had my copy for about a week and it already has several dog-ears. In fact, I have quoted some of it in meetings and conversations. Ann has written a clear and concise primer for achieving clarity in the workplace and I am thankful that she has."

Dierk Benecke

Amazon Reviewer, California

"Cut to the chase with The Clarity Papers!

"Every executive or business owner should get this book. Ann Latham has put together a great collection of essential focus points for creating a great strategy. Too often business owners get distracted and overwhelmed by activity. Ann helps guide the reader to strategically focused actions with key focus questions and advice that is incisive and reduces distractions.

"As Ann says 'A strong strategy can put you on the moon—planning will get you across town.' Her no-nonsense approach is refreshing and easy to read. The Clarity Papers is a practical guide that you can start using immediately for your next strategy sessions. She offers support with her website and videos that round out the whole learning experience.
I loved it. Read it and share it with your team."

Catherine Norton PhD

Norton Consulting Group, Australia

"Congratulations Ann Latham! The Clarity Papers is a must read for its game-changing approaches to common dysfunction."

Patricia Duarte

Amazon Reviewer, Boston

"If you only read one book to help you get unstuck, The Clarity Papers is it!

"If you are like me, a voracious consumer of materials on how to make your organization and team better, in addition to all of the books and blog posts you actually read, you probably have stacks of unread or half-read books and hundreds of flagged articles to ‘go back and review when I have time’. I have great news! The Clarity Papers is literally THE ONLY BOOK YOU NEED TO PICK UP RIGHT NOW! It will change the course of your organization. It will help YOU be the leader you need to be to get your team unstuck. So stop reading reviews and start reading this incredibly clear and insightful book:)"

Alexandre151Q

Amazon Reviewer, Germany

"Ann Latham’s work is like a laser beam for the brain. She helps the reader, and her clients, avoid the multiple traps that muddy the waters, waste time and lead to poor decisions. Her concept of treadmill verbs is brilliant because anyone can see how often we use them and the tremendous cost of doing so. Leaders who settle for vague language full of stock phrases and bromides can expect lackluster results. Before a leader rushes to communicate, they should read Ann’s book."

Constance Dierickx, PhD

The Decision Doctor, Author, Amazon Reviewer, Georgia

"Compelling, immediately useful – this book holds the key to simplifying complex situations, eliciting clear ideas from your team, and reaching consensus around smart decisions."

Ezio Basso

Managing Director, Prima Industrie S.p.A., Italy

"Like the Physician’s Desk Reference – except for executives… or those wanting to become executives. Read it for insight (like creating a high-performance culture) or scan it and keep at your fingertips for when you’re stuck (like gaining alignment on a messy decision). It’s part inspiration, part insight, part handbook, and completely usable every day."

Jane Lansing

VP Marketing, Emerson Automation Solutions, Minneapolis

"I wish reading The Clarity Papers was a pre-requisite to becoming a “boss”!

"Don’t be fooled by a simple cover. This book is full of clear, concise advice on how to approach any (business) problem and task. It won’t explain the meaning of EBITDA or other intimidating terms, instead, it will teach you to ask the right questions, show what really needs attention, and in general lead you to clarity.

"It’s a business book, but I use Ann’s advice in my daily life, regardless of the context. It’s the mindset of clarity.

"Thank you, Ann!"

Tina

Amazon Reviewer, Switzerland

"Fearlessly undermines conventional wisdom to show you how to make better decisions, motivate your people, and find your way in competitive markets."

Perry Walraven

CEO and President, PCI, a subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Philadelphia

"Ann Latham is one of the clearest writers you’ll find on practical problem-solving, decision-making and planning to get better results more quickly. I’ve been reading Ann’s column on Forbes for years and it’s great to see her thinking systematised in a convenient handbook. If you’ve got a management issue that’s slowing you down, you’ll quickly find usable answers here.

"One of Ann’s most powerful ideas is that lean thinking, while it has be applied so powerfully to physical process improvement, is almost totally neglected when it comes to thinking and communication.

"Her discussion of what she calls Treadmill verbs – if taken to heart – is particularly useful. Treadmill verbs are words such as discuss, report, communicate, and review – words that describe processes without a clear end point. They lead to a lot of wasted time. A simple example: If you are invited to a meeting to ‘discuss’ something, how will you know when you are done? We’ve all had our time wasted sitting in such meetings – no-one knew when they were finished so they just kept yapping until the hour was up. If, in contrast, you call a meeting to ‘decide’ something (‘decide’ is what Ann terms a destination verb) then you can tell when the work is done and whether the meeting actually led to progress.
This sort of simple but neglected distinction make a big difference, and Ann’s clear guide is a great investment for leaders at all levels."

Andy Bass, PhD

Amazon Reviewer, UK

"Great guidance to everyday activities as a manager. From planning, meetings, issue handling to… Clarity!"

Emil Skrzyniarz

Amazon Reviewer, Poland

"If you want to learn how to improve the effectiveness and productivity of your organization or team, Ann Latham lays out the answers you’ll need in The Clarity Papers. The book’s actionable strategies for bringing clarity to a company’s purpose, processes and roles provide a no-nonsense platform that will help executives and employees better connect to strategy and focus on generating tangible outcomes."

Steve Sienkiewicz

Amazon Reviewer, Maryland

"The Clarity Papers is an incredible source of value for anyone running a business. It provides clear and ultra practical methods and tools to help anyone understand situations better and be better prepared. It’s one of the very few books that I’ll read multiple times to really benefit from all of Ann’s valuable experiences. I even recommended everyone in my company to read it!"

Kim Hansen

Amazon Reviewer, Australia

"This book is a gift to executives who understand—or want to understand—the value of having clarity in their business lives. Ann Latham shows us how to apply clarity in 10 important business areas, providing straightforward and actionable advice each step of the way. The Clarity Papers is a blueprint not only for competitive differentiation, but broader business success. Very highly recommended!"

Dorie Clark

Amazon Reviewer, NYC

"Clarity – of purpose, of role and of process – is a vital ingredient of success. But it isn’t the natural state; there’s a constant entropic drift to confusion, diffusion and dilution. Maintaining clarity is a constant battle, and what this book offers is an invaluable set of checklists and principles to refer to often to enable you to do just that."

Alastair Dryburgh

Amazon Reviewer, UK

"Latham’s The Clarity Papers is a Bible for leaders. There is an astounding amount of wisdom packed between the covers, and every reading teaches a new lesson. My copy of the book was quickly dog-eared with sections to share and review. One way to use Latham’s text is to randomly choose a page each morning and read two paragraphs: I promise it will be inspirational. Of all the leadership books on our shelves, this is one you will keep and reference for years."

John Bidwell

Amazon Reviewer, Massachusetts

"Ann Latham’s The Clarity Papers has immediate impact and provides much-needed insight to executive-level thinking so necessary at all organizational levels of every company size! Still keep her “Treadmill Verbs” on a sticky note by my computer to guide ALL my meeting agendas. Hour-long meetings reduced to ten to fifteen minutes with greater impact and clear, actionable outcomes. While that lesson alone is a phenomenal return-on-investment, constantly re-read and shared the insights from her book not only with my fellow c-suite team but with everyone in our company because the lessons apply to all. It is a portable consultant – well worn with tattered corners!"

Richard H. Klodnicki, Ph.D.

Amazon Reviewer, Colorado