Aligning competencies to business
“Don’t go buying something just because it’s available and looks pretty. Architecting an organization is hard work and needs passion. As a practitioner, you should be on the ground and see the uniqueness of your situation. As a researcher, your search for the ultimate truth may never end. While competency models have been in existence for over 3 decades, and much has been researched and written on the subject, there is a practitioner’s view that this short essay attempts to put forward. The attempt here is not to delve into the science of competencies. (Read McClelland, 1973. Spencer & Spencer 1993. Daniel Coleman on EQ and a host of some very rich work done by various folks.). It’s more to do with the business of competencies and the decisions which practicing HR managers are required to make. For those of us who have used competency models to drive change and performance in organizations, the implementation is complex and grows in complexity as we integrate the model with various HR systems to get the full benefit. These would include selection, talent management, rewards and various other aspects of assessing and developing leadership.