More Important than a Job Description: “Contract for Success”
Ever since the Industrial Revolution, job descriptions have grown in importance to U.S. companies, to the point where few employment actions can take place without one. A job description must accompany any requisition to add or replace a person on a corporate team. It serves as the foundation for establishing a pay grade, for training and development, for annual performance reviews, and more. But a typical job description only memorializes what the responsibilities of the position are and the minimum knowledge, skill and ability required to be qualified.
This may suffice for most positions in a company but a job description is woefully inadequate for management positions.
Why? Because an executive’s success should be focused on achievement of specific outcomes, not general responsibilities or activities in the typical job description.
Instead, consider a one-page “Contract for Success” with each manager on your team that addresses only the following three things:
- Purpose: State in simple language, and in only a few phrases or sentences, why this position exists in the company–why is it even necessary?
- Results: Write the five or six specific things this manager must accomplish, and within what time frame, for him/her to be considered an “A” player. These goals, when clear, will attract top performers and give average performers pause. By setting the bar high, your average managers who currently work with you will be placed on notice that they must either sharpen their skills with additional training and development or begin exploring other opportunities inside or outside the company.
- Competencies: Each management position requires the incumbent to possess a specific set of talents and leadership qualities. Many companies have adopted a standard list of competencies for their executives and managers to be successful. Start with two, and add any other qualifiers that you believe are essential for this particular manager to achieve the results you expect. Your human resources advisor will be an excellent resource and counselor to you on this.
Once your one-page “contract” is in place, and all parties to it have agreed, the foundation for success has been laid. Think about it: this single document will be used to rate candidates you are interviewing for the position, evaluate their performance once on board, and determine annual bonus awards, chart their training and developmental needs. Most importantly, they will apply this same process to leading their own teams. Everybody wins!
So who needs a job description?
Fred Clayton
Chief Executive Officer,
Head of Finance and Investor Relations Practice
Berkhemer Clayton, Inc.
