Ignoring the competency model(s) relevant to us. If well defined, these really should reflect a significant and substantive portion of your “real” job description. Wouldn’t you want to spend the better part of every work day focusing upon the things expected of you in your role and that are relevant to your performance evaluation and compensation determination? Wouldn’t you want to be focused upon developing the competencies required for advancement to the next level or a new position that may be of interest to you?
It’s all too common for employees and their supervisors to dust off a list of competencies once, maybe twice, a year in goal setting and evaluation processes. Focus daily on the things that ultimately will determine your performance appraisal and support your career goals. Keep them in your face!
Understating our competencies. The job interview process is not a time for modesty or self-deprecation. We live in a very competitive world. You should take great pride in your competencies and freely share them. Tasteful self-promotion should continue even beyond the moment you officially land that new job – your supervisors and others in positions to influence your career may need to be reminded from time to time. There are ways to pull that off gracefully with finesse and there are ways to be awkward and obnoxious about it. Here’s one idea: even if you are not directly asked to provide a self-assessment in preparation for the appraisal process in your organization, be proactive and submit one anyway – highlighting your accomplishments in a competency-based format that aligns with the competency model applicable to your position and your agreed upon goals for the year.
Overstating our competencies. Would you really want to start a new job with “one foot in the grave” by not knowing how to do something you said you knew how to do? Life is hard enough. People come and people go – with ever growing frequency these days. You may suddenly find yourself with a new leader or colleague who may take your competency claims and associated expectations even more literally and seriously than the individual(s) who actually hired you. No one wins when someone is in the wrong job.
Not playing to our strengths. Sometimes we get so absorbed in attempting to address our weaknesses that we forget to focus upon the important things we do really well - our IMPACT competencies. These may likely be the things we happen to also really like to do - there tends to be a correlation. If in fact there is a market for what you're good at and enjoy doing, wouldn't that be the best place to focus?
The good news is that as the world continues to become more complex at a feverish pace, there is more opportunity to specialize and to capitalize upon specific strengths. The bad news of course is that the current economic environment isn't as rife with opportunity as we might wish. Nonetheless, don't abandon your quest for the "perfect" job that truly does play to your strengths.
Not letting go of our non-strengths. It can be easy to become haunted or even obsessed by an observation that there are some things we don't do particularly well. The observation may come from within as our own or from someone with the best intentions of furthering our development, but in some cases it may not be a competency that is all that strategic to our career or life objectives. It may be a competency that happened to be strategic for someone else - not us. Of course sometimes the observation may be less negotiable and more "in-our-face" in the form of a performance review.
Organizations don't always get position descriptions entirely right - some are more logical and well defined than others. Be sure to carefully review them in detail before accepting a position either in hiring or promotion processes. Diplomatically question things that may concern you (e.g. your "non-strengths") - it can be tempting to charge to the finish line in all the excitement. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck with an abundance of things you don't want to do and/or aren't particularly good at doing (again, there tends to be a correlation). Any negotiation leverage you may have drops off after you say "yes." Of course no job is perfect and we don't always have the luxury of plentiful choice; it's a matter of degree and tradeoffs.
All this is not to suggest that constructive feedback should be ignored; quite the contrary. Knowledge is always power - we should always seek to be aware of and understand our vulnerabilities - real and perceived. Sometimes they represent a deficiency or weakness that needs to be addressed in order to succeed versus fail in a particular circumstance (e.g. a job or a project). It is rather to suggest that some of these observations may be a sign that we are not in the right job or pursuing the right field and that we may do better (and be happier) by taking stock of our strengths in considering and pursuing other opportunities. Some vulnerabilities are more readily and easily addressed than others and of course tackling some "head on" is essential to continued development, progression, and employment.
Sometimes we ourselves perceive something to be a non-strength only because we haven't done enough of it. A classic example is that of public speaking. Some people live in mortal fear and dread of it and only after a few successful experiences blossom into excellent speakers who just can't do enough of it!
Long story short, some competency shortfalls can and should be addressed via development and experience - others may be best shelved. It is important to remember that there is a difference between developing a competency and modifying a trait. No one is intended to be great at everything - despite what may be thought or claimed by some. I say if it isn't something you do well; isn't something you like or want to be able to do (after giving it a fair chance if you're not sure); and isn't strategic to your employment, livelihood, well-being, or happiness; cross it off the list as soon as you can and move on with the knowledge and confidence that you are more focused.
Not emphasizing our competencies on our resume(s) – and in a customized (to the jobs for which you are applying) way that will catch the attention of hiring managers. Your competencies should be prominently front and center, action-oriented, succinct, and well written. They should leap off the page! You also need to be able to articulate them with enthusiasm, with confidence, and with specific examples of your relevant experiences and accomplishments. A seasoned interviewer will ask you about them.
Not keeping our competencies (and our recollections of them) current. The one thing no one can take away from you is your skill set – your competencies – what you know how to do. Keep a running/current list of your competencies and specific examples you’ve demonstrated in the past. It’s easy to forget what we did five years ago, but a seasoned behavioral interviewer may be very interested in and impressed with an experience description you may not otherwise have been prepared to share off the top of your head in the heat of the moment. Be prepared to tell a story with your competencies – but of course not a tale – a good interviewer will ask probing questions.
Being reactive. Don’t let your career or a job happen to you. Some organizations have very well and clearly defined competency models and position descriptions – others do not. If you don’t have a clear understanding of what is expected of you in your role (and/or in other roles to which you may aspire), be proactive! Ask your supervisor – ask HR. Create the demand that will yield more clarity. Don’t wait until your year-end performance evaluation discussion to learn that you’ve been focusing on the wrong things – the wrong competencies.
Confusing our traits with our competencies – both can be strengths; however, traits are more descriptive of how and perhaps why you perform. Competencies are descriptors of what you are capable of performing. Employers are interested in both.
Traits example: You are industrious, level-headed, confident, and communicative.
Competency example: You are capable of effectively leading teams.
Not clearly articulating our competencies in terms and language that others fully understand and appreciate. Don’t unintentionally keep your competencies to yourself as a well kept secret. Even something as seemingly innocuous as an acronym can obscure what you’ve done and what you know how to do. If you’re applying for a new position in a new organization, carefully review the position description and research the organization’s website. Try to frame your accomplishments and competencies using terms, concepts, and values you know they embrace. If you’re describing your accomplishments to your supervisor or applying for a new internal position, you have a leg up – you already know the lingo and what the organization values. Frame your accomplishments in terms consistent with the competencies relevant to your current or prospective position as the case may be.
Not developing new competencies. Whether or not you are currently employed, whether or not you are satisfied with your current job – developing new competencies is strategic. We live in a rapidly changing world and business environment. Staying ahead of the change curve with a current and perhaps somewhat diversified competency portfolio will serve you well. Besides, a sense of accomplishment is always something to be enjoyed.
Not taking advantage of development opportunities under our noses. I know I've personally committed this particular "sin" more than once. Online courses, articles, new assignments, special projects, and volunteer activities are but a few of the many incremental things you can use and do to further develop and expand your competency portfolio. If you’re currently employed, your organization may offer free online courses. If you lose your job, you may want to consider asking your employer for continued access to their online learning curriculum for some period of time.
Why not approach a mentor with a competency-based agenda: “How did you learn how to...? Why did you learn how to...? How did learning how to … benefit you in your career?” In fact, it’s a very easy and non-threatening way to approach and engage a prospective new mentor. Trust me, people love to talk about their competencies – especially when there’s an interested audience. You can’t go wrong!
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