"Explain to me what you do." – Every micromanaging boss ever.
Elon Musk’s latest email asking employees to justify their jobs has set corporate LinkedIn on fire. Some see it as a brilliant accountability measure. Others think it’s thinly veiled layoffs disguised as “self-reflection.”
Like many things in corporate life, the idea is fair—but the execution is suspect.
The Question Itself? Fair.
A well-run company should absolutely evaluate roles, responsibilities, and value. Every job should serve a purpose, contribute to the mission, and adapt to business needs.
✔ Employees should be able to articulate why their work matters.
✔ Leadership should ensure roles are aligned with company goals.
✔ Departments should review job descriptions annually—not just when layoffs loom.
If you don’t know what you do, that’s a problem. But if your company doesn’t know what you do, that’s an even bigger problem.
The Execution? A Hot Mess.
Musk’s approach turns accountability into fear. Instead of thoughtful performance reviews or strategic realignment, it’s:
🚨 Panic-mode self-preservation. Employees scramble to prove their worth instead of doing meaningful work.
🚨 Shifting responsibility. Why are managers asking employees to justify roles they should already understand?
🚨 Power play. It’s not about efficiency; it’s about control.
If leadership needs a last-minute, crisis-driven email to figure out who does what, that’s not a worker problem—it’s a leadership failure.
Why Are Managers Asking Employees to Be Insubordinate?
Here’s where it gets interesting. Musk’s email implies every individual contributor needs to explain their function. Fair enough.
But what happens when managers, directors, or even C-suite executives… don’t know the answers?
❌ If a leader is asking an employee, "What do you even do?"
❌ If departments don’t have clear, updated job descriptions
❌ If companies lack structured performance evaluations
…then Musk’s problem isn’t employees—it’s his leadership team.
Managers are paid to know the value of their team. If they don’t? They’re asking staff to do their jobs for them. That’s corporate gaslighting at its finest.
Want Efficiency? Start with Clear Job Descriptions.
If Musk (or any CEO) wants a high-performance organization, this is where they should start:
✔ Annual Job Description Reviews.
Roles evolve. If you haven’t updated a job description in years, you’re setting employees up to fail.
The best companies review job duties every year—not just when layoffs loom.
✔ Managers Who Actually Manage.
A good leader should already know what their team does.
If they don’t? That’s a leadership problem, not an employee problem.
✔ Performance Evaluation ≠ Fear Tactics.
Want to align roles with company goals? Do it through structured, regular check-ins.
Not through last-minute panic emails.
Final Thought: If You Remember Housewives Drama and Fantasy Football Stats - You should at least know what’s in your job description.
💡 But so should your manager.
Because job justification isn’t just an employee responsibility—it’s a leadership duty.
Last question: How come the higher level employees and HR already provide the functions of the employees? What do you think?
👀 Now, go dust off that job description.
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