What are your Core Competencies?

Competency refers to a combination of skills, attributes and behaviors that are directly related to a successful performance on the job or task. Core competencies are the skills, attributes and behavior s which are considered important for all staff of an organization, regardless of their function or level.

Defining competencies is important both for the organization and for staff. Competencies are forward-leaning. They describe the skills and attributes staff and managers will need in order to build a new organizational culture and meet future challenges. They help organizations clarify expectations, define future development needs, and conduct more focused recruitment and development planning. Competencies provide a sound basis for consistent and objective performance standards by creating shared language about what is needed and expected in an organization.

Competencies need to be developed and strengthened throughout one’s career. Acquiring a competency is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process. Formal training can help, but experience, coaching, feedback and individual learning activities are needed as well. Organizations are constantly evaluating their core competencies to be able to meet challenges of the day and of the future. An African statesman and former Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan said this about competencies, “It is my hope that competencies will provide us with shared language for talking, in concrete terms, about high performance and managerial excellence. I believe that a shared view of the standards we are striving to achieve will assist us in our continuing efforts to prepare the Organization to meet the challenges of the 21st century”