Job description
Everybody has somebody that they report to, no matter how high up on the executive ladder they have climbed. Even the CEO must report to the board of directors. And that reporting structure usually involves periodic formal reviews. Your formal review is a good time to go over your job description, note what is relevant, remove what is irrelevant, and add new elements that have evolved in importance since your last review.
Job descriptions take many forms, but they always include a list of qualifications. If you have the job, you have the qualifications, so that is not likely to change. You may become more qualified for a higher-level position, but that is an entirely different discussion. I like to think of a well-written job description as including short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals are usually the daily stuff that keeps operations running smoothly but garners little attention. Examples would include staying current on your emails, answering your phone, organizing meetings, and regularly attending various committees. Even some of these short-term goals can and will change over time. I always enjoyed quality oversight in my department, but as the department and my responsibilities grew, I realized I couldn’t do everything that I wanted to do. I needed to focus on the things only I could do and delegate those things that could be done by someone else, even though I wanted to continue doing them myself. I created a position for a clinical quality officer, and quality oversight moved off of my job description.
Long-term goals are the aspirational items, such as increasing market share, decreasing readmissions, improving patient satisfaction, and the like. Effective leaders are often focused on these aspirational, long-term goals, but they still must effectively execute their short-term goals. Stephen Covey outlines the dilemma with the “time management matrix” in his seminal work “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” An in-depth discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but the time management matrix places tasks into one of four categories based on urgency and importance, and provides strategies for staying up on short-term goals while continually moving long-term goals forward.If you show up at your review with a list of accomplishments as well as an understanding of how the “time management matrix” affects your responsibilities, your boss will be impressed. It is also worth mentioning that Covey’s first habit is “Proactivity.” He uses the term Proactivity in a much more nuanced form than we typically think of, however. Simply put, Proactivity is the opposite of Reactivity, and it is another invaluable tool for success with those long-term goals that will help you make a name for yourself.
When you show up for your review, be it annual, biannual, or other, be prepared. Not only should you bring your job description and recommendations for how it should be adapted in the changing environment, but also bring examples of your accomplishments since the last review.
I talk with leaders frequently who are hardworking and diligent and hate bragging about their achievements; I get that. At the same time, if you don’t inform your superiors about your successes, there is no guarantee that they will hear about them or understand them in the appropriate context. Bragging about how great you are in the physician’s lounge is annoying; telling your boss about your accomplishments since the last review is critical to maintaining the momentum of past accomplishments. If you are not willing to toot your own horn, there is a very good chance that your horn will remain silent. I don’t think self-promotion comes easily to anyone, and it has to be done with a degree of humility and sensitivity; but it has to be done, so prepare for it.
