David McClelland’s early work in competency development led to large scale efforts in the 1990’s toward developing competency models for various employee groups. I was a part of that movement and worked with a number of organizations to develop competency models from the ground up to energize and engage employees around what is most critical for success. One of the underlying premises of competency modeling can be found in the now accepted adage that identifies the problem: we hire based on qualifications, we fire based on competencies. 

A person may have knowledge, aptitude and skill, but successful job performance requires a much broader range of characteristics, motives, traits and other aspects of self that are brought to bear in a job. The movement brought about many changes in the field of HR as professionals learned how to investigate what a person actually does rather than what they look like on paper or would do “hypothetically”.  Organization development professionals developed organic models to help organizations uncover what distinguished successful performance for that particular organization.

Today, competency modeling lends itself well to the field of management and leadership coaching. As organizations are faced with the need to re-direct resources and change course, leaders must be the key to guiding change. Middle managers are challenged with keeping employees engaged and positive in the workplace and must possess the necessary competencies to manage up as well as to manage down during this time of unprecedented change.

So, a focus on coaching is relevant and important today, and the added dimension of competency development will provide vital links between personal strengths and organization goals. Here is a brief overview of the particular way in which I have brought coaching and competency development together. I am excited by the possibilities and look forward to learning what other ideas are out there.

Create an individual competency profile

To begin the process, I use an assessment tool that is quick, easy to understand, and allows the employee to select competencies that are best self descriptors. The self profile does not provide a complete picture, but by all accounts in research, it is more reliable than observer profiles. It also reduces resistance that one ordinarily encounters when a supervisor or manager provides the sole source of data.

Provide coaching feedback

A coach will typically be given enough information to understand basic areas of development that are mutually understood to be a priority.  With a profile in hand, the coach can now begin to dialogue around competencies with the client using descriptors which are defined and lend themselves to shared understanding. The initial coaching session is ordinarily about gathering information from the client about what “fits” in the profile, and what does “not fit”. 

The same skills used in developing competency models can be applied over time with clients to build an understanding of how they actually behave in various situations and then looked at through the lens of the initial profile.  Eventually, additional feedback from other sources helps to shape a more realistic profile and deeper understanding of when a client might operate with a new set of competencies, and when he or she might have a tendency to fall back to a “default mode” of behavior.

Development of personal strategies

As soon as the client has a good understanding of how his or her actual behavior falls on the competency scales, and most importantly, the coach has gathered enough information to know which competencies are most critical for success for the client, the next step is to develop personal strategies. I like to remind clients that this is about expanding one’s professional repertoire and also bringing success strategies from life outside work, inside the workplace.  When a client talks about the exhilaration and confidence he feels while coaching his son’s softball team, I get him to talk about what he does to make the experience successful and challenge him to turn this into a strategy he can employ at work. I encourage clients to experiment, and remind them it is like action science, we test and measure as we go.

I have only scratched the surface here, but hope to generate more posts in the future about the ways in which coaching can bring great new rewards to your workplace, and with relatively modest investments.

You can find out more information about my approach here.

Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta, was recently interviewed by the New York Times [here] and asked what he looks for in job candidates. He said a resume can outline education and experience, but it is the intangibles, such as the ability to communicate, lead and adapt to change, that are the most important. He refers to this as the human factor and suggests that gut instincts play a role in determining whether a candidate possesses these competencies.

He says he likes to ask candidates what four books they last read and what they enjoyed about the book. Also, he asks about their family, where they grew up, what their parents did, where they went for high school. He asks about their avocations, how many kids they had in their family, and other questions about their background and history. He says he is looking for a strong set of values and a good work ethic. In short, he is looking for emotional I.Q.

There is a saying: We hire based on qualifications, we fire based on competency. Unfortunately, too often training on interview skills is dominated by legal advice to steer clear of any question that might be construed as discriminatory. In fact, the best defense an organization has against such claims is to practice good human resource management. This means a commitment to professional standards, uniform implementation of policy and consistent treatment of candidates. Organizations that commit to such practices tend toward naturally diverse workforces.

Although intangible, Richard Anderson is clear about what he is looking for. He will rely on his gut instincts but his judgment is informed by many years of observing people. He does not worry about the prohibitions against asking personal questions because on the way to meeting with Richard Anderson, candidates were vetted in a thorough and professional manner. The take home lesson is the same for all employers: start with the nuts and bolts of the hiring process, but don’t stop there. Once the final candidates are selected, delve into what makes them tick, and go deep into the end zone of their personalities. Rely on what you know about people and the culture of your organization. Many organization leaders admit that hiring the right people is the hardest part of their job, and this is a sign they are on the right track.