Jean Roberts

Role clarity and individual/team job satisfaction are key factors in achieving and maintaining consistency in operational performance.

Role clarity is a requirement and right for any person employed, contracted, sub-contracted or invited by the Management Group to perform tasks and undertake responsibilities as determined and endorsed by them.   Where job satisfaction is increased or enhanced, the quality of contribution and level of confidence are also increased or enhanced: where it is reduced, consistency in operational performance can also be reduced. 

Role clarity

Each person in your organisation should know what is expected as a result of their effort, skills and abilities, competencies and endeavour on behalf of the organisation.

Role clarity is a requirement and right for any person employed, contracted, sub-contracted or invited by the organisation (either paid or unpaid) to perform tasks and undertake responsibilities as determined and endorsed by the appropriate level within the organisation.

Key factors include:

1. position descriptions that adequately and clearly detail the nature and extent of authority, areas of accountability and specific responsibilities allocated to each position,

2. policies and procedures that cover the advertising, selection, appointment and orientation of paid and unpaid workers,

3. adequate and appropriate supervision and support for all personnel,

4. opportunities for professional development in order to acquire and maintain skills and qualities at levels necessary to achieve and maintain the organisation’s standards and requirements,

5. easy access on request to industrial and professional information, and to the responsibilities of the employer,

6. clear policies and procedures for the recruitment, placement, supervision and support of volunteers,

7. an adequate personnel records and salary system ensuring that all legislative and employer requirements are being met, and

8. a work environment conducive to the required level of performance and standard of quality.

Job satisfaction

The concept of job satisfaction is defined as the balance between meeting the ‘needs of the individual’ and the ‘demands of role in the organisation’

•  the needs of the individual includes being genuinely valued and respected, being able to make a valued contribution and receiving an appropriate reimbursement for effort, ability and skill in a safe and secure work environment.  Individual needs apply to both paid and unpaid positions.
•  the demands of the role in the organisation are expressed in the role description, in workplace policies and procedures, work practices, performance measures and organisational objectives

It is possible to enhance and increase each person’s job satisfaction in relation to:

• tasks, including procedures,
• working relationships, including teamwork, and
• actual work environment, including the physical work location and work station.

The key question to ask is whether an individual’s level of job satisfaction is gained or can be increased by accomplishing the task, working with other people or making sure that the environment is suitable and acceptable. 

It is important to realise that another person’s behaviour that seems without any value to you may well be a behaviour that is highly valued by that person: therefore you are wise to understand that another person’s behaviour is simply demonstrating their own values and offering you a point of entry into their thinking or for negotiation. 

Initially concentrating on organisational policies and procedures in my consultancies, I quickly realised that these can produce very few positive results unless human factors are taken into account.  If an organisation is able to understand and anticipate human behaviours, they are much closer to increasing:

• individual job satisfaction at governance, management and operations levels of activity,
• organisational efficiency and productivity – which means that available or accessible resources are wisely invested in service/product/component design, delivery and conformance, and
• confidence in capitalising on opportunities as they arise or are created. 

Where the level of job satisfaction is increased or enhanced, the quality of contribution and level of confidence are also increased or enhanced.  Where job satisfaction is reduced, morale and personal and professional credibility are also reduced.   Note that job satisfaction can only be measured by the individual concerned.

Where one component becomes increasingly demanding and upsets the balance, the worker (paid or unpaid) may reduce their organisational performance or their individual needs to a token level and gain their ‘satisfaction’ from the component that is not as demanding. 

Two examples:

• where the worker’s personal life becomes extremely demanding, their organisational performance may suffer and the worker needs care and nurturing to get them through a difficult time
• where the demands of the worker’s role are difficult to understand, accept or fulfil, the worker may turn to their private or non-work life for ‘satisfaction’ and just offer a minimum performance in the work-role. 

In either case, it is possible that the worker may experience increasing burn-out, which can lead to a high level of personal and organisational risk.

Related reading includes my book, The Left and Right Brain Business - available on this website at $16.50 GST and P&P included.