Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning

1
Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT
Planning

• Bill Clebsch
• Executive Director of IT Services
• Stanford University

2
STRATEGIC PANNING Forces for Change
But HOW?
3
Initial Approach Management from the Top
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
4
Initial Approach Management from the Top
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies

• Even the best possible organizational vision
  didnt work
• Staff couldnt relate to it
• It was too high-level

Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
5
Beginning to Adapt Building from the Bottom
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
6
Beginning to Adapt Building from the Bottom
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
7
Our Dilemma
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
We didnt know how to bridge the gap and address
both management and staff needs and concerns
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
8
Our Dilemma
WHERE do we want our organization to go
WHAT culture are we trying to create
WHAT services do we want to provide
Perhaps we were asking the wrong questions
Functional Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
WHAT soft skills do we need to have
WHAT job skills do we need to have
WHERE do we want our careers to go
9
LANGUAGE became the bridge
Knowledge What you know Skills What you can
do Vision Where you want to go

• Key distinction

Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Behavioral Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Functional Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Competencies How you do it
Individual Development
10
Asking How Builds a Common LANGUAGE
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Behavioral Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Functional Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development
11
Process How We Built our Competency Model
12
ITSS Competency Model
13
Example Conflict Resolution
Behavioral Competencies

• Definition The ability to address difficult
  situations and differences of opinion, to project
  credibility and poise under adversarial
  situations, and to treat all people fairly.

Progression Performance
Handles conflict resolution to maximize opportunity and minimize exposure to risk
Maintains a general understanding of a variety of conflict resolution techniques and available resources uses acquired expertise to call upon a variety of conflict resolution techniques and resources and to diffuse high-tension situations comfortably
Resolves conflict in ones workgroup within established policies and guidelines
Attempts to resolve personal (individual) conflicts without intervention of supervisor or manager identifies conflict and refers to the appropriate person for resolution based on an understanding of relevant policies and guidelines for Stanford
14
Example Conceptual and Critical Thinking
Functional Competencies

• Definition The ability to piece together
  patterns or connections among situations that may
  not be obviously related, and to identify key or
  underlying issues in complex situations. It
  includes broad scanning of a situation,
  identifying commonalities among situations, and
  developing a resolution. It includes creative,
  critical, associative, and/or inductive reasoning.

Progression Performance
Creates new concepts and new ways of looking at things
Clarifies complex concepts, data, or situations for others able to convey complex ideas in clear, concise manner able to factor hunches into decision-making equations without allowing them to dominate the final outcome
Understands and is able to apply complex concepts in order to generate options, visualize possibilities, and formulate new approaches able to objectively analyze a situation to evaluate the pros, cons, and implications of any course of action
Uses basic rules for identifying patterns, connections, and underlying issues, and recognizes abstract or complex ideas takes appropriate action
15
Example Risk Taking
Leadership Competencies

• Definition The willingness to promote and
  support new ideas and opportunities while
  assuring appropriate controls.

Progression Performance
Puts own career at risk when necessary to support entrepreneurial initiatives and to do the right thing
Takes calculated risks to champion breakthrough ideas and initiatives to move team or department forward creates an environment that encourages innovation and risk taking
Encourages and supports new and innovative service or technology opportunities that may be unconventional
Supports new and innovative service or technology opportunities that may be unconventional
16
How the Competencies are Applied
17
Leveraging Competency
Organization Management Cultural

Vision and Strategic Plan Language for
Communication
Goal Setting Performance Management Performance
Appraisal
Values Career Planning / Training and
Development Change Management
18
Summary

• You have to have lots of dialogue to build a
  common language
• Cant use off-the-shelf, computerized
  applications that purport to create customized
  Competency Models typically they only address
  the technical skills piece
• Your Competency Model needs to resonate with and
  reflect your organization
• In terms of process Look at whole system start
  in the middle and move in both directions
• Make a powerful declaration with absolute
  executive backing

19
A Systemic Approach to Building an ADAPTIVE
ORGANIZATION
Organizational Vision
Core Services and Processes
Core Values and Priorities
Behavioral Competencies
Leadership Competencies
Functional Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Job Skills
Performance Knowledge and Skills
Individual Development