Outline: The 16 Days of Competencies

POST: http://zengerfolkman.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-16-days-of-competencies-1-displays-high-integrity-and-honesty/

POSTED BY: zengerfolkman, September 21, 2011

#1 DISPLAYS HIGH INTEGRITY AND HONESTY

• Avoid saying one thing and doing another (i.e., walk the talk)
• Follow through on promises and commitments
• Model the core values
• Lead by example

Are you able to communicate bad news to your boss? Do you confront difficult problems directly and promptly? Are you assertive enough to stand up for what you believe, even if it is not the popular position?

#2 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

• Stay up to date in the field
• Demonstrate technical, functional, and job-specific knowledge required for assignments
• Be sought out for opinions, advice, and counsel
• Make a significant contribution toward achieving team goals through knowledge and skills

Do you stay up to date by reading professional journals and books? Do you participate in trade association meetings? Do you help to integrate the different technologies that affect your group —determining how they fit together and how they contribute to the efforts of the organization?

#3 SOLVES PROBLEMS AND ANALYZES ISSUES

• Systematically evaluate information by using a variety of proven methods and techniques
• Encourage alternative approaches and new ideas
• See patterns and trends in complex data and use the patterns to outline a path forward
• Clarify complex data or situations so that others can comprehend, respond, and contribute

Do you ask your team members for help in solving problems? Do you consider the viewpoints of various interested parties? When problems arise, do you make a list of possible causes, prioritizing them in the order of probability that they actually contribute to the problem? Do you determine what information needs to be collected to resolve the problem?

#4 INNOVATES

• Consistently generate creative, resourceful solutions to problems
• Constructively challenge the usual approach to doing things, and find new and better ways to do the job
• Create a culture of innovation and learning that drives individual development
• Build on other people’s suggestions and ideas. (Doing so often leads to new approaches and improvements)

Do you champion ingenuity at all levels? Do you work to improve new ideas rather than discouraging them? Do you generate creative solutions by bringing together the most talented people? Do you integrate ideas and input from different sources to find innovative solutions?

#5 PRACTICES SELF-DEVELOPMENT

• Make constructive efforts to change and improve based on feedback from others
• Learn from both success and failure
• Model self-development and embrace its value

Do you take ownership of your own development? Do you seek feedback from others to improve and develop? Do you look for ways to build challenge into current assignments?

#6 DRIVES FOR RESULTS

• Do everything possible to meet goals or deadlines
• Consistently meet or exceed commitments
• Aggressively pursue all assignments and projects until completion

Do you follow up regularly on progress and reinforce any movement in the right direction? Are you willing to volunteer for a difficult task or assignment that requires you to stretch your current capability?

#7 ESTABLISH STRETCH GOALS

• Build Commitment with all employees on team goals and objectives
• Promote a spirit of continuous improvement
• Maintain High Standards of performance

Do you focus on why you can achieve goals rather than on why they can’t be achieved? Are you willing to discuss your priorities and your commitment to your work with others?

#8 TAKES INITIATIVE

• Volunteer for Challenging assignments
• Go above and beyond what needs to be done without being told
• Have the confidence to initiate action independently

Do you approach your work as if your responsibilities extend beyond your immediate job descriptions?  Are you willing to commit extra time and effort when the situation calls for it? Do you constantly ask, “Is there a better way to do this”?

#9 COMMUNICATES POWERFULLY AND PROLIFICALLY

• Communicate clearly and concisely
• Give clear, understandable instructions to employees and others
• Skillfully communicate new insights

When you are preparing to speak to people, do you think about their backgrounds and needs, and about where they stand on the issue you will be discussing? Do you sketch out an outline that presents your case in a logical way?

#10 INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES OTHERS TO HIGH PERFORMANCE

• Have a personal style that helps to positively motivate others.
• Energize people to go the extra mile.
• Skillfully persuade others toward commitment to ideas or action.

Do you employ different motivational strategies to influence the behavior of others?  Do you express confidence in the individual’s ability to reach goals? Do you demonstrate enthusiasm to your group by talking about why your goals are important and encouraging others to set challenging goals?

#11 BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS

• Deal effectively with people in order to get work accomplished
• By trusted by work group members
• Be approachable and friendly

Do you pleasantly greet people when you meet them in the hall? Do you demonstrate an interest in people and their work? Are you able to handle difficult situations constructively and tactfully?

#12 DEVELOPS OTHERS

• Act as a coach or mentor to facilitate learning from experience
• Give honest and candid feedback
• Find stretch assignments for individuals which require them to achieve significant but realistic goals
• Willingly share his/her time to help others develop.

Do you foster a learning environment that encourages others to learn from their experience? Do you act as a coach or mentor to facilitate learning from experience? Are you willing to make the tough decisions necessary to ensure the current and future success of your employees?

#13 COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK

• Promote a spirit of cooperation with other members of the work group
• Champion an environment that supports effective teamwork
• Have the trust and respect of the team

Have you developed cooperative working relationships with others in the company? Do you take into account how individual’s actions affect the team? Do you remove barriers to positive team performance?

#14 DEVELOPS STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

• Know how work relates to the organization’s business strategy
• Balance the short-term and long-term needs of the organization
• Demonstrate forward thinking about tomorrow’s issues

Do you ensure that work group goals are aligned with the organization’s strategic goals and vision? Do you clarify vision, mission, values, and long-term goals for others? Do you propose initiatives that become part of the organization’s strategic plan?

#15 CHAMPIONS CHANGE

• Act as a change agent—strongly support the continual need to change
• Become a champion for projects or programs, presenting them so that others support them.
• Be an effective marketer for work group projects, programs, or products.

Do you encourage people to let go of old ways so new ways can begin? Are you one to help teams and work groups translate new change goals into practical implementation steps? Can you champion organizational change initiatives in a way that helps people understand, appreciate, and support them?

#16 CONNECTS THE GROUP TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

• Know how to deliver products or services that delight customers by meeting and exceeding their expectations
• Use knowledge and feedback from an external perspective to improve products or services

Do you view your work in the context (through the eyes) of the external customer? Are you willing to help people understand how meeting customer needs is central to the mission and goals of the organization?