Competency-Based
Guide to Career
Development
,Table of Contents
Adaptability ...............................................................................5
Aligning Performance for Success .........................................6
Applied Learning.......................................................................8
Building a Successful Team ..................................................10
Building Customer Loyalty ....................................................12
Building Partnerships.............................................................14
Building Positive Working Relationships
(Teamwork/Collaboration) .....................................................16
Building Trust..........................................................................17
Coaching..................................................................................20
Communication.......................................................................22
Continuous Learning..............................................................25
Contributing to Team Success ..............................................27
Customer Focus......................................................................29
Decision Making......................................................................32
Delegation................................................................................34
Developing Others ..................................................................36
Energy......................................................................................39
Facilitating Change.................................................................39
Follow-Up.................................................................................40
Formal Presentation ...............................................................41
Gaining Commitment..............................................................44
Impact ......................................................................................45
2
,Information Monitoring ..........................................................44
Initiating Action (Initiative) ....................................................46
Innovation ...............................................................................48
Leading/Living The Vision And Values.................................50
Managing Conflict ..................................................................52
Managing Work (Includes Time Management).....................54
Meeting Leadership................................................................55
Meeting Participation.............................................................57
Negotiation..............................................................................58
Planning and Organizing .......................................................60
Quality Orientation (Attention to Detail)...............................62
Risk Taking .............................................................................63
Safety Awareness...................................................................64
Sales Ability/Persuasiveness................................................65
Strategic Decision Making.....................................................67
Stress Tolerance.....................................................................69
Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills.....................71
Tenacity...................................................................................73
Valuing Diversity ....................................................................74
Work Standards......................................................................75
3
, Overview of Competencies
What are Competencies?
Competencies, in the most general terms, are “things” that an individual must demonstrate to be effective in
a job, role, function, task, or duty. These “things” include job-relevant behavior (what a person says or does
that results in good or poor performance), motivation (how a person feels about a job, organization, or
geographic location), and technical knowledge/skills (what a person knows/demonstrates regarding facts,
technologies, a profession, procedures, a job, an organization, etc.). Competencies are identified through the
study of jobs and roles.
Competencies and Performance Development/Management
Over the years performance management has progressed from personality- and outcomes-based approaches
that provided no constructive developmental focus on behaviors- to approaches that recognize the need to
provide individuals with feedback on job responsibilities/objectives as well as competencies—or behaviors.
At the individual level this focus on competencies enables people to take a proactive role in their own
development by providing guidance in behavior change efforts. At the organizational level the focus on
competencies in performance development/management enables us to align individual performance with
values and strategy while maximizing individual performance in the pursuit of specific work-related
objectives and behaviors.
Performance can be measured against competencies. These measurements then are used to make hiring,
promotion, and succession decisions and to guide training and development efforts. The use of
competencies has been a key success for many universities and organizations undergoing rapid and dramatic
changes.
What do I do with all these competencies?
As you review the competencies, please remember that competencies help to describe “how” work gets
accomplished (by engaging knowledge, skills, and abilities). They represent one [important] dimension of
work. They do not describe “what” gets accomplished in terms of results, responsibilities, deliverables, or
specific project objectives. Competencies are used to plan, guide, and develop behavior/performance. Your
goal in using this guide is not to pick as many competencies as possible that may apply to your job. The
key is to focus on the top 8-10 (there is no magic number) most critical competencies as a competency
framework/model, then narrow those down to the top 3-5 for use in performance development/management.
When choosing those 3-5 competencies, a good practice is to pick a few competencies that are important
strengths (based on your goals), to continue to build upon. In addition, pick a few competencies that may
be developmental. This provides balance between strengths and developmental needs.
4
Guide to Career
Development
,Table of Contents
Adaptability ...............................................................................5
Aligning Performance for Success .........................................6
Applied Learning.......................................................................8
Building a Successful Team ..................................................10
Building Customer Loyalty ....................................................12
Building Partnerships.............................................................14
Building Positive Working Relationships
(Teamwork/Collaboration) .....................................................16
Building Trust..........................................................................17
Coaching..................................................................................20
Communication.......................................................................22
Continuous Learning..............................................................25
Contributing to Team Success ..............................................27
Customer Focus......................................................................29
Decision Making......................................................................32
Delegation................................................................................34
Developing Others ..................................................................36
Energy......................................................................................39
Facilitating Change.................................................................39
Follow-Up.................................................................................40
Formal Presentation ...............................................................41
Gaining Commitment..............................................................44
Impact ......................................................................................45
2
,Information Monitoring ..........................................................44
Initiating Action (Initiative) ....................................................46
Innovation ...............................................................................48
Leading/Living The Vision And Values.................................50
Managing Conflict ..................................................................52
Managing Work (Includes Time Management).....................54
Meeting Leadership................................................................55
Meeting Participation.............................................................57
Negotiation..............................................................................58
Planning and Organizing .......................................................60
Quality Orientation (Attention to Detail)...............................62
Risk Taking .............................................................................63
Safety Awareness...................................................................64
Sales Ability/Persuasiveness................................................65
Strategic Decision Making.....................................................67
Stress Tolerance.....................................................................69
Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills.....................71
Tenacity...................................................................................73
Valuing Diversity ....................................................................74
Work Standards......................................................................75
3
, Overview of Competencies
What are Competencies?
Competencies, in the most general terms, are “things” that an individual must demonstrate to be effective in
a job, role, function, task, or duty. These “things” include job-relevant behavior (what a person says or does
that results in good or poor performance), motivation (how a person feels about a job, organization, or
geographic location), and technical knowledge/skills (what a person knows/demonstrates regarding facts,
technologies, a profession, procedures, a job, an organization, etc.). Competencies are identified through the
study of jobs and roles.
Competencies and Performance Development/Management
Over the years performance management has progressed from personality- and outcomes-based approaches
that provided no constructive developmental focus on behaviors- to approaches that recognize the need to
provide individuals with feedback on job responsibilities/objectives as well as competencies—or behaviors.
At the individual level this focus on competencies enables people to take a proactive role in their own
development by providing guidance in behavior change efforts. At the organizational level the focus on
competencies in performance development/management enables us to align individual performance with
values and strategy while maximizing individual performance in the pursuit of specific work-related
objectives and behaviors.
Performance can be measured against competencies. These measurements then are used to make hiring,
promotion, and succession decisions and to guide training and development efforts. The use of
competencies has been a key success for many universities and organizations undergoing rapid and dramatic
changes.
What do I do with all these competencies?
As you review the competencies, please remember that competencies help to describe “how” work gets
accomplished (by engaging knowledge, skills, and abilities). They represent one [important] dimension of
work. They do not describe “what” gets accomplished in terms of results, responsibilities, deliverables, or
specific project objectives. Competencies are used to plan, guide, and develop behavior/performance. Your
goal in using this guide is not to pick as many competencies as possible that may apply to your job. The
key is to focus on the top 8-10 (there is no magic number) most critical competencies as a competency
framework/model, then narrow those down to the top 3-5 for use in performance development/management.
When choosing those 3-5 competencies, a good practice is to pick a few competencies that are important
strengths (based on your goals), to continue to build upon. In addition, pick a few competencies that may
be developmental. This provides balance between strengths and developmental needs.
4
