We as organizations and as individuals sometimes make mistakes and miss some pretty significant opportunities when it comes to making the most of our competencies and how we use them in today’s highly competitive and dynamic business environment. I’ve made a few of these mistakes myself over the years; accordingly, some are intimately familiar providing a healthy dose of real-world client perspective. The rest I’ve had the privilege of helping others address by working with them to develop innovative solutions and strategies.
As I review the lists I’ve developed, three primary themes emerge:
Integration – Organizations often integrate competencies “accidentally” (if at all) versus strategically and with deliberation as I hope you’ll read about in my sections regarding overload, integration/operationalization, and technology. To be fair, I attempt to differentiate between “good accidents” and “bad accidents” as I explore these topics. Good ones are those where competencies are embraced such that they become almost viral and, in effect, integrate themselves to some degree. Bad ones are those which result in redundancy, inconsistency, and confusion.
A compelling case may be made that if we get competencies right, by extension we have an enhanced shot at getting many other things right - with competencies serving as the "glue" connecting what can otherwise become disparate sets of activities, processes, and milestones. For example, well developed competency definitions integrated into behavioral interviewing processes likely result in optimized recruitment and selection outcomes.
However, we sometimes create and implement competency models with an almost singular focus upon evaluating employees. Indeed there are additional opportunities: to strategically retain and accelerate development of our people, to align organizational objectives and efforts, as well as to make another solid connection to the business by engaging a customer/client-centric focus to name but a few.
Individuals also have the opportunity to integrate. We can make the most of our competencies by fully integrating them into our career plans and goals, our resumes, our formal and informal development opportunities, our day-to-day work, and even such things as our mentoring relationships.
Level of effort - We do too much almost as often as we do too little. What I mean by that is that organizations are sometimes overly prolific and “ambitious” when it comes to competency work. Competency overload and overly complex systems can be costly, underutilized, and otherwise problematic – failing to meet ROI expectations. Less really is sometimes more. Incremental effort may be best deployed first to keeping content current and aligned in this dynamic environment.
Of course doing nothing or taking expedient versus strategic shortcuts can result in significant missed opportunities as I highlight in some detail in a subsequent section dedicated to the topic. Level of effort cuts both ways – I invite you to read my sections for individuals: “Ignoring the competency model(s) relevant to us”, “Being reactive” and “Not taking advantage of development opportunities under our noses” in particular.
Language and communication - As individuals, we do seem to work hard to, in effect, bury our competencies. We don’t take stock often enough of what we really know how to do – and what we’ve done. We know we need to sell and then sell ourselves some more in this competitive environment, but we sometimes struggle to find the right words to describe our capabilities in language or via mediums that hiring managers and others in positions to influence our careers fully appreciate.
Similarly, we as organizations don’t always develop competency materials in terms that resonate, clarify, and engage. While endless word-smithing (especially “by committee”) will indeed eventually yield diminishing returns, language and communication are important.
My "Top 12" for Organizations
| My "Top 12" for Individuals
| Thinking of competency modeling and related efforts exclusively as an "HR project" - and not as a Customer/Client-centric business process
| Ignoring the competency model(s) relevant to us
| Overload
| Understating our competencies
| Underload
| Overstating our competencies
| Not fully integrating and operationalizing
| Not playing to our strengths
| Not anticipating the future
| Not letting go of our non-strengths
| Not keeping competency models current
| Not emphasizing our competencies on our resume(s)
| Confusing competencies with traits, policies/procedures, job requirements, and goals
| Not keeping our competencies (and our recollections of them) current
| Not thoroughly validating
| Being reactive
| Not properly assessing
| Confusing our traits with our competencies
| Overlooking cross-cultural differences
| Not clearly articulating our competencies in terms and language that others fully understand and appreciate
| Not consulting and collaborating - on an ongoing basis
(e.g. with Learning/training and Legal departments)
| Not developing new competencies
| Not anticipating, appreciating, and resourcing all of the IT issues and dynamics that may impact our objectives
| Not taking advantage of development opportunities under our noses
| Click here for explanations and more information
| Click here for explanations and more information
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As organizations, we sometimes miss the opportunities to:
- Make a strong connection between what organizations do and what people do.
- Use competency models to paint the career progression picture many employees crave.
- Deploy people to their strengths and greatest value at the right times.
- Achieve strategic and nimble organizational alignment.
- Quickly and efficiently emphasize existing or implement new initiatives and strategies.
- Discover and capitalize upon “hidden” competencies.
- Understand organizational bench strength.
Click here for explanations and more information.
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