What are key result areas?

Key result areas are the handful of things a person must accomplish to achieve basic business goals according to the American Management Association. Typically, key result areas are the three to five major responsibilities that form the core of a person's job specification and comprise the person's main value to the company.

A key result area should be specific, essential, measurable and under the person's control. Business theory suggests that a person should spend 80 percent of work time developing key result areas to be an effective leader. An analysis of these areas can help employees develop a personal strategic plan for career development and serve as the basis for employee performance evaluation.