Job Descriptions & Accountability
I know that from time to time, I tend to go wandering off to my "Business School 101" soapbox and rant about things, and guess what? This is one of those times.
While there is a time in startups that requires people to wear a number of hats, as an organization grows it's important to have job descriptions not because "delegation is what people in power do" but because there's a number of really good reasons to create divisions of labor.
Good job descriptions create clear lines of communication & accountability. Dismiss them at your own risk.
While there is a time in startups that requires people to wear a number of hats, as an organization grows it's important to have job descriptions not because "delegation is what people in power do" but because there's a number of really good reasons to create divisions of labor.
- Because different people have different skill sets. Ideally a job position matches their strongest and most developed skill sets with an appropriate job function.
- Because an accurate job description allows you to locate and find the best candidate for a given function.
- Because a job description gives both the employer and the employee a common starting point for measuring how well that person is doing in that position.
- When everyone is responsible for everything, no one is responsible for anything.
The business critical path of communication - the answer to "who do I talk to in order to get 'x' done?" is non-existent without knowing who is accountable for what.
In the circumstance where there are multiple people responsible for the same part of a project depending upon either the importance of the project or the inability of one person to keep up with it, or the bosses perception of how crucial something is - without a single, clear tone of leadership and delegation, business hobbles along like a kid with a club foot.
Let me say it again, because it's important.
When everyone is responsible for everything, no one is responsible for anything.
Good job descriptions create clear lines of communication & accountability. Dismiss them at your own risk.
Labels: job descriptions business administration leadership accountability
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