Content created by Ali Uren Founder of Kiikstart
We are doing business in changing and often complex times so why do we need to review job roles often as part of impactful transformation and change?
The reasons are numerous but let’s highlight some of the key reasons why Kiikstart always reviews job roles as part of any transformation and change project:
- The world is changing and what was relevant and impactful in terms of roles, even 6 months ago, is not necessarily going to be now.
- As missions, goals and direction evolves, so too must its business model and the roles expected to deliver that model.
- Employee values, behaviours and skill set is evolving which means to attract great talent ,roles in terms of what and how must also change to reflect this.
- We are facing gaps, threats and risks that mean we cannot deliver job roles in the same way. There will be gaps, threats and risks we don’t even know yet exist.
- Society and people are different which means client behaviour and action is not the same as it was 12 months ago. How they want to engage is no longer the same.
- Technology use in terms of clients is no longer the same therefore the knowledge and skill sets of staff must also change with it to keep pace and exceed expectations.
From looking at this list it becomes clear that the job role is not a document that you refer to once a year as part of an performance management exercise.
It is an essential workforce resource when designed differently, and in consultation with employees, that will bring a whole new level of growth, engagement and impact. Both financially and from a human perspective.
WHY REVIEW JOB ROLES OFTEN?
How often do you jump straight into defining your strategic vision for a transformation and change project without looking at how the team is expected to deliver sustainable outcomes and impact in their current roles?
This is one of many reasons why traditional strategic planning processes do not work.
It doesn’t take into consideration how people are expected to deliver outcomes and what the gaps, threats and risks are in terms of workforce capacity and change and project delivery capability.
These reflective questions will allow you to:
- assess how relevant your current role/s are to your future transformation and change plans.
- identify real and potential skill gaps, threats and risks both at employee and business level.
- where you need to make change to get different transformation and change outcomes and impact organization wide.
Our 12 questions below make sure we co- design roles that deliver on the future vision/plans of the business with some of these questions being for the employer and some for the employee.
Everything we do in terms of role design must deliver outcomes and impact that are great for the employee, the client and the business’s bottom line. As well as the community.
Note these questions are asked from employer to employee and help design what a new role can look like as part of a broader transformation and change project. There is time for the employer to also self reflect on their own seven questions with an expectation they would share these insights with the employee.
This process is important to opening up real, honest and insightful dialogue between employer and employee in times of transformation, especially in the early design stages of a project.
It’s important that as the employer you are very clear on the following areas up front to be able to build a high degree of trust before asking these questions.
- what your motives are in asking these questions as part of the broader project plan – to create a sense of trust
- how you plan to use the ideas, insights and opinions provided by the employee to make a positive difference as part of the wider transformation and change plan
- the benefits to the employee of undertaking this work together
7 QUESTIONS THE EMPLOYER NEEDS TO SELF REFLECT ON
- What is most relevant and valuable in terms of current roles as it relates to your transformation and change project plan?
- What different metrics/outcomes needs to be added to roles to support the future vision of the business from a transformation and change perspective?
- What must be re-designed in how roles are delivered? Think about the style and manner of implementation not just what is delivered in roles.Do current role/s add to operational waste? If so in what way?
- If you answered yes to question 4 what would need to be different to remove or reduce waste in team roles?
- Think about your mission and how transformation and change is connected to this. How do internal roles need to engage/interact differently to deliver on this?
- Are there elements of certain job roles that act as a roadblock to meeting your transformation and change mission? What would you do different?
Now time to flip it in the direction on the employee.
5 QUESTIONS THE EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO ASK THEMSELVES
- What is most valuable to them about their current role in terms of focus and delivery?
- What different outcomes and impacts needs to be added their role to support the future vision/purpose of the business from a transformation and change perspective?
- Thinking about changes over the past 12 months, what if anything needs to be re-designed in what and how the role is delivered as part of a broader transformation and change project?
- Is there any waste in their role – if so, how could we address this?
- Thinking about changes in the last 12 months is there anything to remove from the role as it adds no benefit to transformation and change? Both at an individual and organization level.
Creating relevant and meaningful roles that can move with the transformation and change outcomes of an organization is an essential – not just a good to have. The days of set and forget is over.
If you are ready to build the talent and confidence in creating roles that build employees and bottom lines at the same time, please reach out at www.kiikstart.com/contact or linkedin.com/company/kiikstart
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