In order to exercise the functions and roles of a top management position, an executive must possess certain skills and knowledge. and executive competencies for the successful performance of their functions.
Executive competencies are the skills that enable top-level staff to perform on the job efficiently and effectively.
They are related to emotional, interpersonal aspects and how each executive in the company develops and develops.
Executive competencies focus on a broader concept than job description.
The evaluation of executive competences is a very delicate point, since it must be objective and fair so as not to generate conflicts for having results that are not true.
For there to be an effective evaluation system, measurement criteria must be established that allow subjective criteria to be eliminated and individual compliance with the objectives and functions assigned to a specific position to be measured.
It is necessary to identify those indicators that are essential for evaluating executive competencies at the individual and group level.
It is also required to establish the measurement mechanisms and the actions that must be carried out based on the information generated.
The indicators to be effective must be closely related to the desired results of each position and cannot be set subjectively, since they must be derived directly from the analysis of positions.
Based on the responsibilities and activities listed in the job description, you must decide which elements are essential and should be evaluated.
It is necessary to specify both the objectives and the goals for each activity, as well as a program that allows monitoring and measuring performance.
For measurements to be useful they must be easy to use, reliable and identify the essential elements that determine the competencies that can be evaluated in:
Objectivity, communication, results orientation, change orientation, global and strategic orientation, customer orientation, leadership, conflict and negotiation, teamwork, sensitivity, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources, innovation and creativity, commitment and identity., company knowledge, time management, etc.
The competencies can be divided into basic, required and exceptional and depending on the needs of each position, the profile of the person required is defined. It is established through determining which behaviors, skills and knowledge have the best people in similar positions, that is, the best practices.
The key objectives and goals of the position, the routes and programs for executing the functions, the technical skills and knowledge that they must have, as well as the personality, character and attitude that is required to create a quality culture in the company.
As far as possible, the evaluation should be established in quantifiable terms to facilitate the interpretation of the results of the evaluation, so that the competences, criteria, norms and indicators should be defined on a practical basis.
It is required to establish quantitative and qualitative measurement mechanisms to verify the fulfillment of collective and individual objectives, goals, functions and activities based on the description of the positions they occupy and under the principles of objectivity and impartiality.
The positions of higher hierarchical level require to fulfill most of the competences and knowledge presented in the following table.
Competences and Characteristics, capacities and knowledge
Objectivity
- Have broad criteria. Have common sense to act. Look for the right term in the different situations and conflicts that arise. Be objective in the projects that you decide to participate. Be objective in the analysis of the real situation of the company or entity.
Communication
- Provide and obtain information, with opportunity, truthful, concrete, expeditious, timely, consistent and clear, in form and content. Be willing to listen and transmit knowledge and experiences. Ability to listen and receive messages. Express clearly, accurately and timely ideas. Show interest and respect for what other people say. Consider the different aspects that occur in the interaction. Make sure that the information received is the same transmitted.
Leadership
- Be visionary, organizer and motivator. Recognize and strengthen others. Have influence and power of conviction. Lead the group positively. Obtain the attention and acceptance of the members of the group. Mark the guidelines and ways to follow. Create a positive environment of work.Direct people's efforts towards the search for changes and the achievement of common objectives.Create the conditions that facilitate each one to give their best.Know the strengths and weaknesses of the members of the group.Know and deepen in the professional expectations and training and development needs of its personnel. Establish, agendas, objectives and programs and follow up. Project the company or entity in the environment that corresponds to it. Capacity for social relations Mental agility.
Negotiation
- Confront and resolve conflicts with boldness, speed, honesty and objectivity. Promote a climate of respect, credibility and trust to facilitate conflict resolution. Make the conflict evident and resolve it. Clarify expectations and obtain concrete commitments. Conduct negotiations that suit all parties. Positively influence people to reach agreements in the shortest possible time. Convince with supported arguments. Have flexibility and willingness to accept proposals from other areas or collaborators. Know how to reconcile different interests. Seek quality consensus to optimize results. negotiation process on the win-win principle. Know the legal framework of the company or entity.
Orientation to results
- Have a desire for fulfillment. Be permanently self-motivated. Establish, face and overcome challenges. Assume commitments and fulfill them. Always participate with enthusiasm. Meet objectives and achieve quality results. Eliminate unnecessary work and increase productivity, effectiveness and profitability. Permanently evaluate the results obtained to detect deviations and correct them. Generate innovative approach and ideas to achieve results with efficiency and effectiveness. Use strategic planning to have results in the shortest possible time. Have vision and confidence to take advantage of opportunities and obtain results in difficult situations.To know how to reorient the actions to reach the goals with quality. To take opportune and right decisions. To carry out the tasks and activities fulfilling programs and quality.Obtain quality results Achieve results and be held accountable with ethics, honesty, transparency and responsibility.
Orientation to change
- Be receptive and adaptable to continuous changes in the environment. Assume changes as opportunities for growth and development. Inform your employees in a timely manner of changes in the company or entity and the impact it has on your area or process. Motivate your team of work to assume the changes.Involve your work team in the generation of change projects that generate value.Predict the risks that can be generated by the implementation of the change.Establish methodologies to measure the effects caused by technological changes, financial and human.
Strategic orientation
- Assess the implications of decisions. Assess the ability to think in a broad context. Link long-term visions with achievements and daily work. Know the strategies of the company. Detect how the environment influences the strategies and how these in turn determine the different alternatives. Have an integrative vision of the orientation and functionality of the company. Be able to think in strategic terms. Develop strategies in the short and medium term. Propose and develop business strategies. Align the strategic and functional plan of the area with the of the company.Have a vision of trends and market development.Articulate short and medium-term goals and activities, in the context of long-term business strategies.Make decisions to give the company competitive advantages.Have strategic thinking to anticipate changes in the environment. Predict future changes and evolution of the sector and turn in which the company operates.
Customer orientation
- Be an ally of the clients. Know the client. Learn from the client. Promote and consolidate the service culture in the company. Be able to analyze, identify and understand the needs and desires of the client. Have a strategic and guiding vision to cover the needs of customers.Establish long-lasting relationships with customers.Preview customer needs.Establish medium and long-term plans and programs to ensure customer satisfaction.Promote the generation of a customer-oriented quality model.
Teamwork
- Participate intensively with the working group. Promote strategic knowledge. Jointly establish common goals and commit. Promote communication and collaboration. Keep team members together. Promote tolerance among team members. Prioritize the interests of the team. team rather than personnel. Promote the autonomy and self-control of the work team. Establish work networks oriented to identify, transfer and develop strategic knowledge for the company or entity. Participate and help others. Encourage team members to express their views. Listen to team members. Support other team members. Ask other team members for suggestions on how to solve problems and improve results.Define criteria and rules that facilitate teamwork Generate symbols of identity and promote team cohesion.
Sensitivity
- Be willing to change. Be open to the opinion of others. Give others the opportunity to participate. Have an attitude of service with quality. Retake words and arguments of others. Make empathy with others. Recognize others. Build a solid sense of identity, belonging and pride among team members. Having an attitude to effectively integrate with teams from different areas or disciplines. To resolve conflicts. Resistance to emotions.
Effectiveness in the use of resources
- Plan and optimize the use of physical, technical, economic and human resources. Identify the way to carry out the work in the most efficient and quality manner. Consider the cost-benefit relationship in the short, medium and long term. Have a culture of Awareness in the administration of resources. Have efficiency, effectiveness and economy in the use of resources.
Innovation and creativity
- Generate new and original ideas. Develop new ways of thinking and different solutions. Anticipate the emergence of problems generating the implantation of innovative ideas. Visualize and convert unpredictable and changing situations into opportunities. Generate creative and innovative strategies to create added value to the company o entity. Promote innovation and development actions to ensure the quality of customer service and increase the competitiveness of the company.
Commitment
- Defend the general interests of the company. Defend decisions and positions that benefit the company. Carry out all activities with dedication, vitality and control. Have the shirt of the company or entity tattooed.
Analytical skills
- For problem solving. For making judgments. For decision making.
Financial vision
- Understand the general finances of the company Know how to interpret the financial statements of the company Evaluate and determine the financial viability of different projects of the company Determine the balance point of the company Coordinate the preparation of the cash flow Analyze and interpret the financial indicators Propose strategies to improve processes and reduce costs that have a corporate impact Identify and execute actions to improve financial performance in your area
Company knowledge
- Know the dynamics and trends of the markets Understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks of the company and the competition Design strategies for the generation of new opportunities for the development of the company Be updated with the latest technological knowledge in the turn of the company.Understand and master the dynamics and complexity of the business.Know the regulations and rules applicable to the business.Develop strategic alliancesKnow the mission, vision, objectives, administration, accounting, marketing, operation, and strategic information of the company.
Time management
- Differentiate what is urgent from what is important. Manage time efficiently in meetings. Delegation with clarity and precision. Establish short, medium and long-term objectives of the strategies and decisions taken. Break down each objective into activities with an estimated time to each and establish priorities. Track and control the delegate, through reports on what has been done, to ensure that the planned results are being achieved. Give daily follow-up to the list of important pending. Have a daily, weekly and monthly agenda of Commitments and activities. Prioritize according to importance and not according to urgency. Prioritize and carry out what is important, necessary and cannot be postponed while continuing to attend to the urgent.Have discipline and give priority to situations and activities that are important for achieving objectives.
It is required to have evidence that supports the evaluations that are carried out to prove the veracity of these.
In the 21st century, it is necessary to have permanent training programs to improve the knowledge and skills of executives and to have competitive companies worldwide.
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Jack Fleitman:
www.ciemsa.mx professional consultants
@jackkmex
Article from the comprehensive evaluation book to implement 2014 quality models. Author: Jack Fleitman.
