The core of a Roles and Responsibilities Workshop is straightforward. Participants create a self-reported log of their practical responsibilities (daily, weekly, quarterly, and yearly) and compare that to their role’s job description or contract. We highlight the tasks they do that aren’t in their job description as well as the tasks in their job description that may be getting overlooked.
From there we have an open and honest conversation regarding the tasks in question, the wants and needs of the individuals and the organization, and the long-term goals of all involved.
There is a great amount of flexibility once the conversation gets going. Some teams will find that job descriptions need to be updated to reflect the work actually being done. This clears up expectations and increases the effectiveness of evaluations.
Other teams will identify entire roles that are going unstaffed because everyone is picking up the slack. A heartwarming indicator of a dedicated team but also a red flag that the organizational structure is broken and burnout is on its way.
Some may even find that the “and other duties as assigned” clause has been taken advantage of and some adjustments to leadership styles are in order.
It’s a simple exercise that opens up lines of communication, clears up expectations, increases the efficiency of the organization, gives space to recognize and address inequity, and if done regularly ensures that the organization is adapting to changes from inside and outside the organization.
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