What is seen outside is 15% - 10% (appearance). What's really happening inside is 85% - 90% (emotions). Emotion is like gravity. You know it's there. You know it exists but how do you define it? It is always experienced by the people.
Emotional intelligence -"Is a term used to describe the various competencies that are essential for building, developing and managing relationships" (Peters, 2008, p.13). Emotional intelligence consists of two dimensions; intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient is simply defined as "Knowing what one feels good, what one feels bad, and how to get from bad to good. Knowing your emotions and knowing emotions of others." It refers to emotional management skills, which provide competency to balance emotions and reasons so as to maximize long term happiness.
"Emotional Intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. Emotional intelligence describes abilities distinct from but complementary to academic intelligence," said Daniel Goleman (1998).
Are we giving EQ training in school?
Are we giving training for how to control emotions?
Are we training people how emotions related with one event change their future?
My answer is "NO."
Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity can be learned and develop person.
Bad News!
EQ abilities are declining in children. More impulsive, aggressive, and angry entry level employees need more training in EQ competencies.
Good News!
EQ is teachable and tends to increase over your lifetime (maturity).
Work climate is dependent on EQ level of management. Majority of employees choose to leave or stay at an organization based on relationship with their manager.
What is observed in the life is that people take emotions heartily and break down the relationship. People react with emotions towards others and this hurts the other one. The other one takes it personally instead of taking it professionally. Other people do not take it as a reaction to an event but treat it as a critic to him and take it personally. This breaks down the long time relationship for life time.
Emotional reactions spoil relationship, future goals and tend to change destination. Other people also treat it personally and react badly to the action, which hurt the people and love in the relationship is slowly drop down where as bitterness starts flowing in the relationship. Finally, no one wins, and team spoils off, relationship spoils off and organization is spoils off.
Today's conclusion of Monday wisdom is Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity. It can be learnt by developing person. Emotions should be treated mentally instead of personally.
Article by Dr. Shailesh Thaker, a business coach and young power-house of Motivation and Leadership, holds Ph.D. in Cognitive Thinking and Creative Writing (INDIA). He is also one of the third named fellows of JCI University for the International Training Fellowship from SAARC countries.
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Showing posts with label Competency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Competency. Show all posts
June 8, 2009
December 12, 2008
Developing a Strategic HR Plan
What is a strategic HR plan?
A Strategic HR Plan enables organisations to align resources to corporate strategy. It provides information on how the HR function will support the goals and strategies of the organisation and ensure that HR planning and practices are consistent across the organisation. It outlines how the gaps between future and present capability will be addressed.
Why is a strategic HR plan important?
In all public sector organisations, managers have a responsibility to fulfil expectations in the areas of corporate governance, transparency of policies, accountability and economic efficiency. To achieve these responsibilities you need to be sure that you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time to carry out the strategy. A comprehensive strategic HR plan will ensure that you have:the capacity to deliver on strategy; a succession planning process that is strategically linked; identified and minimised capability risks; HR practices are consistent across the organisation; skill development and training policies and practices are linked to strategy; are able to monitor progress towards goals.
How does the strategic HR plan link to the strategic business plan?
The strategic HR plan supports and is aligned to the corporate mission, vision, values and strategies. It is an essential planning document. It is important that the strategic HR plan is developed only after a clear direction is established and understood. It is important that you avoid the situation where the strategic HR plan drives strategy.
What process do we use?
Decide where your organisation is now in the lifecycle of an enterprise: the start-up stage, the growth stage, the mature stage or the decline stage (Lewin 1998). Then formulate a clear picture of your future and look for ways of getting there. The HR Management Portfolio includes:
The model you use should therefore begin with the future:
Identify future HR needs
Using the strategic plan as a guiding document, identify the future HR needs of the organisation.
You need to ask questions like:What is the nature of our work?, What type of culture will support productivity?, What skills do we need to deliver results?, Where are those skills and how are we tapping into them?, How large is our organisation?, What systems and processes do we need?, How are we making sure peoples’ skills match our needs?, What risks are associated with this future?
Consider present HR capability
You need to ask questions like: With the future in mind, what is our current capability?, How are we doing against benchmarks?, What are our strengths and weaknesses?, Are there legislative requirements we need to consider?, What are we doing well now, that we need to do more of in the future?, Where do the risks lie?, What HR issues may prevent us from getting to the future we have agreed on?, What current systems will support or hinder our progress?
Identify gaps between present capability and future needs
Compare the future needs with the current capability and identify any significant gaps that appear. These can be in a number of areas including policies and procedures, capability, resource allocation.
The questions to ask are: Where are significant gaps between present and future?, and How can they be classified?
Formulate gap strategies
The next stage is about identifying strategies that will address the gaps you have identified.
These strategies will affect: job/work design; selection/staffing; performance management; compensation/rewards; training/development; employee relations; safety and health; work force diversity.
Not all gaps will be of the same strategic importance, so you will need to set some priorities for dealing with them. For example you may find an urgent need to update your HR information system so it provides you with information that is essential for tracking progress. While this may not appear strategic, you need this to be able to identify progress.
The questions to ask are: What are the top priorities?; Where can we get some rapid progress?; How do these strategies fit with budgets?; What is the degree of change needed?
The last step is to develop the level of detail that will give you measurable goals and milestones.
What information do we need before we start?
You will need plenty of data to do this job thoroughly. Take the time to gather as much relevant information as possible. There are a variety of sources including: The strategic business plan; An analysis of future work trends; The existing HR plan; Environmental data –information about the current HR situation in the wider public sector and future trends in the sector; An audit of existing HR policies and practices – what are your strengths and weaknesses in this area; Current information on competencies across the organisation; Policies and processes related to training and development; Present risk factors; Any customer or stakeholder data on the HR performance of the organisation.
Who should be involved?
You need to strike a balance between too much input and too little. Think about the individuals inside and outside your organisation who have a strategic focus and are well informed. It is useful to get outside facilitation, either from within the organisation or from a consultant. This will allow the HR team to contribute to the process.
How do we monitor the plan?
Once the plan has been developed to a degree of detail that measures end goals and milestones, it is relatively easy to monitor progress. However you should review the plan on an annual basis at the very least to check the progress and equally importantly to check the assumptions on which the plan was based. In the MMP environment there may be changes that you have not anticipated.
Getting buy-in to the plan is important. The senior team and those involved in the HR function throughout the organisation, which increasingly is all managers, need to understand and support the plan. Their input is important during the implementation and monitoring phase.
HR strategic planning is as essential as financial planning in ensuring that the organisation achieves its goals. The HR strategic plan informs and supports policies which align and grow the skills of the people. In this sense is needs to be treated as a living document.***
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
A Strategic HR Plan enables organisations to align resources to corporate strategy. It provides information on how the HR function will support the goals and strategies of the organisation and ensure that HR planning and practices are consistent across the organisation. It outlines how the gaps between future and present capability will be addressed.
Why is a strategic HR plan important?
In all public sector organisations, managers have a responsibility to fulfil expectations in the areas of corporate governance, transparency of policies, accountability and economic efficiency. To achieve these responsibilities you need to be sure that you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time to carry out the strategy. A comprehensive strategic HR plan will ensure that you have:the capacity to deliver on strategy; a succession planning process that is strategically linked; identified and minimised capability risks; HR practices are consistent across the organisation; skill development and training policies and practices are linked to strategy; are able to monitor progress towards goals.
How does the strategic HR plan link to the strategic business plan?
The strategic HR plan supports and is aligned to the corporate mission, vision, values and strategies. It is an essential planning document. It is important that the strategic HR plan is developed only after a clear direction is established and understood. It is important that you avoid the situation where the strategic HR plan drives strategy.
What process do we use?
Decide where your organisation is now in the lifecycle of an enterprise: the start-up stage, the growth stage, the mature stage or the decline stage (Lewin 1998). Then formulate a clear picture of your future and look for ways of getting there. The HR Management Portfolio includes:
The model you use should therefore begin with the future:
Identify future HR needs
Using the strategic plan as a guiding document, identify the future HR needs of the organisation.
You need to ask questions like:What is the nature of our work?, What type of culture will support productivity?, What skills do we need to deliver results?, Where are those skills and how are we tapping into them?, How large is our organisation?, What systems and processes do we need?, How are we making sure peoples’ skills match our needs?, What risks are associated with this future?
Consider present HR capability
You need to ask questions like: With the future in mind, what is our current capability?, How are we doing against benchmarks?, What are our strengths and weaknesses?, Are there legislative requirements we need to consider?, What are we doing well now, that we need to do more of in the future?, Where do the risks lie?, What HR issues may prevent us from getting to the future we have agreed on?, What current systems will support or hinder our progress?
Identify gaps between present capability and future needs
Compare the future needs with the current capability and identify any significant gaps that appear. These can be in a number of areas including policies and procedures, capability, resource allocation.
The questions to ask are: Where are significant gaps between present and future?, and How can they be classified?
Formulate gap strategies
The next stage is about identifying strategies that will address the gaps you have identified.
These strategies will affect: job/work design; selection/staffing; performance management; compensation/rewards; training/development; employee relations; safety and health; work force diversity.
Not all gaps will be of the same strategic importance, so you will need to set some priorities for dealing with them. For example you may find an urgent need to update your HR information system so it provides you with information that is essential for tracking progress. While this may not appear strategic, you need this to be able to identify progress.
The questions to ask are: What are the top priorities?; Where can we get some rapid progress?; How do these strategies fit with budgets?; What is the degree of change needed?
The last step is to develop the level of detail that will give you measurable goals and milestones.
What information do we need before we start?
You will need plenty of data to do this job thoroughly. Take the time to gather as much relevant information as possible. There are a variety of sources including: The strategic business plan; An analysis of future work trends; The existing HR plan; Environmental data –information about the current HR situation in the wider public sector and future trends in the sector; An audit of existing HR policies and practices – what are your strengths and weaknesses in this area; Current information on competencies across the organisation; Policies and processes related to training and development; Present risk factors; Any customer or stakeholder data on the HR performance of the organisation.
Who should be involved?
You need to strike a balance between too much input and too little. Think about the individuals inside and outside your organisation who have a strategic focus and are well informed. It is useful to get outside facilitation, either from within the organisation or from a consultant. This will allow the HR team to contribute to the process.
How do we monitor the plan?
Once the plan has been developed to a degree of detail that measures end goals and milestones, it is relatively easy to monitor progress. However you should review the plan on an annual basis at the very least to check the progress and equally importantly to check the assumptions on which the plan was based. In the MMP environment there may be changes that you have not anticipated.
Getting buy-in to the plan is important. The senior team and those involved in the HR function throughout the organisation, which increasingly is all managers, need to understand and support the plan. Their input is important during the implementation and monitoring phase.
HR strategic planning is as essential as financial planning in ensuring that the organisation achieves its goals. The HR strategic plan informs and supports policies which align and grow the skills of the people. In this sense is needs to be treated as a living document.***
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
October 20, 2008
McCain vs Obama on HR Issues
John McCain
John McCain is calling for National Commission on Workplace Flexibility and Choice. This Commission would bring together a bi-partisan set of leaders representing workers, small and large employers, labor, and academics. The Commission would make recommendations to the President on how modernizing our nation’s labor laws and training programs can help workers better balance the demands of their job with family life and to enable workers to more easily transition between jobs.
The Commission would examine the following issues that John McCain believes are important to workplace flexibility and choice:
- Modernizing the nation’s labor laws so that they allow for more flexible scheduling arrangements
- Ensuring that the nation’s labor laws don’t get in the way of working at home
- Promoting telework so that workers can spend less time commuting
- Making health more portable so that workers don’t lose their benefits when they switch jobs
- Ensuring that workers can choose retirement plans that best suit their needs
- Providing workers with more choice in job training assistance so that they can build the skills they need for new and better jobs
Barack Obama
Obama will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions. He will fight for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Obama will ensure that his labor appointees support workers' rights and will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers. Obama will also increase the minimum wage and index it to inflation to ensure it rises every year.
- Ensure Freedom to Unionize: Obama believes that workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment or intimidation from their employers. Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize. He will continue to fight for EFCA's passage and sign it into law.
- Fight Attacks on Workers' Right to Organize: Obama has fought the Bush National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) efforts to strip workers of their right to organize. He is a cosponsor of legislation to overturn the NLRB's "
- Protect Striking Workers: Obama supports the right of workers to bargain collectively and strike if necessary. He will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.
- Raise the Minimum Wage: Barack Obama will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs.
- Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies: The Obama plan will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable, high-paying jobs. Obama will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth.
- Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama would update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.
- End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas: Barack Obama believes that companies should not get billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving their operations overseas. Obama will also fight to ensure that public contracts are awarded to companies that are committed to American workers.
- Reward Companies that Support American Workers: Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 with Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to reward companies that create good jobs with good benefits for American workers. The legislation would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in
- Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act: The FMLA covers only certain employees of employers with 50 or more employees. Obama will expand it to cover businesses with 25 or more employees. He will expand the FMLA to cover more purposes as well, including allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children's academic activities; and expanding FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence.
- Encourage States to Adopt Paid Leave: As president, Obama will initiate a strategy to encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with start-up costs and to help states offset the costs for employees and employers.
- Expand
- Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provides too little relief to families that struggle to afford child care expenses. Obama will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses.
- Protect Against Caregiver Discrimination: Workers with family obligations often are discriminated against in the workplace. Obama will enforce the recently-enacted Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines on caregiver discrimination.
- Expand Flexible Work Arrangements: Obama will create a program to inform businesses about the benefits of flexible work schedules; help businesses create flexible work opportunities; and increase federal incentives for telecommuting. Obama will also make the federal government a model employer in terms of adopting flexible work schedules and permitting employees to request flexible arrangements.
July 5, 2008
When is the Right Time for an HR Expert?
For many companies, who have experienced rapid growth, Human Resources is an after thought. You start out with two employees and before you know it, you've grown to over 25. Life in the office goes from being fairly simple to highly complex.
When you are a small company, it is easy to operate on the fly. In fact some employees find it thrilling to work in an environment where everything is informal. Unfortunately, there are many others who have a difficult time operating in an organization where the only thing that is predictable is change.
Like it or not, it may very well be time to formalize HR processes and procedures in your organization. No need to panic. You can easily accomplish this by hiring an HR Expert.
What's the role of an HR Expert?
Think of an HR Expert like you would a VP of HR. Only you don't have to provide this person with a fancy office and a big salary. The services of an HR expert vary depending on the company's needs and the consultant's depth of experience. Just-in-time services range from writing an employee handbook to helping guide you through complex HR issues.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. When evaluating consultants, focus on the value they can bring to your organization. A small decrease in turnover or an increase in productivity will more than pay for this investment.
So how do you know when it's the right time to hire an outside HR Expert? Here are some clues:
You no longer know right from wrong - When you first started your business you were feeling pretty comfortable addressing HR issues in your organization. After all, how hard could it be making up policies, such as vacation time, as you needed them? Now was it Bob or Mary that you promised an additional week of paid vacation? If you can't remember, ask either one of them. They know exactly what the other one has.
You are having a difficult time keeping up with all the rules and regulations-Some leaders find it hard to let go, so they try to manage everything. This requires a great deal of reading and a terrific memory. Before you enroll in a three-day seminar on the fundamentals of HR management, ask yourself if this time would be better spent dramatically improving your product and enhancing your market position.
You believe you can do it all in house - Why hire an expert when you can use software to automate all of HR? Take employee handbooks. For a few hundred dollars you can do it yourself. Or can you? You probably could if you had the knowledge that it took to answer the series of questions that need responses. But if you could do this, then why would you need to buy the software?
Save yourself the money and aggravation. Hire an expert who can get the work done right the first time and in a way that works for your company. Then cross this important item off of your long list of things to do.
You are not Atlas - When you are experiencing rapid growth, it's easy to forget that you need a strong foundation to support your company's growth. Imagine what would happen if you decided to build a 5,000 square foot house on a foundation that is meant to support a 2,000 square foot home. Your house will eventually collapse.
The same is true for organizations that have grown rapidly and have not established a strong base. Through luck, or by throwing out huge sums of money, you might have attracted star players to your team. But few people will stay once they realize that they have joined a squad that is experiencing lots of growing pains. Invest in your infrastructure beforehand, to ensure you retain those valuable resources.
You can no longer look around the office and call each employee by their name - If you've reached this point, then you probably should have hired an expert several years ago. That being said, it is not too late. Now where are those name tags kept?
Despite what you might have heard, there is no magic formula for deciding when it is time to bring in an HR Expert. The right time is when you are serious about decreasing your legal exposure, enhancing employee engagement and dramatically increasing productivity and profitability.*** If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
When you are a small company, it is easy to operate on the fly. In fact some employees find it thrilling to work in an environment where everything is informal. Unfortunately, there are many others who have a difficult time operating in an organization where the only thing that is predictable is change.
Like it or not, it may very well be time to formalize HR processes and procedures in your organization. No need to panic. You can easily accomplish this by hiring an HR Expert.
What's the role of an HR Expert?
Think of an HR Expert like you would a VP of HR. Only you don't have to provide this person with a fancy office and a big salary. The services of an HR expert vary depending on the company's needs and the consultant's depth of experience. Just-in-time services range from writing an employee handbook to helping guide you through complex HR issues.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. When evaluating consultants, focus on the value they can bring to your organization. A small decrease in turnover or an increase in productivity will more than pay for this investment.
So how do you know when it's the right time to hire an outside HR Expert? Here are some clues:
You no longer know right from wrong - When you first started your business you were feeling pretty comfortable addressing HR issues in your organization. After all, how hard could it be making up policies, such as vacation time, as you needed them? Now was it Bob or Mary that you promised an additional week of paid vacation? If you can't remember, ask either one of them. They know exactly what the other one has.
You are having a difficult time keeping up with all the rules and regulations-Some leaders find it hard to let go, so they try to manage everything. This requires a great deal of reading and a terrific memory. Before you enroll in a three-day seminar on the fundamentals of HR management, ask yourself if this time would be better spent dramatically improving your product and enhancing your market position.
You believe you can do it all in house - Why hire an expert when you can use software to automate all of HR? Take employee handbooks. For a few hundred dollars you can do it yourself. Or can you? You probably could if you had the knowledge that it took to answer the series of questions that need responses. But if you could do this, then why would you need to buy the software?
Save yourself the money and aggravation. Hire an expert who can get the work done right the first time and in a way that works for your company. Then cross this important item off of your long list of things to do.
You are not Atlas - When you are experiencing rapid growth, it's easy to forget that you need a strong foundation to support your company's growth. Imagine what would happen if you decided to build a 5,000 square foot house on a foundation that is meant to support a 2,000 square foot home. Your house will eventually collapse.
The same is true for organizations that have grown rapidly and have not established a strong base. Through luck, or by throwing out huge sums of money, you might have attracted star players to your team. But few people will stay once they realize that they have joined a squad that is experiencing lots of growing pains. Invest in your infrastructure beforehand, to ensure you retain those valuable resources.
You can no longer look around the office and call each employee by their name - If you've reached this point, then you probably should have hired an expert several years ago. That being said, it is not too late. Now where are those name tags kept?
Despite what you might have heard, there is no magic formula for deciding when it is time to bring in an HR Expert. The right time is when you are serious about decreasing your legal exposure, enhancing employee engagement and dramatically increasing productivity and profitability.*** If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
April 2, 2008
The Importance Of Employee Development
Employee development is crucial for the growth and prosperity of any business as employees are one of the determining factors for the success of the company. The more capable and qualified the employees the better the performance of the company. When they are well trained, they can easily handle situations and please customers ensuring customer retention. They can also resolve any glitches easily without much ado.
Employee development programs are essential to improve morale and to motivate the employees to perform well. Employees like to learn new skills and meet challenges and they are more motivated when they feel there is great potential for personal growth. When the company shows interest in employee development, the employee naturally has a greater interest in the company's development too.
Training Program For Employees
Training programs are essential and companies provide either initial training to help the employee learn about how to perform their duties or ongoing training where employees meet regularly to discuss how to improve work performance.
ome companies sponsor employees to learn the latest training so they can perform their jobs well. Care should be taken to see to it that the training is relevant and that it has a positive impact on the employee's performance. It should benefit the company. Companies should carefully analyze and determine if their employees need training. If so, select appropriate courses and monitor the training to be certain it has caused a positive change in the company's performance. Good training programs will greatly diminish the need for hiring specialists to perform certain tasks, improve work efficiency, and help employees know the latest techniques to adopt for the betterment of the company.
Employee development training must be regularly scrutinized, goals must be set, and achieved within a certain period of time. Assigning employees correctly to perform their duties is essential. Initiating rewards such as raises, promotions, and tuition reimbursement will motivate employees and make them eager to participate in the employee development programs.
Companies must analyze carefully if they need to enroll their employees in specific development programs. If so, what courses are best suited for their company? What target results do they want from their employees on account of the training? They can answer these questions using a needs analysis and finding out which areas need extra training for employees. Usually managers need training to help perform better and manage more efficiently. Make sure the employees are up to date with the latest technology available to ensure they perform better. Convey to the employees all about the program, the outcomes you expect, and how important it is they do their jobs better by using the opportunity the company has provided them. Hence, employee development programs are essential for any business to thrive and succeed.
_________________
Article Source: http://www.articlecafe.net
Employee development programs are essential to improve morale and to motivate the employees to perform well. Employees like to learn new skills and meet challenges and they are more motivated when they feel there is great potential for personal growth. When the company shows interest in employee development, the employee naturally has a greater interest in the company's development too.
Training Program For Employees
Training programs are essential and companies provide either initial training to help the employee learn about how to perform their duties or ongoing training where employees meet regularly to discuss how to improve work performance.
ome companies sponsor employees to learn the latest training so they can perform their jobs well. Care should be taken to see to it that the training is relevant and that it has a positive impact on the employee's performance. It should benefit the company. Companies should carefully analyze and determine if their employees need training. If so, select appropriate courses and monitor the training to be certain it has caused a positive change in the company's performance. Good training programs will greatly diminish the need for hiring specialists to perform certain tasks, improve work efficiency, and help employees know the latest techniques to adopt for the betterment of the company.
Employee development training must be regularly scrutinized, goals must be set, and achieved within a certain period of time. Assigning employees correctly to perform their duties is essential. Initiating rewards such as raises, promotions, and tuition reimbursement will motivate employees and make them eager to participate in the employee development programs.
Companies must analyze carefully if they need to enroll their employees in specific development programs. If so, what courses are best suited for their company? What target results do they want from their employees on account of the training? They can answer these questions using a needs analysis and finding out which areas need extra training for employees. Usually managers need training to help perform better and manage more efficiently. Make sure the employees are up to date with the latest technology available to ensure they perform better. Convey to the employees all about the program, the outcomes you expect, and how important it is they do their jobs better by using the opportunity the company has provided them. Hence, employee development programs are essential for any business to thrive and succeed.
_________________
Article Source: http://www.articlecafe.net
March 26, 2008
Leadership Exposed | Things You Thought You Knew About Leadership
Much has been written about leadership: rules, pointers, styles, and biographies of inspiring leaders throughout world history. But there are certain leadership ideas that we ourselves fail to recognize and realize in the course of reading books. Here is a short list of things you thought you knew about leadership.
1. Leaders come in different flavors.
There are different types of leaders and you will probably encounter more than one type in your lifetime. Formal leaders are those we elect into positions or offices such as the senators, congressmen, and presidents of the local clubs. Informal leaders or those we look up to by virtue of their wisdom and experience such as in the case of the elders of a tribe, or our grandparents; or by virtue of their expertise and contribution on a given field such as Albert Einstein in the field of Theoretical Physics and Leonardo da Vinci in the field of the Arts. Both formal and informal leaders practice a combination of leadership styles.
· Lewin’s three basic leadership styles – authoritative, participative, and delegative
· Likert’s four leadership styles – exploitive authoritative, benevolent authoritative, consultative, and participative
· Goleman’s six emotional leadership styles - visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding.
2. Leadership is a process of becoming.
Although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential. So like learning how to ride a bicycle, you can also learn how to become a leader and hone your leadership abilities. Knowledge on leadership theories and skills may be formally gained by enrolling in leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences. Daily interactions with people provide the opportunity to observe and practice leadership theories. Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, gain leadership insights, and thus furthering the cycle of learning. You do not become a leader in one day and just stop. Life-long learning is important in becoming a good leader for each day brings new experiences that put your knowledge, skills, and attitude to a test.
3. Leadership starts with you.
The best way to develop leadership qualities is to apply it to your own life. As an adage goes “action speaks louder than words.” Leaders are always in the limelight. Keep in mind that your credibility as a leader depends much on your actions: your interaction with your family, friends, and co-workers; your way of managing your personal and organizational responsibilities; and even the way you talk with the newspaper vendor across the street. Repeated actions become habits. Habits in turn form a person’s character. Steven Covey’s book entitled 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides good insights on how you can achieve personal leadership.
4. Leadership is shared.
Leadership is not the sole responsibility of one person, but rather a shared responsibility among members of an emerging team. A leader belongs to a group. Each member has responsibilities to fulfill. Formal leadership positions are merely added responsibilities aside from their responsibilities as members of the team. Effective leadership requires members to do their share of work. Starting as a mere group of individuals, members and leaders work towards the formation of an effective team. In this light, social interaction plays a major role in leadership. To learn how to work together requires a great deal of trust between and among leaders and members of an emerging team. Trust is built upon actions and not merely on words. When mutual respect exists, trust is fostered and confidence is built.
5. Leadership styles depend on the situation.
How come dictatorship works for Singapore but not in the United States of America? Aside from culture, beliefs, value system, and form of government, the current situation of a nation also affects the leadership styles used by its formal leaders. There is no rule that only one style can be used. Most of the time, leaders employ a combination of leadership styles depending on the situation. In emergency situations such as periods of war and calamity, decision-making is a matter of life and death. Thus, a nation’s leader cannot afford to consult with all departments to arrive at crucial decisions. The case is of course different in times of peace and order---different sectors and other branches of government can freely interact and participate in governance. Another case in point is in leading organizations. When the staffs are highly motivated and competent, a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles of leadership is most appropriate. But if the staffs have low competence and low commitment, a combination of high coaching, high supporting, and high directing behavior from organizational leaders is required.
Now that you are reminded of these things, keep in mind that there are always ideas that we think we already know; concepts we take for granted, but are actually the most useful insights on leadership.
___________
Article Source: PositiveArticles.Com
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1. Leaders come in different flavors.
There are different types of leaders and you will probably encounter more than one type in your lifetime. Formal leaders are those we elect into positions or offices such as the senators, congressmen, and presidents of the local clubs. Informal leaders or those we look up to by virtue of their wisdom and experience such as in the case of the elders of a tribe, or our grandparents; or by virtue of their expertise and contribution on a given field such as Albert Einstein in the field of Theoretical Physics and Leonardo da Vinci in the field of the Arts. Both formal and informal leaders practice a combination of leadership styles.
· Lewin’s three basic leadership styles – authoritative, participative, and delegative
· Likert’s four leadership styles – exploitive authoritative, benevolent authoritative, consultative, and participative
· Goleman’s six emotional leadership styles - visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding.
2. Leadership is a process of becoming.
Although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential. So like learning how to ride a bicycle, you can also learn how to become a leader and hone your leadership abilities. Knowledge on leadership theories and skills may be formally gained by enrolling in leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences. Daily interactions with people provide the opportunity to observe and practice leadership theories. Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, gain leadership insights, and thus furthering the cycle of learning. You do not become a leader in one day and just stop. Life-long learning is important in becoming a good leader for each day brings new experiences that put your knowledge, skills, and attitude to a test.
3. Leadership starts with you.
The best way to develop leadership qualities is to apply it to your own life. As an adage goes “action speaks louder than words.” Leaders are always in the limelight. Keep in mind that your credibility as a leader depends much on your actions: your interaction with your family, friends, and co-workers; your way of managing your personal and organizational responsibilities; and even the way you talk with the newspaper vendor across the street. Repeated actions become habits. Habits in turn form a person’s character. Steven Covey’s book entitled 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides good insights on how you can achieve personal leadership.
4. Leadership is shared.
Leadership is not the sole responsibility of one person, but rather a shared responsibility among members of an emerging team. A leader belongs to a group. Each member has responsibilities to fulfill. Formal leadership positions are merely added responsibilities aside from their responsibilities as members of the team. Effective leadership requires members to do their share of work. Starting as a mere group of individuals, members and leaders work towards the formation of an effective team. In this light, social interaction plays a major role in leadership. To learn how to work together requires a great deal of trust between and among leaders and members of an emerging team. Trust is built upon actions and not merely on words. When mutual respect exists, trust is fostered and confidence is built.
5. Leadership styles depend on the situation.
How come dictatorship works for Singapore but not in the United States of America? Aside from culture, beliefs, value system, and form of government, the current situation of a nation also affects the leadership styles used by its formal leaders. There is no rule that only one style can be used. Most of the time, leaders employ a combination of leadership styles depending on the situation. In emergency situations such as periods of war and calamity, decision-making is a matter of life and death. Thus, a nation’s leader cannot afford to consult with all departments to arrive at crucial decisions. The case is of course different in times of peace and order---different sectors and other branches of government can freely interact and participate in governance. Another case in point is in leading organizations. When the staffs are highly motivated and competent, a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles of leadership is most appropriate. But if the staffs have low competence and low commitment, a combination of high coaching, high supporting, and high directing behavior from organizational leaders is required.
Now that you are reminded of these things, keep in mind that there are always ideas that we think we already know; concepts we take for granted, but are actually the most useful insights on leadership.
___________
Article Source: PositiveArticles.Com
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March 18, 2008
How to Become an Ideal Leader
When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don't seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals. Then maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it.
Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn't unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.
Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.
You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.
First of all, let's define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.
Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.
First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?
People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don't follow me, I'm lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you're headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.
You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization's goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.
Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It's about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you're subordinates must be.
Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.
Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.
The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.
Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.
Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.
Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.
It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.
Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.
You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.
Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.
So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader today.
If you like the articles from this blog
subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn't unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.
Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.
You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.
First of all, let's define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.
Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.
First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?
People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don't follow me, I'm lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you're headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.
You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization's goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.
Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It's about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you're subordinates must be.
Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.
Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.
The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.
Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.
Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.
Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.
It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.
Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.
You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.
Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.
So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader today.
If you like the articles from this blog
subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
March 14, 2008
Coaching | The Way to Go in Team Management
When you hear the word “coach”, what comes first into your mind? Do you picture a basketball team with a man/woman shouting out directions? Or perhaps a football team with a man/woman pacing to and fro and calling out the names of the players?
Coaching is no longer reserved to sports teams; it is now one of the key concepts in leadership and management. Why is coaching popular?
Coaching levels the playing field.
Coaching is one of the six emotional leadership styles proposed by Daniel Goleman. Moreover, it is a behavior or role that leaders enforce in the context of situational leadership. As a leadership style, coaching is used when the members of a group or team are competent and motivated, but do not have an idea of the long-term goals of an organization. This involves two levels of coaching: team and individual. Team coaching makes members work together. In a group of individuals, not everyone may have nor share the same level of competence and commitment to a goal. A group may be a mix of highly competent and moderately competent members with varying levels of commitment. These differences can cause friction among the members. The coaching leader helps the members level their expectations. Also, the coaching leader manages differing perspectives so that the common goal succeeds over personal goals and interests. In a big organization, leaders need to align the staffs’ personal values and goals with that of the organization so that long-term directions can be pursued.
Coaching builds up confidence and competence.
Individual coaching is an example of situational leadership at work. It aims to mentor one-on-one building up the confidence of members by affirming good performance during regular feedbacks; and increase competence by helping the member assess his/her strengths and weaknesses towards career planning and professional development. Depending on the individual’s level of competence and commitment, a leader may exercise more coaching behavior for the less-experienced members. Usually, this happens in the case of new staffs. The direct supervisor gives more defined tasks and holds regular feedbacks for the new staff, and gradually lessens the amount of coaching, directing, and supporting roles to favor delegating as competence and confidence increase.
Coaching promotes individual and team excellence.
Excellence is a product of habitual good practice. The regularity of meetings and constructive feedback is important in establishing habits. Members catch the habit of constantly assessing themselves for their strengths and areas for improvement that they themselves perceive what knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to acquire to attain team goals. In the process, they attain individually excellence as well. An example is in the case of a musical orchestra: each member plays a different instrument. In order to achieve harmony of music from the different instrument, members will polish their part in the piece, aside from practicing as an ensemble. Consequently, they improve individually as an instrument player.
Coaching develops high commitment to common goals.
A coaching leader balances the attainment of immediate targets with long-term goals towards the vision of an organization. As mentioned earlier, with the alignment of personal goals with organizational or team goals, personal interests are kept in check. By constantly communicating the vision through formal and informal conversations, the members are inspired and motivated. Setting short-term team goals aligned with organizational goals; and making an action plan to attain these goals can help sustain the increased motivation and commitment to common goals of the members.
Coaching produces valuable leaders.
Leadership by example is important in coaching. A coaching leader loses credibility when he/she cannot practice what he/she preaches. This means that a coaching leader should be well organized, highly competent is his/her field, communicates openly and encourages feedback, and has a clear idea of the organization’s vision-mission-goals. By vicarious and purposive learning, members catch the same good practices and attitudes from the coaching leader, turning them into coaching leaders themselves. If a member experiences good coaching, he/she is most likely to do the same things when entrusted with formal leadership roles.
Some words of caution though: coaching is just one of the styles of leadership. It can be done in combination with the other five emotional leadership styles depending on the profile of the emerging team. Moreover, coaching as a leadership style requires that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally fit most of the time since it involves two levels of coaching: individual and team. Your members expect you to be the last one to give up or bail out in any situation especially during times of crises. A coaching leader must be conscious that coaching entails investing time on each individual, and on the whole team. Moreover, that the responsibilities are greater since while you are coaching members, you are also developing future coaches as well. (*)
If you like the articles from this blog
subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Coaching is no longer reserved to sports teams; it is now one of the key concepts in leadership and management. Why is coaching popular?
Coaching levels the playing field.
Coaching is one of the six emotional leadership styles proposed by Daniel Goleman. Moreover, it is a behavior or role that leaders enforce in the context of situational leadership. As a leadership style, coaching is used when the members of a group or team are competent and motivated, but do not have an idea of the long-term goals of an organization. This involves two levels of coaching: team and individual. Team coaching makes members work together. In a group of individuals, not everyone may have nor share the same level of competence and commitment to a goal. A group may be a mix of highly competent and moderately competent members with varying levels of commitment. These differences can cause friction among the members. The coaching leader helps the members level their expectations. Also, the coaching leader manages differing perspectives so that the common goal succeeds over personal goals and interests. In a big organization, leaders need to align the staffs’ personal values and goals with that of the organization so that long-term directions can be pursued.
Coaching builds up confidence and competence.
Individual coaching is an example of situational leadership at work. It aims to mentor one-on-one building up the confidence of members by affirming good performance during regular feedbacks; and increase competence by helping the member assess his/her strengths and weaknesses towards career planning and professional development. Depending on the individual’s level of competence and commitment, a leader may exercise more coaching behavior for the less-experienced members. Usually, this happens in the case of new staffs. The direct supervisor gives more defined tasks and holds regular feedbacks for the new staff, and gradually lessens the amount of coaching, directing, and supporting roles to favor delegating as competence and confidence increase.
Coaching promotes individual and team excellence.
Excellence is a product of habitual good practice. The regularity of meetings and constructive feedback is important in establishing habits. Members catch the habit of constantly assessing themselves for their strengths and areas for improvement that they themselves perceive what knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to acquire to attain team goals. In the process, they attain individually excellence as well. An example is in the case of a musical orchestra: each member plays a different instrument. In order to achieve harmony of music from the different instrument, members will polish their part in the piece, aside from practicing as an ensemble. Consequently, they improve individually as an instrument player.
Coaching develops high commitment to common goals.
A coaching leader balances the attainment of immediate targets with long-term goals towards the vision of an organization. As mentioned earlier, with the alignment of personal goals with organizational or team goals, personal interests are kept in check. By constantly communicating the vision through formal and informal conversations, the members are inspired and motivated. Setting short-term team goals aligned with organizational goals; and making an action plan to attain these goals can help sustain the increased motivation and commitment to common goals of the members.
Coaching produces valuable leaders.
Leadership by example is important in coaching. A coaching leader loses credibility when he/she cannot practice what he/she preaches. This means that a coaching leader should be well organized, highly competent is his/her field, communicates openly and encourages feedback, and has a clear idea of the organization’s vision-mission-goals. By vicarious and purposive learning, members catch the same good practices and attitudes from the coaching leader, turning them into coaching leaders themselves. If a member experiences good coaching, he/she is most likely to do the same things when entrusted with formal leadership roles.
Some words of caution though: coaching is just one of the styles of leadership. It can be done in combination with the other five emotional leadership styles depending on the profile of the emerging team. Moreover, coaching as a leadership style requires that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally fit most of the time since it involves two levels of coaching: individual and team. Your members expect you to be the last one to give up or bail out in any situation especially during times of crises. A coaching leader must be conscious that coaching entails investing time on each individual, and on the whole team. Moreover, that the responsibilities are greater since while you are coaching members, you are also developing future coaches as well. (*)
If you like the articles from this blog
subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
January 28, 2008
Assessment and Certification for HR Professional
In the development and training of personnel practitioners, the assessment and certification of learning plays an important role in the recognition of the professional experience, skills and knowledge of individuals. Certification can form the criteria of association membership, and can demonstrate an individual’s adherence to standards and a commitment to staying abreast of new developments in the HR field. It is also a visual statement of professional status and as such is a useful tool in career advancement
In devising a scheme of certification it is important that the scheme allows individuals to demonstrate that their knowledge, skills and experience in a generalist or specialist role in HRM and/or HRD are sufficient to meet the criteria for professional competence. This can entail the demonstration of professional experience and/or the passing of a written comprehensive examination to meet pre-set requirements.
Mechanisms
As with training and development events, the majority of Associations runs its own certified courses of study or recognizes courses run by other institutions. Such courses are different to the training programs offered, as they often involve a number of modules, and have an assessment process that can result in the award of a certificate.
The various assessment mechanisms range from the practical to the more theoretical. For example, skills can be measured through a competency portfolio assessment, whereby an assessor is appointed to judge a person’s work. An alternative mechanism and one which is more widely used, is a written examination of knowledge which can take the form of multiple-choice or essay questions. These courses are assessed against standards at national or association level (Wiley 1999).
Case Example
In this section three examples of well-established systems of certification are presented, each one having been designed according to a different mechanism.
Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) - USA
In the USA, the HR credentialing body (HRCI) is separate from the HR association (the
Society for Human Resource Management - SHRM). This means that the HRCI runs a
voluntary programs, and is not accredited by anyone, nor does it accredit any programs that use its body of knowledge content outline. Equally there is no membership scheme and it does not run any courses: it purely assesses and certifies the knowledge of HR practitioners. This certification scheme has been in place since 1976.
Complementary to the work of the HRCI, SHRM provides certification preparation courses of study, and these have been running since 1988. These courses are available in different modes of study, primarily on a part-time or in-company basis.
The certification scheme is intended for those currently working in the HR field. There are two possible designations: Professional in HR and Senior Professional in HR. The assessment structure is based on having achieved the prerequisite HR experience (a minimum of two years in a position involving HR at least 51% of the time) and passing a written examination. This examination is based on the technical and operational aspects of HR at the Professional level, and on strategic and policy issues in HR at Senior Professional level. There is no prior requirement to have a university degree. The examinations themselves are based on 250 multiple-choice questions tested over a period of four hours. For the certificate to be awarded, candidates must agree to abide by the SHRM Code of Ethics and the HRCI Model of Professional Excellence. Re-certification is possible but not mandatory after one year, either through evidence of continuing education and experience or through retesting. Each year, around 7,500 individuals follow the certification preparation courses, with an average examination success rate of approximately 50%. Currently, some 33,000 individuals hold the HRCI certification, of which 17,000 are members of SHRM.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) – UK
In the UK, the CIPD is the professional association as well as the certifying and awarding
body. It is accredited by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the Open
University. The CIPD has its own professional standards that have been developed through multiple stakeholders, and which have been mapped against the UK national standards. The certified courses of study run by the CIPD have been in place for 30 years.
Certification is awarded based on either experience and/or examination. The following list shows the different routes to CIPD certification:
Professional education
Approved centers offer a variety of courses including flexible learning courses and assessment via essay style examination, assignments and a management report.
Competence assessment against national standards
Individuals can gain both a National Vocational Qualification as well as the CIPD certification. This route is measured by the development of a professional portfolio that is assessed by a qualified assessor.
Professional assessment against CIPD standards
Again, this route is based on experience via portfolio development and assessment through an approved centre.
Assessment of prior certified learning
Relevant academic or professional qualifications previously gained are assessed against CIPD standards for certification to be awarded. These courses and assessment centers are either accredited centers which run internally assessed programs, or approved centers that prepare students for assessment by CIPD national examinations. Courses are run using a range of modes of study, with the part-time option being the most popular. Each year, around 12,000 individuals are successful in passing the certified courses of study, with approximately 76,000 individuals currently holding certification, but over 95,000 either certified or working towards certification. The average pass rate for the examinations is 55%. There is a requirement to be a member of the CIPD in order to sit the CIPD examinations. Agreement to comply with the standards of professional conduct is also required of CIPD members.
Each of the certification routes described above has a different certification level, which in turn results in a different grade of membership:
Certificate in Personnel Practice – Associate member
Certificate in Training Practice – Associate member
Professional Qualification Scheme – Licentiate member (after partial completion),
Graduate member (upon completion of the whole programs).
There is no re-certification requirement but Continuing Professional Development records are required for upgrading membership.
In devising a scheme of certification it is important that the scheme allows individuals to demonstrate that their knowledge, skills and experience in a generalist or specialist role in HRM and/or HRD are sufficient to meet the criteria for professional competence. This can entail the demonstration of professional experience and/or the passing of a written comprehensive examination to meet pre-set requirements.
Mechanisms
As with training and development events, the majority of Associations runs its own certified courses of study or recognizes courses run by other institutions. Such courses are different to the training programs offered, as they often involve a number of modules, and have an assessment process that can result in the award of a certificate.
The various assessment mechanisms range from the practical to the more theoretical. For example, skills can be measured through a competency portfolio assessment, whereby an assessor is appointed to judge a person’s work. An alternative mechanism and one which is more widely used, is a written examination of knowledge which can take the form of multiple-choice or essay questions. These courses are assessed against standards at national or association level (Wiley 1999).
Case Example
In this section three examples of well-established systems of certification are presented, each one having been designed according to a different mechanism.
Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) - USA
In the USA, the HR credentialing body (HRCI) is separate from the HR association (the
Society for Human Resource Management - SHRM). This means that the HRCI runs a
voluntary programs, and is not accredited by anyone, nor does it accredit any programs that use its body of knowledge content outline. Equally there is no membership scheme and it does not run any courses: it purely assesses and certifies the knowledge of HR practitioners. This certification scheme has been in place since 1976.
Complementary to the work of the HRCI, SHRM provides certification preparation courses of study, and these have been running since 1988. These courses are available in different modes of study, primarily on a part-time or in-company basis.
The certification scheme is intended for those currently working in the HR field. There are two possible designations: Professional in HR and Senior Professional in HR. The assessment structure is based on having achieved the prerequisite HR experience (a minimum of two years in a position involving HR at least 51% of the time) and passing a written examination. This examination is based on the technical and operational aspects of HR at the Professional level, and on strategic and policy issues in HR at Senior Professional level. There is no prior requirement to have a university degree. The examinations themselves are based on 250 multiple-choice questions tested over a period of four hours. For the certificate to be awarded, candidates must agree to abide by the SHRM Code of Ethics and the HRCI Model of Professional Excellence. Re-certification is possible but not mandatory after one year, either through evidence of continuing education and experience or through retesting. Each year, around 7,500 individuals follow the certification preparation courses, with an average examination success rate of approximately 50%. Currently, some 33,000 individuals hold the HRCI certification, of which 17,000 are members of SHRM.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) – UK
In the UK, the CIPD is the professional association as well as the certifying and awarding
body. It is accredited by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the Open
University. The CIPD has its own professional standards that have been developed through multiple stakeholders, and which have been mapped against the UK national standards. The certified courses of study run by the CIPD have been in place for 30 years.
Certification is awarded based on either experience and/or examination. The following list shows the different routes to CIPD certification:
Professional education
Approved centers offer a variety of courses including flexible learning courses and assessment via essay style examination, assignments and a management report.
Competence assessment against national standards
Individuals can gain both a National Vocational Qualification as well as the CIPD certification. This route is measured by the development of a professional portfolio that is assessed by a qualified assessor.
Professional assessment against CIPD standards
Again, this route is based on experience via portfolio development and assessment through an approved centre.
Assessment of prior certified learning
Relevant academic or professional qualifications previously gained are assessed against CIPD standards for certification to be awarded. These courses and assessment centers are either accredited centers which run internally assessed programs, or approved centers that prepare students for assessment by CIPD national examinations. Courses are run using a range of modes of study, with the part-time option being the most popular. Each year, around 12,000 individuals are successful in passing the certified courses of study, with approximately 76,000 individuals currently holding certification, but over 95,000 either certified or working towards certification. The average pass rate for the examinations is 55%. There is a requirement to be a member of the CIPD in order to sit the CIPD examinations. Agreement to comply with the standards of professional conduct is also required of CIPD members.
Each of the certification routes described above has a different certification level, which in turn results in a different grade of membership:
Certificate in Personnel Practice – Associate member
Certificate in Training Practice – Associate member
Professional Qualification Scheme – Licentiate member (after partial completion),
Graduate member (upon completion of the whole programs).
There is no re-certification requirement but Continuing Professional Development records are required for upgrading membership.
October 23, 2007
Twitter | Looking for bright minds
Twitter have new people working at their HQ. They are Alissa Huskey as an engineer and Krissy Bush, Human Resources Manager.Now. they are looking for bright minds to help their work on the ongoing challenge of creating a compelling experience while accommodating rapid growth.
Positions Available
Senior Engineers
Do you like to write code that works elegantly and efficiently, then push it out to thousands of customers the same day it's finished? Do you enjoy thinking carefully about system design and then sitting down to write a river of code which passes its own tests the first time through? Do you want to help build a fast, reliable, complex messaging application that bridges the Internet and cell phones? If so, we're looking people with these skills...
* BS or MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
* 5+ years of real-world software development experience.
* Excellent and influential communication skills with engineers and non-engineers.
* Extensive experience programming in both scripting and application-specific languages.
* Deep familiarity with Unix environments, HTTP, TCP/IP.
* Experience with Jabber, Ruby on Rails, and MySQL a plus.
* Experience practicing agile development methodologies.
* Open source community participation is highly respected.
* Strong interest in Twitter and developing a world class Internet utility.
Operations Engineers
* Focus on consistent availability and reliability (self and systems).
* Excellent and influential communication skills (team, vendors, community).
* Experience with: Linux, OS X, Solaris, HTTPD (Apache, lighttpd, nginx), mongrel, tomcat, MySQL, pgsql, storage systems (NFS, NAS, SAN), load balancing systems (hardware, software, dns), automated system tools (cfengine).
* Experience maintaining: large number of servers, multi-tiered environments, monitoring and notification tools.
* Experience executing: well planned and tested solutions to complex problems, goal oriented workdays with multiple context changes and interruption.
* Must have: excellent triage skills, mild manner, rockstar inside (ready to rise to any occasion), strong interest in Twitter.
Interested? Please email to jobs at twitter dot com.
October 5, 2007
New Competencies for HR
From the HR Magazine
Researchers identified six core competencies that high-performing HR professionals embody. These supersede the five competencies outlined in the 2002 Human Resource Competency Study (HRCS)—the last study published—reflecting the continuing evolution of the HR profession. Each competency is broken out into performance elements.
The Competencies and Their Elements
The six competencies and the elements that make them up offer the outlines of what it takes to be successful.
The Credible Activist is respected, admired, listened to and offers a point of view, takes a position and challenges assumptions by:
• Delivering results with integrity.
• Sharing information.
• Building relationships of trust.
• Doing HR with an attitude (taking appropriate risks, providing candid observations, influencing others).
The Cultural Steward recognizes, articulates and helps shape a company’s culture by:
• Facilitating change.
• Crafting culture.
• Valuing culture.
• Personalizing culture (helping employees find meaning in their work, managing work/life balance, encouraging innovation).
The Talent Manager/Organizational Designer masters theory, research and practice in both talent management and organizational design by:
• Ensuring today’s and tomorrow’s talent.
• Developing talent.
• Shaping the organization.
• Fostering communication.
• Designing reward systems.
The Strategy Architect knows how to make the right change happen by:
• Sustaining strategic agility.
• Engaging customers.
The Business Ally contributes to the success of the business by:
• Serving the value chain.
• Interpreting social context.
• Articulating the value proposition.
• Leveraging business technology.
The Operational Executor administers the day-to-day work of managing people inside an organization by:
• Implementing workplace policies.
• Advancing HR technology.
Researchers identified six core competencies that high-performing HR professionals embody. These supersede the five competencies outlined in the 2002 Human Resource Competency Study (HRCS)—the last study published—reflecting the continuing evolution of the HR profession. Each competency is broken out into performance elements.
The Competencies and Their Elements
The six competencies and the elements that make them up offer the outlines of what it takes to be successful.
The Credible Activist is respected, admired, listened to and offers a point of view, takes a position and challenges assumptions by:
• Delivering results with integrity.
• Sharing information.
• Building relationships of trust.
• Doing HR with an attitude (taking appropriate risks, providing candid observations, influencing others).
The Cultural Steward recognizes, articulates and helps shape a company’s culture by:
• Facilitating change.
• Crafting culture.
• Valuing culture.
• Personalizing culture (helping employees find meaning in their work, managing work/life balance, encouraging innovation).
The Talent Manager/Organizational Designer masters theory, research and practice in both talent management and organizational design by:
• Ensuring today’s and tomorrow’s talent.
• Developing talent.
• Shaping the organization.
• Fostering communication.
• Designing reward systems.
The Strategy Architect knows how to make the right change happen by:
• Sustaining strategic agility.
• Engaging customers.
The Business Ally contributes to the success of the business by:
• Serving the value chain.
• Interpreting social context.
• Articulating the value proposition.
• Leveraging business technology.
The Operational Executor administers the day-to-day work of managing people inside an organization by:
• Implementing workplace policies.
• Advancing HR technology.
September 13, 2007
Ten Questions for Career Changers
Are you planning to change jobs or careers? For some the move is to
find work that is more fulfilling so that you will be happier. For
others it may a step toward taking more of a leadership role. Whatever your
reasons for the career change, you'll want to do some self discovery
work. These ten questions will help you to sort out what kind of work
you are looking for and what you offer to a potential employer.
1. What is your dream job? It doesn't need a title or even to know it
actually exists. Close your eyes and dream about what you would be
doing if you could be doing anything you wanted to. Notice the tasks you
gravitate to, the kind of people you work with, and the place you are
working. All theses are clues for you.
2. What are your values? Each of us has values that we hold dear.
Some examples of values would be: contribute, success, adventure, balance,
win, freedom. When our values are not met we become upset and angry.
For example if freedom is important to you and working late gets in
the way of your freedom, you will become very angry.
3. What are your passions? What issue, group or idea energizes you?
Thinking about it makes you really emotional. You have a compelling need
to work on it. Your passion is connected to your mission and purpose
in life. With passion anything is possible!
4. What are your interests? What about a job makes you excited and
eager to get to work? What holds your attention and keeps you intrigued.
5. What special talents do you have? Is there something you do better
than most people and is it something you really enjoy doing? Piano
playing, grant writing, computer wiz these are talents others value. If
you have a talent for something but hate doing it, keep it hidden!
6. What are your skills? Based on your previous experiences what is it
that you do reasonably well and want to continue doing for another
employer?
7. What are your strengths? What do others tell you that you do well?
If you don't know, ask 5 people you work with or are friends with to
tell you what they see as your 5 strengths. This exercise can be very
affirming.
8. What are your weaknesses? What have you been told you don't do
well? Are they worth working on or do you plan to work around them? Some
weaknesses can be delegated to other workers ie a poor speller can use
spell check and a proof reader.
9. What type of activities do you dislike? This list is helpful in
eliminating positions or careers. You will want to avoid these if at all
possible.
10. What kind of work environment is best for you? Are you looking for
plush surroundings? Does the office need to be fast paced? Do you
thrive when the environment is cooperative or competitive? Choosing the
appropriate work environment can make a big difference in your success
on the job.
Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://human-resources-mgt.bestmanagementarticles.com
_________________
Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor (the attorney's coach) and a Career Transition Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. You may subscribe to these publications at her website www.asparker.com. Parker's Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable.
find work that is more fulfilling so that you will be happier. For
others it may a step toward taking more of a leadership role. Whatever your
reasons for the career change, you'll want to do some self discovery
work. These ten questions will help you to sort out what kind of work
you are looking for and what you offer to a potential employer.
1. What is your dream job? It doesn't need a title or even to know it
actually exists. Close your eyes and dream about what you would be
doing if you could be doing anything you wanted to. Notice the tasks you
gravitate to, the kind of people you work with, and the place you are
working. All theses are clues for you.
2. What are your values? Each of us has values that we hold dear.
Some examples of values would be: contribute, success, adventure, balance,
win, freedom. When our values are not met we become upset and angry.
For example if freedom is important to you and working late gets in
the way of your freedom, you will become very angry.
3. What are your passions? What issue, group or idea energizes you?
Thinking about it makes you really emotional. You have a compelling need
to work on it. Your passion is connected to your mission and purpose
in life. With passion anything is possible!
4. What are your interests? What about a job makes you excited and
eager to get to work? What holds your attention and keeps you intrigued.
5. What special talents do you have? Is there something you do better
than most people and is it something you really enjoy doing? Piano
playing, grant writing, computer wiz these are talents others value. If
you have a talent for something but hate doing it, keep it hidden!
6. What are your skills? Based on your previous experiences what is it
that you do reasonably well and want to continue doing for another
employer?
7. What are your strengths? What do others tell you that you do well?
If you don't know, ask 5 people you work with or are friends with to
tell you what they see as your 5 strengths. This exercise can be very
affirming.
8. What are your weaknesses? What have you been told you don't do
well? Are they worth working on or do you plan to work around them? Some
weaknesses can be delegated to other workers ie a poor speller can use
spell check and a proof reader.
9. What type of activities do you dislike? This list is helpful in
eliminating positions or careers. You will want to avoid these if at all
possible.
10. What kind of work environment is best for you? Are you looking for
plush surroundings? Does the office need to be fast paced? Do you
thrive when the environment is cooperative or competitive? Choosing the
appropriate work environment can make a big difference in your success
on the job.
Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://human-resources-mgt.bestmanagementarticles.com
_________________
Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor (the attorney's coach) and a Career Transition Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. You may subscribe to these publications at her website www.asparker.com. Parker's Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable.
May 30, 2007
The Manager Competency Model (2)
I have post article about The manager competency model a few days ago. The model contains 11 competencies, organized in four clusters. The four clusters are, Managing Yourself, Managing Your Team, Managing the Work, Managing Collaboratively
Now I want to share with you about The Top Ten Managerial Competencies. I read this article in HR Files blog, written by Ira S. Wolfe the founder of Success Performance Solutions.
The Top Ten Managerial Competencies
Over 5000 executives were surveyed, here is their choices for critical management talents.
It's a given these days.
Effective leadership requires the ability to think analytically without getting bogged down in the details, making timely decisions without reacting impulsively, building consensus without compromising results, and getting people to want to do what you want them to do.
These abilities are often times called competencies and nearly every large organization in America is working on building their core competency list. This list is becoming an employee's ticket for entry, advancement and even retention.
But listing competencies is only the start. We wondered how different managers might view the list and how much importance they placed on them. So we asked this very question to over 5000 The Total View newsletter subscribers, mostly professional managers and business leaders, in late August. We selected ten core competencies, commonly cited in the research and benchmarking studies, for top performance. To get our results, we asked respondents to rank each of these ten competencies from essential to not important at all.
Comparing our respondents' opinions to the results of other organizations, it's clear that getting agreement on what makes top managers tick is about easy as herding cats. Not surprisingly, we had a wide range of opinion. Here's what we found.
To tell the truth
Integrity was the hands-down winner in what respondents felt was the most essential competency for top performance from a manager. Ethics was not a so far behind second place. In third place was customer service. (To view the complete survey visit www.super-solutions.com .)
The results, however, were not unanimous. Ten percent or more felt that integrity and ethics was merely "nice to have" or "not important at all".
Ethics: Close enough apparently is good enough
Being able to trust the manager, or integrity, was an essential ingredient for top performing managers according to 64 percent of the respondents.
"Walking the talk" and acting in line with the core values and beliefs of the organization was felt to be an essential competence held by only 58 percent of the respondents. Like integrity, an amazing 13 percent felt that ethics was only nice to have or not important at all.
I guess this begs the question - if integrity and ethics is not essential for nearly 40 percent of the managers, what overrides it and for what positions and organizations are they not important?
It's not my fault
Senior managers talk a lot about accountability and motivation. But according to our respondents, only 45 percent felt taking responsibility for his/her own mistakes or inefficiencies was essential for top management performance! More surprising was that 8 percent felt accountability was just a nice to have skill or was not important at all.
In addition, persistence, or following through especially when faced with adversity or challenges, was an essential skill for only 40 percent of the respondents. Interpersonal skills always falls in the top 3 skills listed for nearly every management and leadership position. And yet only 33 percent felt that relating well to all kinds of people in a variety of situations was essential.
Building effective teams is another highly marketed skill that managers look for during the interview. Forty percent felt that defining success in terms of the whole team or organization was also an essential skill required to be a top performer in their organization.
Other competencies included in the survey were:
Business knowledge: Only 42% felt that understanding how the business worked was an essential skill for a top performing manager.
Coping Skills: Fifty-four percent fell that maintaining composure under stressful conditions was essential.
Customer Service: only 54 percent felt that meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers on a regular basis was essential. Hmm. Could this be the reason why both internal and external turnover and attrition is so high?
Dealing with ambiguity: A mere 1 out of 3 felt that making effective decisions when you do not have all the information was an essential managerial skill. Maybe we just had a lot of respondents from Missouri, the show-me state, but this definitely bucks the opinion of much of the research that says digital age decision-making requires quick but accurate outcomes.
A few steps short
While identifying and building consensus on what core essential competencies are essential may be difficult, the following question stumps even the very best of management teams. How do you measure competences and how much is enough?
To demonstrate how challenging this can be, during every job benchmarking project managers list integrity and ethics as an essential core competency. Senior management and boards of directors then emblazon mission statements and core values with integrity and ethics. And employees search for jobs in organizations that promote integrity and ethics.
But how do know if a person has integrity and how much is enough?
Building a competency profile but not identifying how you'll assess a competency like integrity (or any other competency for that matter) is like buying a map to plan your next trip without deciding how you will get there. Without some mode of transportation, the vacation will never begin. So while it might be easy to put pen to paper and list the competencies you want, actually qualifying individuals is a different story.
As our survey showed, integrity and ethics are listed as essential core competencies by the majority of managers. Employees are being hired, fired, disciplined, and promoted everyday based on integrity. Yet few managers can agree what integrity looks like or even if it is needed.
Even fewer individuals can quantify how much integrity an individual should have.
For example, one individual might describe integrity in terms of trusting another person, or knowing that information you share in confidence won't be passed on. To the next person, this person of integrity might actually be seen as lacking integrity. Have you ever suspected a friend or co-worker of knowing important information that they wouldn't share with you? Did you value their ability to keep a secret or begin to question their loyalty and friendship?
And that brings up a real modern-day dilemma, can you have integrity but be dishonest? If you are holding a piece of valuable information but refuse to disclose it even though it might even benefit the community or organization, do you lack integrity? What if you were asked if you had any information that might help solve a particular problem but deny it so you don't cause a disagreement or conflict? Are you lying and therefore are dishonest but have integrity because you didn't break the confidence?
Let us turn the tables. What happens if you share the information because you are loyal to your team, organization or even your family? Does this mean you lack integrity? Does this make whistleblowers liars and disloyal good-for-nothings? How can doing what's right violate business codes of ethics and integrity?
Creating a competency-based employee and performance management system for hiring, advancement, development and succession is differentiating the haves from the have-nots, the profitable and growing from the bankrupt and defunct.
Don't stop short at setting your competencies to print and displaying them like all those inspiring….but shallow…..corporate mission statements displayed in lobbies and billboards. Moving from shallow rhetoric to sincere commitment is a lot easier said than done but essential for energizing tomorrow's organizations.
Now I wonder what competencies are required for doing that?
Ira S. Wolfe is founder of Success Performance Solutions and an expert in job benchmarking and employee selection for new hires, promotion, succession and team building. He will be leading a free seminar at the Lancaster Business Expo on Hire the Best and Stop Messing with the Rest and will keynote the 2003 PA Chamber Annual HR conference. His topic is “ Human Resource Trends that will change the way you do business” He can be reached at 717.656.4632 or visit www.super-solutions.com.
Now I want to share with you about The Top Ten Managerial Competencies. I read this article in HR Files blog, written by Ira S. Wolfe the founder of Success Performance Solutions.
The Top Ten Managerial Competencies
Over 5000 executives were surveyed, here is their choices for critical management talents.
It's a given these days.
Effective leadership requires the ability to think analytically without getting bogged down in the details, making timely decisions without reacting impulsively, building consensus without compromising results, and getting people to want to do what you want them to do.
These abilities are often times called competencies and nearly every large organization in America is working on building their core competency list. This list is becoming an employee's ticket for entry, advancement and even retention.
But listing competencies is only the start. We wondered how different managers might view the list and how much importance they placed on them. So we asked this very question to over 5000 The Total View newsletter subscribers, mostly professional managers and business leaders, in late August. We selected ten core competencies, commonly cited in the research and benchmarking studies, for top performance. To get our results, we asked respondents to rank each of these ten competencies from essential to not important at all.
Comparing our respondents' opinions to the results of other organizations, it's clear that getting agreement on what makes top managers tick is about easy as herding cats. Not surprisingly, we had a wide range of opinion. Here's what we found.
To tell the truth
Integrity was the hands-down winner in what respondents felt was the most essential competency for top performance from a manager. Ethics was not a so far behind second place. In third place was customer service. (To view the complete survey visit www.super-solutions.com .)
The results, however, were not unanimous. Ten percent or more felt that integrity and ethics was merely "nice to have" or "not important at all".
Ethics: Close enough apparently is good enough
Being able to trust the manager, or integrity, was an essential ingredient for top performing managers according to 64 percent of the respondents.
"Walking the talk" and acting in line with the core values and beliefs of the organization was felt to be an essential competence held by only 58 percent of the respondents. Like integrity, an amazing 13 percent felt that ethics was only nice to have or not important at all.
I guess this begs the question - if integrity and ethics is not essential for nearly 40 percent of the managers, what overrides it and for what positions and organizations are they not important?
It's not my fault
Senior managers talk a lot about accountability and motivation. But according to our respondents, only 45 percent felt taking responsibility for his/her own mistakes or inefficiencies was essential for top management performance! More surprising was that 8 percent felt accountability was just a nice to have skill or was not important at all.
In addition, persistence, or following through especially when faced with adversity or challenges, was an essential skill for only 40 percent of the respondents. Interpersonal skills always falls in the top 3 skills listed for nearly every management and leadership position. And yet only 33 percent felt that relating well to all kinds of people in a variety of situations was essential.
Building effective teams is another highly marketed skill that managers look for during the interview. Forty percent felt that defining success in terms of the whole team or organization was also an essential skill required to be a top performer in their organization.
Other competencies included in the survey were:
Business knowledge: Only 42% felt that understanding how the business worked was an essential skill for a top performing manager.
Coping Skills: Fifty-four percent fell that maintaining composure under stressful conditions was essential.
Customer Service: only 54 percent felt that meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers on a regular basis was essential. Hmm. Could this be the reason why both internal and external turnover and attrition is so high?
Dealing with ambiguity: A mere 1 out of 3 felt that making effective decisions when you do not have all the information was an essential managerial skill. Maybe we just had a lot of respondents from Missouri, the show-me state, but this definitely bucks the opinion of much of the research that says digital age decision-making requires quick but accurate outcomes.
A few steps short
While identifying and building consensus on what core essential competencies are essential may be difficult, the following question stumps even the very best of management teams. How do you measure competences and how much is enough?
To demonstrate how challenging this can be, during every job benchmarking project managers list integrity and ethics as an essential core competency. Senior management and boards of directors then emblazon mission statements and core values with integrity and ethics. And employees search for jobs in organizations that promote integrity and ethics.
But how do know if a person has integrity and how much is enough?
Building a competency profile but not identifying how you'll assess a competency like integrity (or any other competency for that matter) is like buying a map to plan your next trip without deciding how you will get there. Without some mode of transportation, the vacation will never begin. So while it might be easy to put pen to paper and list the competencies you want, actually qualifying individuals is a different story.
As our survey showed, integrity and ethics are listed as essential core competencies by the majority of managers. Employees are being hired, fired, disciplined, and promoted everyday based on integrity. Yet few managers can agree what integrity looks like or even if it is needed.
Even fewer individuals can quantify how much integrity an individual should have.
For example, one individual might describe integrity in terms of trusting another person, or knowing that information you share in confidence won't be passed on. To the next person, this person of integrity might actually be seen as lacking integrity. Have you ever suspected a friend or co-worker of knowing important information that they wouldn't share with you? Did you value their ability to keep a secret or begin to question their loyalty and friendship?
And that brings up a real modern-day dilemma, can you have integrity but be dishonest? If you are holding a piece of valuable information but refuse to disclose it even though it might even benefit the community or organization, do you lack integrity? What if you were asked if you had any information that might help solve a particular problem but deny it so you don't cause a disagreement or conflict? Are you lying and therefore are dishonest but have integrity because you didn't break the confidence?
Let us turn the tables. What happens if you share the information because you are loyal to your team, organization or even your family? Does this mean you lack integrity? Does this make whistleblowers liars and disloyal good-for-nothings? How can doing what's right violate business codes of ethics and integrity?
Creating a competency-based employee and performance management system for hiring, advancement, development and succession is differentiating the haves from the have-nots, the profitable and growing from the bankrupt and defunct.
Don't stop short at setting your competencies to print and displaying them like all those inspiring….but shallow…..corporate mission statements displayed in lobbies and billboards. Moving from shallow rhetoric to sincere commitment is a lot easier said than done but essential for energizing tomorrow's organizations.
Now I wonder what competencies are required for doing that?
Ira S. Wolfe is founder of Success Performance Solutions and an expert in job benchmarking and employee selection for new hires, promotion, succession and team building. He will be leading a free seminar at the Lancaster Business Expo on Hire the Best and Stop Messing with the Rest and will keynote the 2003 PA Chamber Annual HR conference. His topic is “ Human Resource Trends that will change the way you do business” He can be reached at 717.656.4632 or visit www.super-solutions.com.
May 28, 2007
The Manager Competency Model
One of my blog reader asked me about the competency manager. Before I anwer the questions, let me remind you about what is competency?
A competency is a measurable characteristic of a person that is related to effective performance in a specific job, organization, or culture.
These characteristics are defined through empirical research. The Hay Group develop competencies through a process of observing and interviewing outstanding performers in a wide variety of jobs and roles to determine what sets these outstanding employees apart from everyone else.
These characteristics are defined in terms of behaviors—those thoughts and actions of outstanding performers. Because competencies are behavioral, they can be developed.
The Manager Today
Managers have always played a critical role in organizations. Mid and first-level managers are key in guiding and directing front-line workers to success. The impact of outstanding managers on revenues and profits is well-documented.
The world of work has changed radically in many organizations over the past twenty years. Organizations are flatter; whole levels of management have been eliminated. Increased focus on the customer and rapid response to problems and opportunities has made the manager a vital resource in solving problems. Managers used to focus on solving problems that occurred within their organization; increasingly, they solve problems that involve a number of organizational entities or that cut across the entire enterprise. To do this, they must manage laterally and up as well as down.
The Manager Competencies reflect the challenges that today’s manager faces. This model contains 11 competencies, organized in four clusters: Managing Yourself, Managing Your Team, Managing the Work, and Managing Collaboratively.
Each competency is defined in terms of four behavior levels. Level 1 is the most basic level of performance, and Level 4 the most sophisticated. For each competency, Level 3 is defined as the target level. Level 3 behaviors typically define excellence in managers’ jobs.
The Manager' Competencies
Managing Yourself
• Empathy
• Self-Control
• Self-Confidence
Managing Your Team
• Developing Others
• Holding People Accountable
• Team Leadership
Managing the Work
• Results Orientation
• Initiative
• Problem Solving
Managing Collaboratively
• Influencing Others
• Fostering Teamwork
__________
Source: The Hay Group, MCP Brief Guide
A competency is a measurable characteristic of a person that is related to effective performance in a specific job, organization, or culture.
These characteristics are defined through empirical research. The Hay Group develop competencies through a process of observing and interviewing outstanding performers in a wide variety of jobs and roles to determine what sets these outstanding employees apart from everyone else.
These characteristics are defined in terms of behaviors—those thoughts and actions of outstanding performers. Because competencies are behavioral, they can be developed.
The Manager Today
Managers have always played a critical role in organizations. Mid and first-level managers are key in guiding and directing front-line workers to success. The impact of outstanding managers on revenues and profits is well-documented.
The world of work has changed radically in many organizations over the past twenty years. Organizations are flatter; whole levels of management have been eliminated. Increased focus on the customer and rapid response to problems and opportunities has made the manager a vital resource in solving problems. Managers used to focus on solving problems that occurred within their organization; increasingly, they solve problems that involve a number of organizational entities or that cut across the entire enterprise. To do this, they must manage laterally and up as well as down.
The Manager Competencies reflect the challenges that today’s manager faces. This model contains 11 competencies, organized in four clusters: Managing Yourself, Managing Your Team, Managing the Work, and Managing Collaboratively.
Each competency is defined in terms of four behavior levels. Level 1 is the most basic level of performance, and Level 4 the most sophisticated. For each competency, Level 3 is defined as the target level. Level 3 behaviors typically define excellence in managers’ jobs.
The Manager' Competencies
Managing Yourself
• Empathy
• Self-Control
• Self-Confidence
Managing Your Team
• Developing Others
• Holding People Accountable
• Team Leadership
Managing the Work
• Results Orientation
• Initiative
• Problem Solving
Managing Collaboratively
• Influencing Others
• Fostering Teamwork
__________
Source: The Hay Group, MCP Brief Guide
May 23, 2007
Business/Management Competencies
Analyzing Needs and Proposing Solutions
Identifying and understanding business issues and client needs, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different
sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate
solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
Key Actions
Gathers information about client needs
Diagnoses learning and performance issues
Generates multiple alternatives
Searches for innovative solutions
Chooses appropriate solution(s)
Recognizes impact
Proposes solution(s)
Applying Business Acumen
Understanding the organization’s business model and financial goals; utilizing economic, financial, and organizational data to build and document the business case for investing in workplace learning and performance solutions; using
business terminology when communicating with others.
Key Actions
Understands the business
Understands business operations
Applies financial data
Uses business terminology to gain credibility
Recognizes business priorities
Creates a value proposition
Advances the learning and performance business agenda
Driving Results
Identifying opportunities for improvement and setting well-defined goals related to learning and performance solutions;orchestrating efforts and measuring progress; striving to achieve goals and produce exceptional results.
Key Actions
Targets improvement opportunities
Establishes goals and objectives
Orchestrates effort to achieve results
Provides courageous leadership
Planning and Implementing Assignments
Developing action plans, obtaining resources, and completing assignments in a timely manner to ensure that workplace learning and performance goals are achieved.
Key Actions
Establishes parameters and forecasts outcomes
Uses planning tools to create project plans
Manages budget
Determines tasks and resources
Plans for contingencies
Mobilizes resources
Manages time
Thinking Strategically
Understanding internal and external factors that impact learning and performance in organizations; keeping abreast of trends and anticipating opportunities to add value to the business; operating from a systems perspective in developing learning and performance strategies and building alignment with business strategies.
Key Actions
Understands external factors impacting learning and performance
Understands the organizational context for learning and performance
Recognizes and acts on emerging opportunities
Builds strategic alignment
Develops learning and performance strategies
Operates from a systems perspective
Identifying and understanding business issues and client needs, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different
sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate
solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
Key Actions
Gathers information about client needs
Diagnoses learning and performance issues
Generates multiple alternatives
Searches for innovative solutions
Chooses appropriate solution(s)
Recognizes impact
Proposes solution(s)
Applying Business Acumen
Understanding the organization’s business model and financial goals; utilizing economic, financial, and organizational data to build and document the business case for investing in workplace learning and performance solutions; using
business terminology when communicating with others.
Key Actions
Understands the business
Understands business operations
Applies financial data
Uses business terminology to gain credibility
Recognizes business priorities
Creates a value proposition
Advances the learning and performance business agenda
Driving Results
Identifying opportunities for improvement and setting well-defined goals related to learning and performance solutions;orchestrating efforts and measuring progress; striving to achieve goals and produce exceptional results.
Key Actions
Targets improvement opportunities
Establishes goals and objectives
Orchestrates effort to achieve results
Provides courageous leadership
Planning and Implementing Assignments
Developing action plans, obtaining resources, and completing assignments in a timely manner to ensure that workplace learning and performance goals are achieved.
Key Actions
Establishes parameters and forecasts outcomes
Uses planning tools to create project plans
Manages budget
Determines tasks and resources
Plans for contingencies
Mobilizes resources
Manages time
Thinking Strategically
Understanding internal and external factors that impact learning and performance in organizations; keeping abreast of trends and anticipating opportunities to add value to the business; operating from a systems perspective in developing learning and performance strategies and building alignment with business strategies.
Key Actions
Understands external factors impacting learning and performance
Understands the organizational context for learning and performance
Recognizes and acts on emerging opportunities
Builds strategic alignment
Develops learning and performance strategies
Operates from a systems perspective
Competencies
Competencies are clusters of skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors required for job success. Managers need
to know about competencies to make appropriate personnel decisions and guide employees’ performance.
Employees need to know about competencies because they provide a road map of how to succeed on the job.
The study identified the following set of competencies—presented below in alphabetical order—that are considered
important and necessary for the majority of individuals in the workplace learning and performance profession:
Analyzing Needs and Proposing Solutions
*Applying Business Acumen
*Building Trust
*Communicating Effectively
*Demonstrating Adaptability
*Driving Results
*Influencing Stakeholders
*Leveraging Diversity
*Modeling Personal Development
*Networking and Partnering
*Planning and Implementing Assignments
*Thinking Strategically.
These competencies are grouped into clusters (Business/Management, Interpersonal, and Personal) to facilitate understanding. The competencies are listed alphabetically under each cluster.
Business/Management Competencies
*Analyzing Needs and Proposing Solutions
*Applying Business Acumen
*Driving Results
*Planning and Implementing Assignments
*Thinking Strategically.
Interpersonal Competencies
*Building Trust
*Communicating Effectively
*Influencing Stakeholders
*Leveraging Diversity
*Networking and Partnering.
Personal Competencies
*Demonstrating Adaptability
*Modeling Personal Development.
to know about competencies to make appropriate personnel decisions and guide employees’ performance.
Employees need to know about competencies because they provide a road map of how to succeed on the job.
The study identified the following set of competencies—presented below in alphabetical order—that are considered
important and necessary for the majority of individuals in the workplace learning and performance profession:
Analyzing Needs and Proposing Solutions
*Applying Business Acumen
*Building Trust
*Communicating Effectively
*Demonstrating Adaptability
*Driving Results
*Influencing Stakeholders
*Leveraging Diversity
*Modeling Personal Development
*Networking and Partnering
*Planning and Implementing Assignments
*Thinking Strategically.
These competencies are grouped into clusters (Business/Management, Interpersonal, and Personal) to facilitate understanding. The competencies are listed alphabetically under each cluster.
Business/Management Competencies
*Analyzing Needs and Proposing Solutions
*Applying Business Acumen
*Driving Results
*Planning and Implementing Assignments
*Thinking Strategically.
Interpersonal Competencies
*Building Trust
*Communicating Effectively
*Influencing Stakeholders
*Leveraging Diversity
*Networking and Partnering.
Personal Competencies
*Demonstrating Adaptability
*Modeling Personal Development.
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