I’ve sat in so many performance conversations where the position description was nowhere to be found.
Or worse — someone pulled it out mid-meeting and realised it didn’t match the job anymore.
Cue awkward silence.
And a quiet death of trust.
This happens all the time. Managers trying to hold people accountable for things that were never written down. Employees arguing back — fairly — that they’re doing what’s listed, even if the list is out of date or wildly incomplete.
The problem isn’t the people. It’s the system.
And the position description — the PD — is usually at the heart of it.
If your PD doesn’t match the role, you’re not managing performance.
You’re managing expectations without a baseline.
And that’s how things go sideways.
You Can’t Measure What You Never Defined
Performance management only works when there’s a shared standard.
Not just soft goals or KPIs. But clarity about what the job is.
That sounds obvious. It’s not.
I’ve seen senior leadership roles with PDs that hadn’t been updated in five years.
I’ve seen frontline roles where the PD listed duties that hadn’t existed since before COVID.
And then people wonder why there’s tension.
Why performance feels subjective.
Why employees get blindsided during reviews, or push back during restructures.
It’s because we never defined the role properly to begin with.
Here’s the truth: if you’re managing someone’s performance against anything other than what’s written down and agreed on, you’re winging it.
And in my experience, that’s not just unfair — it’s unsafe.
It opens you up to legal challenges, union disputes, and psychological harm claims under WHS regulations.
So when I write PDs, I’m not just writing them for HR folders.
I’m writing them for the 1:1s. The feedback sessions. The promotions. The PIPs.
Because that’s where they live — or die.
The Fix Is Boring — But It Works
There’s no sexy fix for this. Just good, structured, repeatable process.
Here’s what I do when I’m designing or fixing PDs to support performance:
1. Align responsibilities to outcomes, not activity.
Performance is always about what gets delivered, not what gets done.
So the PD has to reflect that — otherwise the review conversation starts on the wrong foot.
2. Make each responsibility observable.
You need to be able to look at someone’s work and say “yes, this was delivered” or “no, it wasn’t.”
Vague language like “supports team activities” doesn’t give you that. It just creates wiggle room and tension.
3. Link key responsibilities to the capability framework or behavioural expectations.
Not in a bloated list — just a clear mapping.
If someone’s meant to demonstrate leadership or commercial acumen, show where that’s expected in the actual job.
4. Use the PD as part of the performance cycle — formally.
I tell managers: make the PD a working document.
Use it at onboarding. Revisit it in mid-year check-ins. Review it annually, even if the role hasn’t changed.
If it’s not part of the rhythm, it won’t be part of the culture.
5. Store it in the systems people actually use.
If it’s buried in an old folder, it won’t shape behaviour.
If it’s in your HRIS, in your onboarding pack, and referenced in templates — it starts to stick.
That’s it. Nothing wild. Nothing magical.
Just consistency, structure, and discipline.
But it works.
Because when PDs match reality, performance conversations get cleaner.
People know what’s expected.
Managers can coach, not just criticise.
And you create a culture where expectations are clear — not implied, assumed, or made up after the fact.
Here’s the part no one wants to admit:
Most performance issues are clarity issues.
You can’t fix them with feedback frameworks alone.
You can’t fix them with training.
You fix them by going back to the foundations — and for most roles, that means the PD.
So if your performance system isn’t landing?
Don’t start with ratings. Don’t start with dashboards.
Start with the document that tells people what their job is.
And make sure it’s saying the right thing.