Enrichment · Passion Projects

Say what the job is
before someone says yes.

“Social media lead” means something different to everyone who hears it. Write each role in your club or council the same way: why it exists, three to six duties with how often each comes up, honest hours, whom it works with, who would be a good fit and a success line with a number or a date. Print it for elections or a sign-up table.

Write a roleWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Passion projects kit, $39 for 48 items.

Roles

The worked example is made up: two club roles and an event chair. Saved on this device only.

Loading the role form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion Projects$5

What you finish with
A role description per position: title, group, purpose, term, how it is filled, duties with frequency, hours a week, whom it works with, who would be a good fit and what success looks like. Totals weekly hours across roles and counts roles with measurable success; flags heavy hours, too few duties, missing frequencies, a thin purpose and success with no number or date.
Who it is for
Student council and club officers, team captains and event organizers in middle school, high school and college; club advisors setting up elections.
Format
Browser builder with a saved description per role. Prints one role ready to post, all roles in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Passion projects kit ($39) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick one role in your group and write why it exists.
  2. List three to six duties, each starting with a verb, and how often each comes up.
  3. Estimate the hours a week honestly, and name who the role works with.
  4. Write who would be a good fit and a success line with a number or a date.
  5. Fix what the flags point out, print it and post it before elections or sign-ups.

Write a role

What makes a role description work

What a good role description answersWhyWhat the role is forWhat goes wrong without itWho it servesWhat and whenThree to six duties, eacha verbHow often each comes upHours a week, honestlyDone wellA number or a date to aimforWho to go to for helpWho would be a good fitWhat a good role description answersWhyWhat the role is forWhat goes wrong without itWho it servesWhat and whenThree to six duties, each a verbHow often each comes upHours a week, honestlyDone wellA number or a date to aim forWho to go to for helpWho would be a good fit
Students are more likely to run for a role, and to stay in it, when they know what it involves before they say yes.

Clear roles, steadier groups

Groups run more smoothly when people know who is responsible for what. Research on teams finds role clarity is linked with better performance and less conflict, and it matters even more when members change every year.

Honest hours

A role that quietly takes eight hours a week burns students out by spring. Write the real number. If it is more than about five, split the role or hand a duty to a committee.

Success you can see

“Get more people to come” cannot be checked. “Average 25 at meetings by March” can. A number or a date turns a hope into a goal the whole group can track.

Sources

  1. Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705 to 717.
  2. Hackman, J. R. (2002). Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Harvard Business School Press.
  3. Tubre, T. C., and Collins, J. M. (2000). Jackson and Schuler (1985) revisited: a meta-analysis of the relationships between role ambiguity, role conflict and job performance. Journal of Management, 26(1), 155 to 169.
  4. National Association of Student Councils: Officer roles and responsibilities (natstuco.org).

The worked example is made up. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.