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Antiwork

Came across a non-supervisory system admin role at some company, and their list of competencies is a solid gold example of a company looking for an employee that probably doesn’t exist. They’ve probably uttered “Nobody wants to work anymore!” in the past.

This list of competencies is not even the core job duties. Some of these competencies are very good things, such as demonstrating empathy and fostering an inclusive environment. But what got me was the huge amount of bullet points, the seemingly disorganized format, the fact that some of these contradict themselves, and the fact they forgot to edit a question mark. This is probably one of those positions that's like walking through an administrative/managerial minefield. They also seem to be condensing a financial analysis position, a staff trainer, a supervisor, and a system analyst into this non-administrative, non-supervisory IT role. The person who inherits this position will be stuck at the crossroads between being “servant” and a non-supervisor but also instructed and measured off of how they “hold self and others accountable” and “coach and mentor”. Business and Financial Acumen Demonstrates depth of understanding for the P&L and financial analysis…


This list of competencies is not even the core job duties. Some of these competencies are very good things, such as demonstrating empathy and fostering an inclusive environment. But what got me was the huge amount of bullet points, the seemingly disorganized format, the fact that some of these contradict themselves, and the fact they forgot to edit a question mark. This is probably one of those positions that's like walking through an administrative/managerial minefield. They also seem to be condensing a financial analysis position, a staff trainer, a supervisor, and a system analyst into this non-administrative, non-supervisory IT role. The person who inherits this position will be stuck at the crossroads between being “servant” and a non-supervisor but also instructed and measured off of how they “hold self and others accountable” and “coach and mentor”.

  • Business and Financial Acumen
  • Demonstrates depth of understanding for the P&L and financial analysis
  • Teaches business and financial acumen to others.
  • Understands KPIs and how (word removed to avoid doxing) makes money.
  • Knows the different business segments and how they relate to one another.
  • Understands customer sales and engagement.
  • Demonstrates functional and/or technical expertise.
  • Understands complex issues and demonstrates problem solving skills.
  • Understands how to maximize business results regardless of industry cycle.
  • Results Driven
  • Holds self and others accountable.
  • Communicates and sets clear goals with plans to deliver.
  • Manages competing priorities effectively.
  • Demonstrates appropriate urgency.
  • Drives to exceed expectations in alignment with our (word removed to avoid doxing) SPICE values.
  • Embraces and follows best practices.
  • Demonstrates self-starter, can-do attitude.
  • Strategic Thinking and Decision Making
  • Leverages resources and teams around them to solve problems and create mutually beneficial outcomes.
  • Demonstrates willingness and courage to make tough decisions in a timely manner.
  • Balances short-and-long term priorities
  • Demonstrates proactive versus reactive thinking.
  • Asks questions to identify root cause and analyze situations more accurately.
  • Servant Leadership
  • Demonstrates humility by putting others first.
  • Builds trust-based relationships.
  • Leads by example with kindness and respect.
  • Collaborates well across all areas of the business.
  • Advocates for others
  • Actively listens to understand the meaning and intent of what the other person is communicating.
  • Demonstrates authenticity and encourages others to do the same.
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Demonstrates situational awareness – knows when and how to adjust leadership style in different situations.
  • Demonstrates self-awareness – understands strengths and weaknesses.
  • Demonstrates empathy – puts themselves in other’s shoes.
  • Assumes positive intent.
  • Develops and Leads Others
  • Drives alignment through clear communication of vision, goals, and expectations.
  • Invests time on a regular basis in performance feedback and developmental conversations.
  • Fosters a respectful and inclusive environment.
  • Empowers, motivates, and inspires others.
  • Coaches and mentor others for their development.
  • Guides and persuades others to deliver positive outcomes.
  • Growth Mindset
  • Demonstrates a growth mindset; takes appropriate risks, fails fast and forward, learns from mistakes.
  • Perseveres and champions growth, even in the face of resistance, ambiguity, or possible failure.
  • Thinks like an owner with an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Demonstrates and encourages intellectual curiosity.
  • Continuous learner; seeks opportunities and knowledge for personal and professional growth.
  • Sees possibilities over problems – actively seeks solutions.
    Innovation
  • Encourages out-of-the box thinking to create new ways of doing things.
  • Continuously seeks to improve and simplify pain points in the business.
  • Anticipates, embraces, and leads change.
  • Develops and executes breakthrough strategies.
  • Integrity
  • Does the right thing even under challenging circumstances?
  • Communicates with honesty.
  • Consistently treats others fairly and equitably.
  • Demonstrates reliability and does what they say they will do.
  • Conducts tough conversations and delivers difficult messages with kindness and respect.

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