KRA’s are the important responsibilities of a position, and they get expressed in terms of observable behaviors. We often put a lot of effort into describing a job in terms of attitude and motivation, but those attributes are not really measurable. Instead, we can measure observable behavior.

As an example, perhaps “Initiative” is a competence or performance dimension you want to see, but you’ll need to add the observable behaviors that define initiative. How about:

• Undertakes projects without being asked
• Writes own letters
• Makes suggestions for improved ways of doing things

If you get stuck and have difficulty defining the behaviors you want to measure, try this. Think of a person you feel exemplifies the behavior you want (for example, initiative) and define what he or she does that makes you think that way.