Reinventing your job specification

Previously (here) I talked about the value to an organisation of redesigning job specs to motivate and inspire job seekers to take on the job.

For those seeking to move into a job and an organisation where their talents will be not only recognised, but given free reign to really soar.  What we want is a manifesto to make for ourselves a job that we absolutely love.  And in that making, we succeed not only for ourselves but for the entire organisation.

As you can see, I talked about from a 'you (the organisation) fix it' perspective.  Today, I'd like to turn the tables on that and talk about it from a personal, individual employee viewpoint.

Instead of seeking a new employer who will hand us a job spec that pretty much lets us do our own thing, what is stopping us from approaching our current employer with our own redesign - one that will inspire us to greater heights of effectiveness and performance, whilst also benefitting the organisation?

Don't wait for your employer to come to you saying 'take this job and run with it - dazzle me' (as if THAT would ever happen!!), why not turn the tables, and give the employer an offer to 'watch me take this job and run with it - I'll dazzle you!'.

If our offer is well thought out, written in language that will be understood by our boss (you know the language they speak - it may be bottom line, it may be facts and figures, it may be effectiveness and customer satisfaction... ) and written with a win-win outcome firmly in mind, then really, what have we got to lose?

I have personally done this about four times in the last 18 years.  Each time I felt stale, or really needed something to challenge me and motivate me again I'd work out what was missing (not only in my job spec, but in the organisation), and put together a written manifesto for change which I presented to the Managing Director of the company.  And three times out of four, my manifesto was accepted lock, stock and barrel. 

The time it wasnt accepted, I had proposed something fairly radical (especially for a conservative organisation).  But it was not a total waste!  I gained an additional staff member, a significant pay increase and some new, exciting projects to sink my teeth into.  In the end, this was a better outcome than if he had accepted my initial proposal.

If you wish for better things, for a job spec to inspire you, why not take charge and write your own?  Really - what have you got to lose?  And if your current employer cannot see the value in what you are proposing, then maybe it IS time to move on, after all.