Beyond the Job Description : How Managers and Employees Can Navigate the True Demands of the Job

When work becomes messy and complicated, we stop getting good work done, we lose sight of the things that inspire us, and sometimes we disengage. This book helps you translate your challenges at work into useful insights that boost learning and performance, and make your time spent at work a little better. Remember back to your first few days in a new job. Whether you were an experienced professional or new to the workforce, you quickly discovered that the 'job description' that explained your role was quite different from the reality you faced. Nobody told you this, but the day you were hired you actually accepted two jobs. The first was the position you interviewed for, including the title and all of the responsibilities outlined on paper. The second 'job-within-the-job' included the unspoken work that required you to manage constant change, effectively collaborate with difficult people, navigate confusing workplace politics, and get your best work done in an environment of shrinking resources and increasing demands. For both managers and employees, this is the double-reality of work. In today's competitive landscape, standing out, getting ahead of the change curve, and staying relevant at work comes from the ability to go beyond your job description and continuously improve your learning and performance as you confront the hidden demands of work. These two factors the need for continuous learning and performance and the presence of performance barriers form what author Jesse Sostrin calls the hidden curriculum of work. When we face the hidden curriculum of work without a plan we often fail to contribute our best effort, we lose sight of the things that inspire us, and we disengage. Beyond the Job Description can help you translate your frustrations at work into useful insights that boost your learning and performance while increasing the value of your contributions to the team and organization. The book provides research-driven insights, diagnostic tools, and stories of employees and leaders who have managed to turn their greatest challenges at work into opportunities for breakthrough performance. It is no longer an option to simply ignore the hidden curriculum of work. Beyond the Job Description translates the world of work and leads readers on a critical path to: Discover the mutual agenda where your individual values and aspirations align with the needs of the team and the goals of your organization; Understand your true priorities and focus on the vital purpose and value-added contributions that can help you stand out and stay ahead of the change curve; Establish a system to identify hidden challenges that undermine your success on the job and learn to transform those barriers into opportunities for improved learning and performance; and Develop a clear vision and plan to achieve the working life you want. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-10 The Myth of Your Working Life....Pages 11-31 Rethinking the Way We Work....Pages 33-44 Average is Over....Pages 45-56 Get Your Working Life R-I-T-E....Pages 57-59 Seeing Your “Job-within-the-Job”....Pages 61-84 Transforming Hidden Challenges with “Nav-Maps”....Pages 85-97 Success Stories from the Hidden Side of Work....Pages 99-119 Making Your Own Nav-Maps....Pages 121-126 Quantify Your Investment....Pages 127-130 The Answer to Overworked and Disengaged....Pages 131-137 Create Your Future-Proof Plan....Pages 139-160 Your Daily Compass for Solo Navigation....Pages 161-168 A Guide to Team Navigation....Pages 169-172 Managing to the Hidden Side of Work....Pages 173-182 Cultivating Future-Proof Leaders and Organizational Cultures....Pages 183-196 Back Matter....Pages 197-244 When we face the hidden curriculum of work without a plan we often fail to contribute our best effort, we lose sight of the things that inspire us, and we disengage. Beyond the Job Description can help you translate your frustrations at work into useful insights that boost your learning and performance while increasing the value of your contributions to the team and organization. Provides research-driven insights, diagnostic tools, and stories of employees and leaders who have managed to turn their greatest challenges at work into opportunities for breakthrough performance. It is no longer an option to simply ignore the hidden curriculum of work. The book translates the world of work and leads readers on a critical path. In today's competitive landscape, standing out, getting ahead of the change curve, and staying relevant at work comes from the ability to go beyond your job description and continuously improve your learning and performance as you confront the hidden demands of work. These two factors - the need for continuous learning and performance and the presence of performance barriers - form what Sostrin calls the hidden curriculum of work. This book provides research-driven insights, diagnostic tools, and stories of employees and leaders who have managed to turn their greatest challenges at work into opportunities for breakthrough performance. -- Edited summary from book The myth of your working life -- Re-thinking the way we work -- Average is over -- Get your working life R-I-T-E -- Seeing your job-within-the-job -- Transforming hidden challenges with Nav-maps -- Success stories from the hidden side of work -- Making your own Nav-maps -- Quantify your investment -- The answer to overworked and disengaged -- Create your own future-proof plan -- Your daily compass for solo navigation -- A guide to team navigation -- Managing to the hidden side of work -- Cultivating future-proof leaders & organizational cultures