The most suitable professional is one who, in addition to knowledge, has skills, attitudes and interests compatible with their role.
The keywords and expressions that are constantly repeated in newspapers and specialized magazines generally coincide on one point: the tendency to value and empower people, the human being. In the list of the most named are:
• Intellectual capital
• Human capital
• Human talents
Changes in sight!
• What innovations are yet to come?
• What is being done today in Brazilian companies? Is it enough to face a competitive and globalized market?
• What is the key to survival and success?
• What can companies add to your business to make them more competitive?
A model that has been outlined as one of the most suitable for the new times is that of Management by Competencies.
It is a way of dealing with the everyday, in such a way as to enable the formation of the intellectual capital of a company or institution.
Since the XV century the verb "compete" meant "to fight with", generating nouns like competition, competitor, and the adjective, competitive.
In the current context, COMPETENCES are: "behaviors that some people master better than others, and that makes them more effective in a given situation" (Levy Leboyer).
We can also designate them with the initials CHAI (knowledge, skills, attitudes and interests) that, put into action, differentiate some people from others.
Competences can be observed in a daily work situation or with test dynamics, when they are presented as positive skills, personal characteristics and acquired knowledge
A person has a high competency profile when he demonstrates the qualities required to carry out certain missions or tasks.
It is proven that the human being has the ability to acquire new skills throughout his life, provided that the appropriate stimuli are given and there is access to the necessary resources.
How many skills did you acquire in the last five years?
Probably he already handles his PC perfectly, he can deal with the Internet, he learned another language, he better manages the conflicts of his work team, in short, they are small learnings that are added every day in our role of personal skills.
Managers who become aware of this fact, and internalize management by competencies, will come to the fore, they will constitute the vanguard, opening paths before others.
Basic premises of the model
When establishing a management model by competencies, it is necessary to adopt some basic premises that will endorse the management actions:
1. Become aware that each type of business needs people with specific profiles and that each existing job position in the company has its own characteristics and must be filled by professionals who have a specific profile of competencies.
2. Recognize that those who occupy managerial positions are responsible for offering opportunities that allow the development and acquisition of new skills.
3. Be convinced that there will always be room for the development of new skills, and that what is required today as the good performance of a task, tomorrow may be added new challenges.
These basic premises must be disseminated until they are part of the general culture and are internalized in everyone's attitudes and behaviors.
The stages in the implementation of the model
Management by competences is a model that is installed through a program that contemplates the following steps that occur in this way:
1. Awareness
To achieve success, the adherence of the key people who manage the jobs is essential. The sensitization of this public, in search of a commitment, is the first stage of the process.
This awareness can be carried out through various methodologies such as:
• Meetings to present and discuss the model, for the development and acquisition of new skills.
• Discussion focus that will aim to detect the shortcomings of the current model.
• Participation in specific talks or seminars dealing with the subject.
2. Analysis of jobs
Once the adherence and commitment of senior management and key people is achieved, the second stage begins. Two actions are essential at this time:
• Verify if the missions or strategic plans of the particular areas are compatible with the mission of the company.
• Make a complete description of each job, listing the activities corresponding to each one.
3. Definition of the required skills profile
The third stage consists of listing the competencies required for each area and outlining the profiles based on it.
4. Systematic evaluation and redefinition of profiles
The process of evaluation and redefinition of profiles is fundamental for the success of the model.
The management team will be responsible for the accompaniment and development of its teams, identifying the points of excellence and those of insufficiency.
Employees who demonstrate performance in line with or above the required profile will receive new challenges and will be encouraged to develop new skills.
The collaborators who present a performance below the required profile will be trained and participate in training and development programs.
The advantages of the model
Most companies invest very timidly in the development of their teams, for reasons ranging from the absence of systematized performance evaluation strategies, to ignorance of the importance of the formation of intellectual capital as a differential factor.
Management by competencies, in addition to filling these gaps, brings countless advantages such as:
• The possibility of defining professional profiles that will favor productivity.
• The development of teams that possess the necessary skills for their specific area of work.
• Identification of weak points, allowing improvement interventions that guarantee results.
• Performance management based on measurable, quantifiable objectives and with the possibility of direct observation.
• Increased productivity and optimization of results.
• The awareness of the teams so that they assume the co-responsibility of their self-development. Taking a win-win process, from the moment when everyone's expectations are met.
When competency management is installed, managers and their collaborators are avoided wasting time on training and development programs that do not have to do with the needs of the company or the particular needs of each job.
The universal powers
The following is a referential scheme of the sixteen universal competencies in the areas of leadership and management; valid to carry out a self-assessment of which competences you master and which ones you should emphasize.
The sixteen referential competitions (Mc Cauley - 1989)
1. Being a person of many resources: knowing how to adapt to changes and ambiguous situations, being able to think strategically and being able to make correct decisions in situations of high pressure; lead complex work systems and adopt flexible behaviors in solving problems; ability to work with superiors in complex management problems.
2. Do what you know: be persistent, concentrate despite obstacles, take responsibility, be able to work alone and also with others when necessary.
3. Learn fast: quickly master new technologies.
4. Have a spirit of decision: act quickly, appropriately and accurately.
5. Manage teams effectively: knowing how to delegate, expanding opportunities and being fair in their actions.
6. Create a climate conducive to development: expand the challenges and opportunities to create a climate that favors the development of your team.
7. Know how to deal with your collaborators when they have problems: act decisively and fairly when problems arise with their collaborators.
8. Be oriented towards teamwork.
9. Build a team of talents: invest in developing the potential of your collaborators, identifying and offering new challenges and shared responsibility.
10. Establish good relationships in the company: know how to establish good working relationships, negotiate when there are problems, get cooperation.
11. Have sensitivity: show interest in others and sensitivity to the needs of their collaborators.
12. Confronting challenges calmly: having a firm attitude, avoiding censuring others for mistakes made, being able to get out of difficult situations.
13. Maintaining a balance between work and personal life: being able to set priorities in personal and professional life in a harmonious way.
14. Know yourself: have an exact idea of your weaknesses and your strong points and be willing to invest in yourself.
15. Have a good relationship: be nice and show good humor.
16. Act with flexibility: ability to adopt opposite attitudes, –exercise leadership and allow yourself to be led– express and accept the opinions of others.
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