Overview

In the first TBG dynamic position description article, we provided an overview of why they are so important and how TBG’s approach creates significantly more utility and value than the typical position description. In this article, we take a high-level look at the essential elements of a dynamic position description:

• Standard Demographic Information
• Success/Outcome Measures
• Role Descriptions
• Authority
• Critical Contacts
• Competency Descriptions
• Leadership Styles
• Derailers/Failure Factors

Standard Demographic Information

There are few surprises here, with the common variables described including: position title, type position, creation/modification date, performance review date, supervisor, direct reports, minimum qualifications, physical requirements, level of supervision required, overall position purpose, etc.

Success/Outcome Measures

The second core element is concrete outcome measures. If the position is sales, a typical measure is number of sales, and if the position is educator, a typical measure is percentage growth in student math scores. In a position description, it is typical to only list the types of measures and not how they are defined in terms of time, quality, and quantity. Assignment of performance qualifiers and timeframes is usually done in conversation between the job incumbent and his/her supervisor.

Role Descriptions

The third core element is role descriptions. In the typical position description, there is a laundry list of tasks, duties, responsibilities, and skills which can quite confusing and overwhelming. In the dynamic position description, these are captured in the most essential roles (usually no more than 5-7) that must be performed at a high level. These are often viewed as the key “hats” the job incumbent must put on at the right time to generate the performance outcomes desired. There are a number of hats the incumbent may need to wear, which will differ by job categories. For someone in a supervisory/managerial position some of the common roles/hats are: leader, negotiator, evaluator, planner, etc. A role can be viewed as a mini position description that is defined by its related major tasks – an example is provided below.

Authority

One piece of information a job incumbent is required, is the authority of the position.  The dynamic description provides a clear explanation of what the decision making authority of the position is, i.e., what the incumbent has the final word on.   This is often described within the context of the key roles the incumbent must demonstrate.

Critical Contacts

The best way to capture critical contact information is to identify those people/position relationships the incumbent must manage very well when wearing each key hat/role.

Competency Descriptions

Competencies are the knowledge, skills, talents, and dispositions required to execute the roles at a high level – an example is provided below.  The letter in parentheses reflects the level of effort required to enhance or acquire the competency, e.g., H (High), M (Moderate), L (Low). Further information on competency trainability is coming in a future article!

As noted, competencies are selected to support the execution of roles at a high level.  If you look at the role example above of “Community Builder,” you can see that the competency of “Political Savvy” is definitely one of a number of competencies that support Community Builder role demonstration.

Leadership Styles

Leadership styles are constellations of competencies and skills that must be demonstrated when required to meet situational demands.  Extensive TBG research and practice show there are four functional styles: Captain, Influencer, Coach, and Convener, and four dysfunctional styles: Hammer, Cowboy, Loner, and Friend.  Having functional style specifications in the dynamic position description are an important element in any description where supervisor or leader is one of the roles.  An example of one of the functional styles is as follows:

Derailers/Failure Factors

In some cases, it is important to identify, based on historical evidence, what factors will guarantee failure in the position.  It is sometimes the case that someone displays sufficient role, competency, and leadership style proficiency to be considered a fit for a job when being hired.  However, all it takes is one derailer/failure factor to negate all the positives and result in poor job fit.  On occasion, one or more of the dysfunctional leadership styles is identified as a derailer. A common derailer example from the education sector is:

When all the elements described above are presented in a clear and concise fashion in a position description, better hires are made and job incumbent productivity  and satisfaction improve.  In our next article, we address the relationship of these elements when considering performance management of an individual in a specific position.  We also provide a deeper look at types of position roles.