How to define a role using performance results descriptions

Executive overview

Most job descriptions list activities, not outcomes. Once someone is hired, the job description becomes irrelevant — what matters is whether results are being achieved.

A performance results description (PRD) replaces activity tracking with clear, measurable outcomes. It gives managers an objective basis for praise and coaching, and gives employees clarity on when they can stop for the day.

When both parties agree on what "good" looks like, accountability becomes a shared conversation — not a judgment call.

The problem with activity-based management

• Managers track inputs (calls made, motions per hour) instead of outputs
• Without clear outcome standards, coaching is vague and subjective
• Conflict between manager and employee often stems from unclear expectations
• Employees keep working without knowing if they've done enough

Key result areas and performance standards

• A key result area (KRA) is a short phrase or word describing an outcome domain (e.g. "Quality", "Client happiness")
• Each KRA has one or more performance standards — specific, binary, measurable statements written in future-perfect tense ("There have been fewer than 0.1% defects per shift on a rolling weekly average")
• Aim for 4–8 KRAs; most roles need 4–5
• Always include a KRA for professional development
• If a metric doesn't exist yet, the process of writing the standard reveals what to start measuring

Writing standards when data is missing

• A maintenance manager used a checklist but had no standard for audit results — the PRD process exposed the gap
• Solution: define the audit criteria, then write the standard against audit outcomes
• The goal is objectivity two people can observe, not statistical precision
• For softer KRAs like "culture" or "client happiness", proxy indicators work (e.g. number of client complaint calls per project)

Building the PRD collaboratively

• Manager explains the framework to the employee and asks them to draft it
• Start from the bottom: list all current activities, then ask "why?" to identify the underlying outcomes
• Group activities by what they have in common — those clusters become KRAs
• Ask "in what ways can we measure that this is being done well?" to generate performance standards
• Manager reviews the draft, adds anything missing, and the two align through dialogue
• The final document is co-owned — both parties commit to the standards

Using the PRD for ongoing management

• Employee triggers the periodic check-in (monthly or bi-weekly), not the manager
• Updates can be as simple as a short email: KRA status by area, flagging where help is needed
• Manager's role shifts to targeted coaching on the one or two areas below standard
• PRDs are updated when strategy changes, not just at annual review
• The system is the opposite of micromanagement: it focuses on outcomes, not hourly activity

Applying the PRD without a top-down mandate

• New managers inheriting a team can introduce this immediately
• Employees can write their own PRD and bring it to their manager as a proactive conversation starter
• Even without a manager who drives this, having your own written KRAs creates personal clarity and focus
• Knowing when you've met your standards is one of the most practical cures for overwork