What Are the Criteria Used in Competency Models and Why?

LEAD: Pre-term Assignment

What are the criteria used in Competency models and why?

“Competency models” are developed to help in identifying, training and retaining stars in the leadership roles. To create such competency models, most companies recognize metrics typically used to classify outstanding leaders in each of their respective fields. Some companies may extensively interview the leaders in their firm to easily identify common traits and build the competency model. Selection of criteria could vary from objective criteria, such as profitability, to individual characteristics, such as initiative and innovative thinking. These can also be broadly classified into – cognitive skills and emotional intelligence.

How can one ensure to be not seen as “cold fish” while strengthening their Self-Regulation skills?

Self-regulation is effective management of uncontrollable emotions. Even though it is an essential skill for leadership, people with control over their emotions are frequently perceived as “cold fish”. The following are a few ways in which we can build or strengthen self-regulation skills but ensure one is not seen as dispassionate:

• Talk to yourself about thoughts and emotions. If these are negative, then discipline yourself to think positively and trust your team for the tasks. Open communication within the team can help build trust within the team.
• In case of negative feedback for any team member, make sure it is communicated positively. If your emotions are uncontrollable, it is better to wait for some time before you communicate your feedback to ensure that it is not too harsh for your team mate.
• Instead of stating a problem, make sure to discuss possible solutions so that, they are aware of how the feedback will make the process more effective.

Is Extrinsic motivation (big salary or status) necessarily bad for an individual to succeed?

People who are extrinsic motivated will perform due to the material gains. For example, a sales manager may put in a lot of effort to earn a higher salary through commission but does not enjoy the tasks at hand. These motivators can be applied in situations where there is limited interest or the basic skills are lacking. Extrinsically motivated people will assign importance to only the tasks they are rewarded for and these rewards may not be sustainable. This implies that extrinsic motivators might be beneficial initially but over time, intrinsic motivators (e.g. satisfaction) will be more important to retain their performance at that task.