Effective People Management - Job Descriptions
How do you recruit the “right” person? How do you choose between candidates for promotion? What should staff be spending their time on? How do we determine which jobs are more “senior” to others (and therefore deserve more pay)?
The simple answer is “Job Descriptions” (JDs). Even in its most basic form, a good JD provides clarity for job holders, their managers, recruiters and HR among others. What is troubling is how few organisations have them.
No organisation is “too small” to have JDs. The instant you have more than one employee, you need clear definitions of “who does what”. In some organisations, employees need to be “multi-tasking”, so make sure that this is stated in the JD (and what the other tasks are).
If you need to recruit a replacement, the JD tells you the qualifications and experience needed. If you need to choose between two candidates for promotion to a higher level, the JD will give a clue of who may be more suited. If the JD includes information on experience, problems solved and ability to commit the organisation, it helps to decide which jobs are “bigger” than others. If someone isn’t performing, are they not following their JD, or was the wrong person put into the wrong role?
At the least they will include:
An “Accountability Objective”: a short sentence explaining what vital function the job performs (what would not get done if this role didn’t exist?)
“Principal Accountabilities And Responsibilities”: the areas in which the job holder is expected to produce results (and percentage of time devoted to each).
“Know-How And Experience Requirements”: formal education, professional qualifications and type of professional experience required to perform “competently” (but not as an expert).
“Problem-Solving Requirements”: problems faced, how frequently and how they are solved.
“Accountability”: limits of authority or ability to commit the organisation.
JDs are the organisation’s “Swiss Army Knives”, providing a range of vital support. Don’t forget though, they describe the job, not the job holder.
I have spent more than half my life working in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy and work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.Labels: Career, Strategy, Teamwork
Improving Performance - Effective Feedback (3)
I have posted two articles on performance improvement through effective feedback. To recap, effective feedback is:
• Specific and justified;
• Timely;
• Acceptable (to the listener);
• Balanced.
My first post covered the first two criteria; the second looked at the last two and I promised that I would also look at planning and follow up.
Planning feedback sessions and follow-up are as important as the sessions themselves. Schedule the right time and place. If it’s going to be a tough session, allow more time and make sure you won’t be disturbed. If the recipient needs more support, make sure that you schedule time to provide it.
Allow the person to whom you’re giving feedback a chance to digest it and to respond. Different people react in different ways; some argue, some meekly accept, some need to go away and think about it and maybe come back for more explanation. Don’t treat the feedback session as “over” until the recipient says it is. If they need more time and you have another appointment, fix the next available time to continue. The advantage of this is that the “time out” allows you both to refocus – particularly important if it has been a “fraught” session!
Following up means just that. If you have agreed or set a goal, make sure it is achieved and
create the conditions for success. By this, I mean make sure that the person involved has the support that they need and chat with them to ensure that are "on course". Too many managers simply set the target and don't check to ensure that their staff remain on track, resulting in disappointment all round when things don't go according to plan. Schedule meetings or observe and give “on the spot” feedback where appropriate and practical.
I have spent more than half my life working in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy and work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.Labels: Career, Customer Care, Teamwork
Improving Performance - Effective Feedback (2)
I recently posted an article on feedback and stated that it had to be:
• Specific and justified;
• Timely;
• Acceptable (to the recipient);
• Balanced.
My previous post covered the first two criteria; this will concentrate on the last two. A final post will look at planning and follow up.
“Acceptable” is an area which doesn’t receive much attention as many believe that it is enough that the feedback is “justified” (see above) and “timely” (see below). However, if your object is to improve performance, you need to give feedback on poor performance in a manner acceptable to the recipient. This involves the choice of words and “personalisation” of the issue. Instead of saying “you” did this, try using “that behaviour isn’t/wasn’t appropriate/acceptable”, or “How do you think that went?” The recipient is more likely to listen, accept and change poor behaviour if it is de-personalised or they are given the chance to comment first. Of course, there are those who won’t see the point, whatever the circumstances. However, you may be able to increase the acceptability of negative comments by making sure that your feedback is balanced.
“Balanced” feedback looks at the positive as well as the negative. Too often, when asked for “comments”, many tend to focus mostly on the negative, albeit with the best of intentions. Whilst this may drive improvement, it also drives resentment and may lead people not to approach you at all. Find positive examples to feed back as well. It is unlikely that anyone is entirely “bad” or entirely “good”. Many feedback processes demand that one finds something to comment on. Get the recipient to say where they feel they could change – they’re often more self-critical that anyone if they trust you.
A friend of mine worked for a manager whose “negative” focus often coincided with whether he liked the person or not (so I was told). The result was that any negative feedback to those whom he disliked (or was perceived to dislike) was automatically discounted by recipients, witnesses (if any) and senior management. Result: little improvement in performance unless there were other “negative repercussions”. The manager became more stressed and eventually retired.
I have spent more than half my life working in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy and work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.Labels: Career, Customer Care, Teamwork
