Role clarity improves well-being, job descriptions don't

Listen directly to the podcast version of this post here.

One of the actions I recommended in last weeks podcast about co-promises was to review your position descriptions and change them to role clarity statements.

Role clarity improves well-being, job descriptions don't

The problem I see with most job descriptions is that they list tasks and say very little about relationships or value delivery which are what every role in your workplace must be about. And often down the bottom of the form are the words "and anything else as directed."

Dispense with job descriptions and watch your people soar.

Every person in your workplace has a role to deliver value to other people. Value that they demand, desire, and feel that they deserve.

"Your customer is whoever gets your work next." said the great Japanese management thinker Kaoru Ishikawa.

Recommended Action

With your people document who their customers are (relationships) and what value must be delivered to each person.

I’ve helped 100’s of my clients to dispense with job descriptions and replace them with role clarity statements. Below are the headings we use. In conjunction with Performance Possibility Plans, where personal and workplace goals for the next 90 days and how they will be achieved are documented, role clarity statements enable conversations about performance to be elevated and lead to greater accountability.

Do this work and in the space of a few weeks you can expect greater value being delivered by everyone, meaning happier employees and happier external customers.

What would you and your employees write under these headings?

Workplace or Business Purpose
Role Purpose
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
Key Performance Measures and Key Human Indicators (Lead measures)
Key Relationships of the role and the value that must be delivered to each person
Key outcomes of role (Lag measures)
Required levels of commitment (will) and competency (skill)
Key gifts (talents) required and that need to be enhanced to excel in role and prepare for future roles
Learning and development and career path opportunities

All of the above can be outlined on two sides of an A4 page at the most.

There's some examples and template at the bottom of this page.

People don't have jobs. We have relationships with other people where value delivery is paramount to the enjoyment of the relationships and the success of workplaces.

Do Your Work.

Be remarkable.

Ian