Forget the title, what do you really do?

Job titles vs. Job functions

Earlier today I read Todd's blog @ business thoughts, and was struck by an excellent question he posed which has prompted me to write this post.  He asked, What if you had to re-interview for your job?  I encourage you to read more of his thoughts on this topic, but in the meantime, it prompted me to ask an additional question of my own:  What if you were asked to describe what you do for a living? Sounds easy, but it is much harder then you might think. 

I am not asking, "What is your title?" I am specifically asking you to tell me what you do for a living.  To better answer this question, imagine that you are attending your 20 year class reunion, and you are becoming reacquainted with many of your friends from years ago.  They, of course, are as interested in you as you are in them.  The topic of what you do for a living arises and because there are so many people to catch up with, you won't be able to spend a great deal of time with lengthy explanations, examples, and anecdotes.  You will have about a thirty seconds or so to give a quick and concise answer, sharing with the group how you spend your days.  Do you think you could do it?  Have you ever tried?  What makes it so difficult to do? 

In most cases what makes this so difficult is that your job has not been clearly defined for you.  Sure, if you just started a new job you might have a good sense of what you were hired to do.  But if you have been at your place of work for more then a few years, chances are you are doing all sorts of things that were not discussed in your original interview and wearing many different hats.  You may remember a scene from a movie a while back (if you remember the name of the movie, please let me know!) in which the main character's job was determined and described by asking, "What has to screw up at work that they would call you?"  Certainly that is one way to know what you do for a living, though it is not the preferred way. 

If you want to increase your productivity at work I recommend that you conduct an audit of all the things that your organization is counting on you to do with a high level of proficiency and focus on those specific responsibilities.  The other tasks and responsibilities that fill your day and eat up at your time should become your secondary focus. Creating a clear definition for your job is essential for you to have great success.