Few people have an up-to-date job description. Yet, every year, most organizations conduct performance reviews as if those documents existed and reflected reality.
Over time, as processes shift and colleagues come and go, responsibilities morph. A temporary favour turns into a permanent duty. A “helping hand” becomes part of someone’s daily routine. Eventually, the original role blurs until everyone has a different version of what it’s supposed to be.
The result? Employees feel overwhelmed, under-recognized, and often judged unfairly for expectations that were never clarified.
The silent drift
In many teams, this fuzziness becomes the norm. People step in to fill gaps, cover for departures, or take on tasks “because it’s easier that way.” It works, for a while. The system keeps moving, deadlines are met, and nobody needs to stop and ask uncomfortable questions about ownership or scope.
Except for the person quietly drowning under the extra weight. They’re often the dependable one who never says no, whose reliability turns into a trap. Over time, their workload expands, their focus scatters, and their performance dips. Then, during the next review, they’re told they need to “be more strategic” or “focus on priorities,” without anyone realizing that the real issue is structural, not personal.
This is how disengagement begins. Not with a dramatic event, but with slow erosion. A mismatch between what someone is doing and what they’re officially accountable for. A gap that no one notices until motivation and trust fade.
The promotion paradox
The same problem often shows up after a promotion. Someone is elevated into a bigger role but asked to “keep things running” in their old one until a replacement is found. That transition can last months, sometimes years. They end up doing two jobs—neither fully—and still receive feedback as if they had failed to manage their priorities.
This is one of the most overlooked causes of burnout and friction between teams. As responsibilities creep upward or sideways without formal realignment, collaboration breaks down. People step on each other’s toes, priorities clash, and performance reviews become debates about who owns what.
Reclaiming clarity
The fix begins with a simple act: pause and ask yourslef what your job actually is.
Start by asking for an updated job description. In many organizations, you’ll find there isn’t one. That’s fine. Most haven’t been revisited since the day you were hired, two reorganizations ago.
If that’s the case, take initiative. Write your own version of your current role. List your responsibilities as they are today, not as they were meant to be. Include what you own, what you support, and what you believe success should look like. Then, use this draft as a conversation starter with your manager.
The goal isn’t to draw rigid boundaries or escape new work. It’s to align. To ensure you’re both clear on where you create value and how that value should be measured. When that conversation happens openly, confusion turns into clarity, and performance reviews turn into real development discussions.
Knowing the “what” and the “how”
But even an updated job description only tells half the story.
Your job description defines what you do: the responsibilities, deliverables, and tasks you’re accountable for.
Your boss’s and organization’s expectations define how you’re supposed to do it: the approach, tone, and way of operating that fit your context and your stakeholders.
And as you climb the ladder, the “how” matters more than the “what.”
At entry levels, success is about output: completing tasks accurately and on time.
At senior levels, success is about alignment: shaping outcomes in ways that reflect your leader’s priorities, organizational culture, and stakeholder expectations.
Many talented people stall in their careers because they master the what but miss the how. They deliver, but not in the way their environment values delivery. They produce results, but without the alignment that builds trust and influence.
Understanding the how is simpler than most people think. Ask directly:
“What are your expectations of my performance for the next six months?”
That one question can transform your relationship with your manager. It surfaces what success looks like in their eyes, what they’ll defend, reward, or hold you accountable for. It also clarifies priorities that might never appear in a job description: collaboration, tone, visibility, initiative, or alignment with another department.
When you combine a clear what (an updated job description) with a clear how (aligned expectations), you build a foundation for sustainable performance. You’ll know what to focus on, how to measure success, and how to communicate progress. And your manager will have fewer surprises at review time.
A manager’s lens
If you manage people, this clarity becomes even more critical.
Your job is not to do your team’s job, or the job of a missing hire, or to carry an underperformer indefinitely. Your job is to make sure your team does their work effectively. That means coaching, supporting, and holding them accountable, not replacing them.
When you step into leadership for the first time, that shift can feel uncomfortable. Doing feels faster than managing. But the moment you start doing your team’s work, you stop doing yours. You rob them of ownership and yourself of perspective.
And as you move up the hierarchy, your performance will depend less on what you personally deliver and more on how you manage relationships, align stakeholders, and steer the organization through complexity. Delivering outcomes through others becomes your job. Knowing how your boss and their peers define “success” becomes your compass.
Clarity drives performance
Ultimately, clarity is one of the most powerful forms of respect, both for yourself and for others.
When you know what your job is, you can focus your energy where it matters most.
When your boss knows you’re aligned on expectations, trust grows.
And when your team understands their roles, collaboration becomes easier and accountability natural.
So before your next performance review, take one hour to pause and reflect:
- Do I know exactly what my role includes, and doesn’t?
- Do I know what my manager expects of me in the next six months?
- Does my team know the same about their roles?
If not, start the conversation. It might be the single most valuable hour you invest this quarter.
Because clarity isn’t just an HR exercise. It’s the foundation of performance, trust, and growth for you, your team, and your organization.
