There is widespread lamentation in our society about the poor quality of governance. Business organizations are no exception. I often hear senior executives complain about*:
- avoidance of responsibility;
- the predominance of the formal over the useful;
- passive position of managers;
- gaps between solutions and implementation;
- closeness of divisions;
- duplication of functions, gaps in responsibility;
- finding the guilty instead of solving problems.
As a solution, consultants suggest setting up regular management. But often a formal attitude to the implementation process only creates a pile of papers on the manager's shelf. In changing managerial activity, an important role is played by the organization of the process of training managers. The last sentence sounds too dry and does not reveal the whole essence of the named phenomenon. Let's give it fullness and practicality. Or you can check out the infographic
Features of the development of managerial competencies
The work of a manager is fundamentally different from the engineering professions, where much is codified, has clear formulas, is regulated by handbooks, and the skill can be transferred through formal training. According to G. Mintzberg “Ever since Frederick Taylor (1916) proclaimed his “scientific method” as “the best”, we have been looking for this “Holy Grail” of management in science and professionalism. Today, this search continues in the simple formulas of the popular literature, in the form of "strategic planning", "shareholder value" and so on. But again and again, the easy answers fall short, and only the illusion of progress emerges, while the real problems get worse in the meantime. “Effective management occurs where art, craft and science meet.” That is why it is always easy to understand whether a management teacher is a theoretician or a practitioner. The competence of a manager is acquired only in the course of practical activities, where:
- high urgency and no time to deeply analyze the situation;
- a large element of uncertainty;
- subordinates are not passive elements, but people adapting to any new situation;
- high situationality and the need to make intuitive decisions.
The development of managerial competencies is complicated by the fact that it affects relationships between people. Having built relationships with some employees, you cannot manage others in the same way - you will have to spend time establishing relationships of trust, developing a common language of communication, coordinating roles, etc. It turns out that managerial competence is not so much a skill of a manager as of a team and an organization as a whole. And if the organization has a high quality of management - the departure of one of the leaders does not lead to a significant deterioration in the management of the organization, in contrast to the dismissal of an employee - a key one in some functional area.
Classical approaches to training leaders are built on the formation of managers in isolation from the workplace. MBA education and traditional corporate institutions do not help build bridges between theory and practice through knowledge transfer and case studies.
Being left alone with this task, managers returning from business schools face the following main difficulties:
- most of the acquired knowledge is lost “on the way”, because the transmitted volume is simply not able to fit “inside the manager”, and the lack of experience in their use is perceived by the unconscious as unimportant information;
- colleagues and organizational culture as a whole resist new management approaches, values that are contrary to the traditions that have developed in the company;
- the flow of operational work, the constant urgency does not leave room for experimentation with new methods and time for the analysis of managerial experience.
Everything ingenious is simple
If we agree with what was written above, then a simple solution suggests itself - to develop managerial competencies in the process of practical activities together with colleagues. Behind its simplicity lies the peculiarities of each of the organizations, which does not allow giving exact advice in absentia on how to do this. Based on research that managerial competencies are acquired in three ratios (10% knowledge, 20% analysis, 70% practice), I single out the following features for myself, which I rely on when looking for solutions for a particular organization:
- participation of employees only out of personal interest;
- weaving knowledge into practice, turning them into skills of joint activity;
- dosed infusion of knowledge: the ability to “digest” them;
- help in work, not distraction from it;
- constancy of the learning process;
- developing the skills of the organization, not the individual manager;
- creation of conditions for the reflection of experience.
In the general case, this represents the following process: in order to solve specific important managerial tasks, managers acquire new knowledge. They analyze ongoing processes, not only on the basis of established experience and relationships in the company, but taking into account the opportunities and threats that have now opened up. The acquired knowledge is woven into the work of leaders. Comprehension of activities and results is made.
As a result, acquired experience becomes not the property of an individual manager, but a competitive advantage of the company.
Wasted time
Traditionally, the work of the organization uses management methods aimed at overcoming difficulties, finding solutions. Over time, a certain well-established set of useful methods is developed that made the company successful. Behind the scenes, their revision, on the one hand, is perceived as a doubt about the professionalism of the leadership, on the other hand, “the work must be done and there is no time to be distracted by stupidity.” But the external and internal environments are changing, and without an analysis of the established management habits, good luck cannot be seen. And even the readiness of the leadership to start a “new life from Monday” may turn out to be temporary and be defeated by operational activities. To this end, Heifetz and Lynskey, in a survival guide for leaders, advise finding a reliable support for the movement, which can be friendship with people who will support the leader in the most controversial situations and conflicts (in the case of an authoritarian style of management, it is preferable to seek support outside the organization).
Is it always necessary to develop the managerial competencies of an organization? I don't have a definite positive answer to this question. For example, complaining about the staff, I was approached by the head of a service company acting as a contractor for the state monopolist. For two weeks we worked out a solution together. And by pure chance, the hidden information was revealed - the company's business model is built on the connections of two managers, in fact, who are key employees and the organization's performance indicators are 90 percent dependent on their capabilities. The competencies of other employees correspond to the low level of their salaries. Improving managerial skills in this case is not only inefficient, because their importance in the overall success is not worth the “fix”, but will also cause serious resistance to the organization, because it has no practical utility.
In seminars on this topic, I offer participants a worksheet for rapid assessment of the organization's need for managerial knowledge and experience**.
The article left out such important issues as the conditions for conducting effective classes, approaches to the enthusiasm of employees, ways to determine learning ability, existing methods for developing managerial competencies, etc., which we will talk about next time.
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* you can note the phenomena that are inherent in your company
** worksheet for rapid assessment of the organization's need for new knowledge and experience
- What are the first steps to be taken to acquire new knowledge and experience? Set deadlines.
- What are the possible obstacles to the implementation of these steps?
- With whom should you discuss the implementation of the steps?
How to develop the competencies of employees with examples is written in the note ““.
We present another article for owners and managers (not hr), which reveals another aspect of personnel assessment. We will stop there:
- what are competencies?
- types of competencies;
- on the application of the competency-based approach in;
- stages of implementation of competencies;
- the benefits that a company that formulates competencies receives.
What is a competency?
Clear criteria are necessary for the introduction of a systemic assessment of personnel. Most of the methods come down to evaluating the effectiveness (results of labor) of an employee and a set of his personal qualities. One of the leading ones is the competence approach.
Competence— an integral characteristic/criterion that describes the quality of human behavior in a particular activity. As a rule, this is some kind of ideal model of behavioral manifestations that allow him to achieve results, to be effective in this type of activity.
It is clear that human behavior in each situation is determined by many factors: internal attitudes and motivation, skills, understanding of technology, knowledge. And even genetic predisposition.
For example, a sales manager working in the marketB2B (large corporate sales), strong communication skills are important to communicate with various professionals and decision makers. And all this can be called "Negotiating":
- flexibility of behavior, the ability to consciously adapt to the style of the interlocutor;
- variability in offering alternatives;
- developed argumentation skills, etc.
Along with these qualities, the "seller" must have perseverance in achieving the goal, the ability to plan and control their activities, the ability to work under pressure. And this is another competence - "Result Orientation".
And thus, we can say that each activity can be described by a cloud of criteria - a competency model. Moreover, for each business, competencies will be unique, reflecting its specifics. That is why we recommend developing your own competencies.
You may benefit from our services
Behavioral indicators of competence
As discussed above in the Negotiating example, competencies are made up of simple components—specific items that describe the action. And these components are called behavioral indicators. It is on the basis of behavioral indicators that an assessment of personnel is built using or a structured interview.
But that's not all, levels of manifestation of competencies are necessary.
Competence development scale
In order to describe the quality of an employee's actions, set reference values and be able to compare the behavior shown with him, there is a scale for the development of competencies. These are levels that describe the quality of behavior. And the levels can be different. For example, 4 levels (intermediate values \u200b\u200bare also possible - "halves"):
- 0 - competence is not shown/absent;
- 1 - the level of basic development;
- 2 - the level of confident possession of competence in standard situations;
- 3 — skill level (standard, ability to broadcast).
Roughly speaking, the competence development scale can be represented as a “bad-good” thermometer. In accordance with this "thermometer", the employee is evaluated.
There are several options for describing competency levels. The examples below show the differences. It can be assumed that they were created for different evaluation methods.
An example of a competency description: listing all behavioral indicators and levels with values for an employee's performance.
| Formulates a vision of the ultimate goal. Organizes others / forms a group of "followers". Effectively motivates people in team and individual work. Encourages colleagues and subordinates to put forward initiatives and independence. Delegates authority and responsibility, taking into account the individual characteristics of subordinates and their career aspirations. Pays attention and time to the development of subordinates. Expresses and defends his own position on the issues being resolved. Provides and requests feedback. | |||||||||||||||
|
An example of a competency with an extended description of behavioral indicators at each level.
| score | Level | Description of behavioral indicators |
| 4 | Strategic | In addition to level 3: - Establishes such rules for the work of the group, under which it gives everyone the opportunity to express themselves, while remaining a leader - Ensures the adoption of a group decision that is focused not only on the "here and now", but also on the future |
| 3 | Skill level | In addition to level 2: - Motivates the group to achieve the goal, inspires, influences the mood of the group - Orients other group members to active work in the group - Proposes a decision that the group makes |
| 2 | Base | - Takes the initiative - Interacts with each team member based on individual personality traits - Aims the group to achieve the result, returns the group to the result - Organizes the work of the group, suggests methods and procedures for the work of the group - Takes responsibility for results - Facilitates conflict resolution |
| 1 | Limited | - Takes the initiative at the request of other members of the group, at the direction of the most active member of the group Shows initiative but fails to get the attention of participants - Organizes the work of individual team members - Finds it difficult to justify his opinion when trying to organize the work of the group |
| 0 | Level of incompetence | - Has a non-constructive influence on the team, interrupts, criticizes, devalues the position of others - Shows indifference to the results of group work – Withdraws from the organization of group work, acts only on instructions - Doesn't interact with group members - provokes conflicts in the group |
It is also customary to use the term “target indicator”, which sets the value of the manifestation of competence for a given target audience. For example, for a top-level manager, the “Strategic Thinking” competency should be shown at level “2”. While the value for the head of the unit, the target indicator will be "1.5".
Based on the assessment received, one can judge the potential of the employee, the need for development, suitability for this activity, etc.
Types of competencies
I must say that this is a conditional classification. Rather, it is a division to designate the "scope" of competencies. Indeed, in the course of his activity, a person uses many integrative qualities. For example, a manager holding a meeting "uses" several of his competencies at the same time - different types.
But still, sometimes you can find a division of competencies into clusters:
- managerial
- communicative
- corporate (value)
- professional (technical)
Managerial competencies
Managerial competencies describe the actions of managers in the process of making decisions and communicating with subordinates. Also, these are competencies that describe the quality of his behavior - often "Leadership".
Examples of managerial competencies:
- Strategic (or systems) thinking
- Planning (and organizing or controlling)
- Development of subordinates
- Motivation
- Leadership
Communication competencies
This is a description of the quality of behavior in the process of communication within the company and with external partners.
Examples of names of communicative competencies:
- Negotiation
- Interpersonal Understanding
- Influence
Depending on the accents, in the description of the competence, you can see the specifics of the employees' activities and the welcome styles of behavior (aggressiveness, assertiveness or partner position).
Corporate competencies
Value competencies are an important part of the competency model. They reflect the corporate philosophy - Values and standards of behavior that are welcome in the company. That is why some companies separately formulate corporate competencies.
Examples of corporate (value) competencies:
- Result orientation
- Customer focus (often, even internal)
- Teamwork
Professional (technical) competencies
Describe the knowledge, skills and behavior of any professional group of positions. For example, for the direction of IT or accountants.
It is necessary to understand the expediency of developing professional competencies - is this group of people sufficiently represented in the company, how often do changes occur in their activities and the technologies they use.
Applying competencies - staff assessment
The most commonly used methods where competencies are used:
- assessment center is the most effective way in the course of a specially developed business game;
- assessment "180/360 ° feedback", where the assessment of the employee is given from all sides - subordinates, managers, colleagues, clients.
Development of competencies
The need to develop competencies is encountered by every company that regularly assesses personnel using a competency-based approach.
Admittedly, creating a competency model is a time-consuming (and often budget-intensive) undertaking. As a rule, internal specialists, pardon the pun, do not have sufficient competence for a qualitative description of competencies. The main mistakes can be called vagueness of wording, intersecting behavioral indicators (occurring in different competencies). And it takes a lot of time to do this.
Of course, you can use universal competencies. For example, many companies take the work of the Lominger company as a basis and slightly modify them for themselves. But, if the task is to qualitatively transfer the specifics of the business, one cannot do without formulating one's own model. And in this case, it is better to contact the providers.
Development of a competency model. Main stages
The main stages of the project for developing a competency model can be called:
- Definition of goals and objectives (for what we formulate and how we will apply), development methodology.
- Formation of the project group(s) with the involvement of the maximum possible number of participants. This will further reduce the resistance of employees. Groups can be completely different in direction and time of existence.
- Direct development of competencies.
- Focus group testing and evaluation procedures.
Formation of competencies. Methods
The most well-known methods for developing competencies are:
- Repertory grid method- the behavior of the most effective employees is analyzed, a list of behavioral indicators is compiled. It is carried out more often in the form of interviews with managers, as a result of which a table (grid) is formed with the names of employees and their indicators.
- Critical Incident Method is based on interviews with employees (and managers), during which they talk about critical situations, actions that led to success or, conversely, did not allow to resolve the situation.
- Direct attribute method- the fastest and easiest when key managers are presented with cards describing ready-made competencies. Managers are invited to choose from this set those that are most significant for the business.
Implementation of the competency model
The implementation of the competency model takes place according to the classics of change management. If we simplify the model, then the main areas of attention can be considered the following:
- It is necessary to create motivation for the use of competencies. Show employees that this will be a tool for their learning and an opportunity to develop in the company. And it will allow managers to make more informed decisions. And this can happen in the course of conducting pilot assessment procedures using the example of standard (not adapted to the company) competencies.
By the way, this is the option we offer to clients when the company does not have its own model - to start somewhere. Start process. Show at least at the level of one group or target audience that the assessment of personnel by competencies is "not scary, but useful."
In this case, we implement, for example, Light-assessment, as a result of which participants receive recommendations for development.
- Maximum informing of employees and involvement in the process. And here, as mentioned a little higher, it is necessary to work, both before the development and after the formulation of competencies.
This can take place in the form of mailings describing the tasks of implementing the model, describing all the stages, asking for feedback, etc. Of course, face-to-face working groups dedicated to development and translation can be considered the most working form.
Already during this preparatory period (which can be implemented even after the development of the model), feedback will be received, the most resistant employees or those on whom innovations can be relied upon will be identified.
- Once the competencies have been developed, it is necessary to conduct a first evaluation episode using them and show the effectiveness of the implementation. This solves the problem of "propaganda" of innovations and the removal of resistance from some of the doubters (the sixth stage of the change model according to Kotter).
- Implementation of changes on a regular basis, consolidation of the competency model at the level of regular management.
For example, one of the parts of the introduction of competencies in the "life of the company" may be their use by managers during regular feedback to subordinates. Operating with the terminology of the competency-based approach, referring to the behavioral indicators of the corporate model forms the conceptual field in which employees live.
And this is not a complete list of areas of attention. For each company they are different. But all of them should be aimed at the formation of a positive attitude to the assessment of competencies. It is clear that the formation of an attitude is a long process. That's what we meant when talking about the possible duration of the project. So, the main areas of attention are motivation, information, involvement, propaganda.
competency model. Advantages
The main advantages of having a corporate competency model are:
- the criteria applied to employees reflect the specifics of the business, the activities of employees and the corporate culture of the company;
- competencies become for employees a kind of beacons that need to be guided by - they set the standards of behavior that allow them to be successful in this activity;
- a developing environment is being formed in the company (of course, during the regular assessment of personnel in terms of competencies);
- simplifies the decision-making process (in the field of career movement of employees);
- the costs of search, adaptation and development of personnel are significantly reduced;
- simplifies interaction with service providers in the field of personnel assessment and development.
"To have or not to have?"- that's the question. And every company decides. And we, the Business Games Lab, only help to effectively implement our plans: develop and implement a corporate competency model, evaluate employees and propose a program for their development.
Many employers invest heavily in the development of employees in leadership positions. But sometimes trainings, seminars, training programs do not bring the desired result. That is why, before developing key ones, it is necessary to conduct a qualitative assessment of the skills and personal qualities of a candidate for a leadership position. A correct assessment will make it possible to develop precisely those qualities that are at a low level, or, conversely, to refuse the chosen candidate.
Professional competencies of the head - what are needed?
Before choosing a method for assessing a candidate for a managerial position, you need to decide which key competencies of a manager you will evaluate. Of course, in each company, the set of professional competencies of the head will be different. It will depend on the position for which you are hiring a candidate: line manager, top management or project manager, as well as the scope of the company. For example, for senior management, strategic and analytical thinking, the ability to manage performance and change will be important skills. For a line manager - organizational skills, the ability to delegate and set tasks, for a project manager - the ability to clearly divide a strategy into tactical tasks and set priorities. By the way, the higher the leadership position, the more personal qualities will influence the effectiveness. The higher the leadership position, the more carefully you should approach the assessment of managerial competencies and personal qualities
Trainings for managers on key performance indicators of employees are conducted by Aleksey Shirokopoyas, Expert in the development of managerial competencies. Trainer-consultant. Editor in Chief .
8-926-210-84-19. [email protected]
We determine the level of mastery of the key competencies of the manager
In order to understand what key leadership competencies you will need to develop, you need to identify at what level the candidate owns them. To do this, it is necessary to prescribe for each professional competence of the manager the criteria for a high and low level of proficiency, and then evaluate the skills and personal qualities of the applicant according to them in the chosen way. We propose to consider how the key competencies of a leader can be manifested using the example of delegation and stress tolerance.
Delegation. In management functions, this is a basic skill for a leader. These professional competencies of the manager are the most important for the development of subordinates, increasing their efficiency and significance for the company.
Indicators of a high level of mastery of the key competencies of the manager: the manager is not afraid to allow employees to take reasonable risks and try different solutions, encourages subordinates to go beyond the comfort zone and work on new tasks, easily delegates his authority to others, supports, even if the employee makes a mistake , etc.
Indicators of a low level of managerial competencies: the manager intervenes in the execution of the task or allows himself to cancel the decisions of employees, gives little space for initiative, delegates only those tasks that carry little risk, imposes his opinion, etc.
Is talking: Svetlana Melnikova - Head of HR Department INEK (Moscow):
“Effective delegation requires: a clear statement of the task, empowering the employee with the necessary authority, setting deadlines, monitoring results and necessarily feedback. The presence of delegation skills can be determined during an interview with a candidate using interviews on key competencies of a manager, business cases or an assessment center. Indicators of ineffective delegation and control will be: the employee’s misunderstanding of the task, the task was not completed on time, the manager’s excessive control over each stage of the task, the need for the manager to correct the work performed, the lack of feedback from the subordinate.
When evaluating the key competencies of a manager, we recommend that you also determine his leadership style. This will help to identify the personal characteristics of the leader's behavior in the system of relations between the boss and the subordinate. And also take into account previous work experience and the field of activity of the companies in which the applicant worked
Delegation Skill Example Case Study
Indicators of a high level of mastery of key managerial competencies: the candidate remains calm and flexible in any type of stress, considers stress inevitable in the professional sphere and knows how to adapt to it, avoids the impact of stress on personal life, achieves high quality work, even under pressure.
Indicators of a low level of professional competencies of a manager: stress unsettles, under high stress a person becomes disorganized, puts unnecessary pressure on others, refuses to perform priority tasks, any changes in plans or their disruption cause tension and anxiety.
Is talking: Anna Fomicheva - Candidate of Pediatric Sciences, Associate Professor, Human Resources Expert (Moscow):
“In my opinion, in the evaluation process it is useful to use the “joint” diagnostic work of the HR manager and the candidate himself. This complex includes tests to determine the general orientation of the personality, tests for self-esteem, methods for studying previous experience. So, for example, the candidate has successful start-up projects, in the implementation of which he performed several roles at once (generated ideas, formed a team, organized interaction, was the “owner of the process”, etc.) in conditions of limited resources, deadlines and achieved a successful expected result . It can be assumed that the candidate, to one degree or another, was forced to show the ability to take responsibility, quickly choose the main thing and concentrate on it, and be stress-resistant. Therefore, in the process of assessing it, it is necessary to focus on identifying the degree of motivation and comfort, to continue working with an increase in the level of one’s own qualities and the development of managerial key competencies of a leader”
Examples of projective questions to assess stress tolerance
We choose a method for assessing the managerial professional competencies of the manager and his personal qualities
The first assessment of managerial skills and personal qualities takes place in the process of studying resumes (for internal candidates - in the process of studying an application for participation in the competition for closing a vacancy). There the candidate reflects what he can and knows. The task of the HR specialist is to identify the degree of mastery of the specified key competencies of the manager. Of course, by reading resumes and even by collecting references, this cannot be done. Therefore, the second stage of the assessment is an interview with the candidate (be sure to include projective questions in it), at which he can be offered several practical tasks (solving a case, participating in a role-playing game, etc.). The third stage of the assessment is carried out during the probationary period, for example, by observing the work of the manager (based on the results, a behavior assessment scale is compiled), as well as through assessment activities, for example, a 360-degree assessment, etc.
Is talking: Anna OVCHINNIKOVA - Head of Recruitment Service at Teleperformance Russia & Ukraine:
“The ideal situation is when the company has an accepted model of managerial professional competencies of the head and a scheme for their assessment, as well as the practice of compiling managerial position profiles, indicating the specific qualities necessary for successful work. Both the key competencies of a leader and personal qualities can be determined by a standard biographical interview with a number of small cases from the series “Imagine that you ...”, “What will you do?” or “Describe a real situation in the past in which you showed your creativity.” If the company has sufficient time and resources, and the managerial position belongs to the highest level, it makes sense to conduct a full-fledged assessment of the manager’s professional competencies, which also includes tasks or situations that help identify personal qualities. This approach will significantly reduce the likelihood of recruitment errors. When the assessment and interviews are done, the results need to be analyzed and agreed upon, and then an informed hiring decision should be made based on them.”
Is talking: League Blank - head of the personnel department of the Globus hypermarket (Klimovsk):
“To assess applicants for a managerial position, we use the “assessment by key competencies of a manager” method and use standardized position profiles for this, where all professional competencies of a manager, both professional and personal, are structured. In addition, you can use a structured interview, various cases, testing. The most complete assessment procedure is an assessment, since such an event includes various tests that help to identify not only theoretical knowledge, but also behavioral indicators of certain key competencies of a manager. As a rule, during the assessment, participants perform many tasks in a group, where communication skills are especially pronounced. In addition to various kinds of expert tests, it is important to take into account the recommendations of immediate supervisors, subordinates, colleagues, using various methods (for example, “360 degrees”). It is also necessary to analyze the result of the work, which can be expressed in economic or qualitative (work with personnel) indicators, which is quite objective”
When evaluating the managerial professional competencies of the manager, also pay attention to previous work experience and the field of activity of the company in which the applicant worked
Please note that case studies help to effectively assess personal qualities. You can make them yourself, the main thing is to clearly state the criteria by which you will evaluate the degree of expression of the candidate's qualities.
Is talking: Eldar Salakhetdinov - Head of the Organizational and Personnel Department of BANK ITB (Moscow):
“You can assess the personal qualities of a candidate for a managerial position during an interview by asking him projective questions. You can also ask the applicant to solve some pre-prepared management case, where he will be asked, as a leader, to make a number of decisions. Then ask for detailed comments on them. It is also appropriate to use such a tool: the applicant is asked to recall several difficult situations from his practice that he successfully resolved, as well as to analyze a case when, in his opinion, he did not cope with the situation. Through open-ended questions, it is necessary to find out what helped or hindered the solution of the situation, what qualities he used, what conclusions he made, etc. As a rule, these tools are enough to assess the presence of personal qualities in a candidate for a leadership position.”
"HR officer. Personnel management", 2010, N 3
Management competencies play a key role in the development of the organization through the creation of a system of corporate competencies. The variety of approaches to the concept of "management competence" makes it necessary to clarify its structure and content on the basis of a study of the knowledge accumulated to date about a person as a carrier of competence, the status of personnel competencies in the system of corporate competencies and the modern content and specifics of managerial work.
The crisis state of the economy involves the use of effective management as a condition for survival and further development. One of the main problems of most of today's organizations is the quality of management. The question of the professionalism of management, the correctness and validity of managerial influences becomes especially relevant. In the theory and practice of human resource management (HRM), competency-based management has become widespread. Particular attention is paid to managerial competencies as the basis for the development of the organization.
The relevance of the study of the content and structure of managerial competencies in the context of organizational development is due to the fact that managerial competencies are the basis and key to the success of creating key ("core", "root") corporate competencies, ensuring the competitiveness of the company and, ultimately, its survival and prosperity.
A study of the specialized literature on competencies and, in particular, managerial competencies, identified the following problems in this area:
- firstly, there is no unambiguous exhaustive interpretation of the very concept of "competence", which causes difficulties in developing adequate models of HRM based on competencies;
- secondly, there is no clear definition of the status of individual competencies of personnel in the system of corporate competencies. The key role of managerial personnel in the development of an organization is recognized by most researchers, however, the mechanism of influence (connection of managerial and corporate competencies) remains undiscovered;
- thirdly, the specificity of managerial competencies, represented in the literature as a special set of skills, abilities and abilities of a manager, requires further clarification due to serious changes in the content and forms of organization of managerial work as a type of professional activity.
The purpose of this article is to form an idea of managerial competence, its content and structure, on the one hand, corresponding to the diversity of views on a person as a carrier of competence, on the other hand, reflecting the features of managerial work as a type of professional activity in the context of organizational development.
To achieve this goal, the following logic of reasoning is proposed:
- clarifying the existing approaches to the definition of competence, we will designate the most significant characteristics that reflect its content;
- examining the status of individual competencies of personnel in the system of corporate competencies, we will determine the place and role of managerial activity in the creation of the latter;
- the study of the essence and content of managerial work, its subject-object status in the organization, as well as the results of solving the first two research tasks will help form an idea of managerial competence, its content and structure, outline the main directions for their creation in an organization aimed at development.
Essence and main characteristics of competence
The variety of representations of the concepts "competence", "managerial competence" is caused by at least two circumstances that deserve attention.
On the one hand, these concepts are multifaceted and multifaceted. The complexity of the concept of "competence" (as well as "managerial competence") is associated with an attempt to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge, subjects, disciplines and form an integral idea of what and how an employee (in particular, a manager) should know and be able to do. On the other hand, at least two research positions can be identified that express an “active” interest in the formation of competencies: this is the actual subject of HRM - the leader, the HRM service (competence as an object of management, factor and condition of productivity) and the education system (competence as a result of training and upbringing). The first of the noted positions considers competencies as useful qualities, including knowledge, skills, abilities, and other personality characteristics that allow achieving certain results; the second defines competencies as the ability to solve problems, providing the necessary quality, the ability to act in accordance with standards. In our opinion, the presented positions, despite the fact that they express two different points of view on a person as a bearer of these competencies, have important advantages in terms of their use in HRM practice. Let's consider them in more detail.
The first point of view, which takes its roots from psychology and is therefore further designated as a psychological approach to competencies, considers a person naturalistically ("an independent object of nature"), a person appears as a person, a subject with values, needs, motives, knowledge, etc. capable of exhibiting behavior that results in efficient performance of work. Therefore, competence is presented as an important behavioral aspect, which manifests itself in effective action. In the theory and practice of management, and in particular HRM, it is this approach to the definition of competencies that has become widespread (McCleland D., Spencer L., Spencer S., Widdeth S., Holliford S.). As part of this approach, a large number of tests have been developed to determine the presence and severity of competencies. In domestic practice, the term "competence" is widely used, meaning the ability to complete a task, the availability of knowledge and skills to perform functions, i.e. the degree of development of a specialist in certain competencies.
The second point of view, widely represented in pedagogy and called in this work, respectively, pedagogical, considers a person constructively and technically as the result of an appropriate purposeful formative influence (training, education, motivation, etc.) in the aggregate of motivational-value, cognitive, worldview, communicative components. In this regard, competence includes a set of interrelated personality traits that are set in relation to a certain range of objects and processes. This direction is being developed within the framework of the competency-based approach in education (Bermus A.G., Bondarevskaya E.V., Kulnevich S.V., Markova A.K., Mestechkina V.I., Serikova V.V., Khutorskoy A.V. ., Shepel V.M.). The competency-based approach assumes that the main focus is not just on obtaining knowledge and skills, but on the formation of a systemic set of competencies. Therefore, the competence-based approach acts as an opposition to the subject and disciplinary forms of organization of education (subject "feudalism").
Thus, the MGIMO innovative educational program, developed within the framework of a competency-based approach, offers a strategic competency map that combines three blocks of competencies - analytical, systemic and communication, which, in turn, are divided into 12 basic profiles represented by specialized competencies. In addition, this approach is also used when determining the rights and obligations of an employee: labor contracts may include such wording as "the competence of a specialist includes ...", "the boundaries of the competence of a position of a specialist are determined by ...", which implies the scope of powers and responsibilities, specific to a particular position.
In our opinion, in order to implement competence management in HRM practice, it is necessary to combine the "psychological" and "pedagogical" concept of competence to reflect both the active behavioral position and the potential structure of the employee.
This raises the question of the sufficiency of these projections of a person for constructing the concept of "competence": are there other ideas (for example, sociological, managerial, economic) that should be taken into account when defining competence, since the above two points of view on a person as a carrier of competencies (psychological and pedagogical) are, in fact, two extreme positions that can be supplemented by other research approaches.
G.P. Shchedrovitsky singles out 5 main schemes according to which ideas about "man" were built and are being built in science. Let's consider them in the context of determining the content of competence.
- The interaction of the subject with the objects surrounding him. This scheme limits the representation of a person by his internal properties (psychological position), the actions and behavior of a person are considered as an external manifestation of internal properties.
Within the framework of this position, in our opinion, the most important accents in defining the concept of "competence" include measurable individual characteristics that are significant for the effective performance of work - any recognized significant characteristic of an individual that can be measured and evaluated can be considered a competence.
- The relationship of the organism with the environment as a scheme of representation of a person presupposes a reflection of his way of life and functioning in relation to the external structure, which acts as the environment of his "habitat".
- Actions of the subject-actor in relation to the surrounding objects. The acting subject is a complex object that includes not only the person himself, but the schemes and structures of the actions carried out by him.
This scheme allows you to move from the description of specific actions to the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities necessary for the implementation of actions. The competence defined in this way reflects the idea of the actor about the purpose (result) of his actions, the essence and properties of the object of labor, the level of ownership of the means of activity. Therefore, it is important that competence acts as an integral quality of an individual - competence as a cross-cutting, out-of-, over- and meta-subject education, which, in turn, in the conditions of complication of activity systems, determines the increasing importance of the cognitive abilities of the subject-actor.
- The relationship of free partnership of one subject - personality with others. This scheme depicts the relationship and forms of human behavior within social systems and their constituent groups, and human behavior is considered as determined by the corresponding social organization, sociocultural and ethical norms. Therefore, when determining the content of abilities, knowledge, skills, etc., underlying the concept of "competence", along with motivational-value and cognitive, we note the worldview and communicative components.
- An organ in the functioning of the system, of which it is an element: here the main thing is the process of functioning of the enclosing system, the element of which is a person, the defining characteristics of a person are the required behavior or activity, and internal properties (abilities, capabilities, knowledge, skills, values, etc.) are derived from external (characteristics of the surrounding system). It is this position that is implemented within the competence-based approach in education. Therefore, competence is built on the personality traits that lead to the effective performance of work, competence is seen as the ability to perform work at a given level of quality.
In our opinion, the content of competence should be presented taking into account all the positions noted above.
Having determined the main characteristics of the competence that make up its content, let's move on to the next problem stated in this paper - determining the status of individual personnel competencies in the system of corporate competencies and the mechanism of their conjugation.
Individual competencies of personnel in the system of corporate competencies
The traditional representation of personnel competencies is built into the concept of core competencies. The classical idea of HRM about corporate competence as a rational combination of knowledge and abilities of employees of an organization (Kannak G.) is supplemented by social competence (corporate culture, internal climate, etc.), as well as organizational systems and structures that support the organization’s competencies (Snell S., Wright P.). At the same time, a key role in creating a system of corporate competencies, including individual competencies of personnel, as well as in creating a system for managing these competencies, is assigned to managerial personnel: managerial activity acts as a link between the individual competencies of employees and the achieved corporate competencies.
These circumstances highlight the need to integrate strategic management and HRM both at the general theoretical, methodological, and applied levels. We identify the following areas for the development of the mechanism for integrating individual and corporate competencies.
First, the formation of personnel competencies should be consistent with the organization's policy in the field of creating key competencies. Key competencies include rare, non-copyable, unique, irreplaceable resources, they are the source of competitive advantages. In this regard, it is necessary to determine which characteristics of human resources are related to or support the creation of competitive advantages.
Secondly, HRM practices in the field of personnel competence development should, in addition to traditional employee training, extend to the creation of structures and systems that support the formation of personnel competences. This implies the setting of new tasks in the HRM system.
Thirdly, a key role in the formation of both individual and corporate competencies is given to management personnel. Organizationally, HRM unites not only top managers and functional specialists, but also involves line managers at all levels in the process of personnel work.
Creating and maintaining sustainable competitive advantages means, first of all, the development of human resources: the creation and development of a base of skills and abilities of personnel, the intellectual capital of an organization, the formation and maintenance of an appropriate environment, the establishment of communications, the development of a culture of mutual trust between managers and their subordinates. There is a need to study managerial competencies and, in particular, a special managerial competency - "competence in the formation of competencies".
The key role of management and managerial work in organizational development and the corresponding changes in the practice of human resource management has necessitated the study of the specifics of management as a type of professional activity that determines the characteristics of managerial competencies.
Formation of managerial competencies
Management activities are multifaceted and can be represented in various ways. Summarizing various representations of management and managerial work, let's represent managerial work in the form of an organized reflexive decision-making process for the purposeful impact on the object of management. The study of the features of managerial work as a type of professional activity made it possible to determine two components of managerial competence, and, accordingly, two general strategies for their formation.
Dictionary of personnel management. Managerial competence - as an integral quality of the subject of management, combining motivational-value, cognitive, worldview, communicative components (attitudes, abilities, knowledge, skills, etc.) that are significant for the effective implementation of managerial activities, expressed in terms of observed behavior.
The first component is related to the ability to professionally build and rebuild joint activities within the framework of the understood and accepted social order (demand) for the implementation of this activity, which is possible if there is a system of reflexive-thinking means (theories, concepts, schemes, management models). Therefore, the level of development of the conceptual base (in this case, its systemic complexity), the ability to construct mental structures nested in each other are one of the results of the activity on the formation of managerial competence. We will call this activity learning in the broad sense of this concept, which includes both teaching and learning.
The second component of managerial competence is the readiness and ability to apply the above means in order to carry out joint activities within the framework of the understood and accepted social order (demand). This means the presence of personal self-determination of a manager in activity (as opposed to individual or subjective), when professionalism, a conscious attitude to work are a value. This position is achieved by creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, the formation of a specific organizational culture - we will call this activity the education of management personnel.
The foregoing allows us to conclude that the formation of managerial competencies in the practice of HRM plays a teaching and educational role. And since the manager is in a dual subject-object position, the formation of competencies involves both the implementation of the impact (training, education) and their self-formation (self-training and self-education).
The content of the competence presented above, the status of individual competencies in the system of corporate competencies, and the features of managerial work as a type of professional activity make it possible to clarify the structure of managerial competence by introducing the object-subject position of a manager in the system of activity. We note the main results of this refinement.
Any subject of management activity can be considered once as a subject in relation to the activity that he manages (including the subject position in relation to the subjects of management activity of a lower order as objects of his own management activity), the second time as an object of management activity of a subject of management activity of a higher level. order, the third time as a subject of management of their own management activities.
The subject-object position of a manager allows us to introduce three cuts in the content of managerial competence. In the first case, the content of managerial competence reflects the ability and readiness to professionally build and restructure joint activities within the framework of the understood and accepted social order (demand).
In the second case, the ability and willingness to professionally form the managerial competencies of subjects of managerial activity of a lesser order through both direct influence and through the introduction of systems and structures that ensure the integration of managerial competencies into the system of corporate competencies of the organization. In the third - the ability and readiness for self-organization, self-development, the creation of self-organizing metasystems that support the formation of competencies of a special kind - "competencies in the formation of competencies".
Thirdly, the subject of managerial activity as a carrier of managerial competencies can be considered at three levels, connected with each other by the relations "abstract - concrete" and "whole - parts": a manager, a team of managers, managerial personnel. This does not mean the mechanical association of individuals into working groups and the administrative apparatus, but a systemic organic compound that forms a whole, characterized by common goals shared by socio-cultural and ethical values, similar motives, possessing abilities, knowledge, skills, etc., different from abilities. , knowledge, skills, etc., members of a group of employees (for example, the ability to apply group forms of organizing thinking in the process of making managerial decisions). Therefore, the bearer of managerial competence can be not only an individual employee, but also a team of managers and all managerial personnel.
Given the above, we define the structure of managerial competence using a three-dimensional matrix.
The first dimension of the matrix is related to the level of formation of managerial competencies. The individual level involves the formation of the competencies of a manager and depends on the specifics of the managerial activity being carried out. Traditional models of managerial competencies reflect the individual level. The group level of formation of managerial competencies allows you to work with the competencies of a small group (structural unit) and is especially relevant in the formation of the competencies of process teams, working groups. The organizational level of formation operates with collective abilities, considering managerial routines.
The second dimension reflects the type of capital underlying competence: human, social, organizational (meaning systemic). The formation of managerial competencies based on human capital involves the training and education of personnel. Social capital as the basis of managerial competencies means the creation of a social environment for interaction, an organizational culture that supports the functional, key and dynamic competencies of the organization. The formation of managerial competencies based on systemic capital implies the creation of systems and structures that support the competencies of the organization.
The third dimension of the matrix in the field of formation of managerial competencies reflects the hierarchy of corporate competencies: functional, key, dynamic. At the same time, the status of the managerial competencies introduced by us, which are different in content and related to the subject-object position of the manager, in this hierarchy will be determined by the development strategy of the organization and its policy in the field of HRM.
The content and structure of managerial competence, presented above, involves the identification and formulation of new HRM tasks in terms of creating appropriate systems and structures. It is proposed to systematize HRM practices in the field of managerial competencies formation using a three-dimensional matrix of HRM tasks, built on the basis of the structure of the concept of "managerial competence" proposed above (Table 1).
Table 1
Matrix of HRM tasks in the field of formation of managerial competencies
The proposed matrix of HRM tasks can be used as a means of determining the directions of work in the field of the formation of managerial competencies, as well as a diagnostic tool in the audit of the HRM system.
Let's summarize. The presence of different points of view on the structure and content of the concept of "managerial competence" necessitated its clarification on the basis of a study of the knowledge accumulated to date about a person as a carrier of competence, the status of personnel competencies in the system of corporate competencies and the modern content and specifics of managerial work.
As a result, managerial competence is defined as an integral quality of the subject of management, which combines motivational-value, cognitive, worldview, communicative components (attitudes, abilities, knowledge, skills, etc.) that are significant for the effective implementation of managerial activities, expressed in terms of observed behavior. Management competencies form, develop, and also in a unique way "contract", connect, fuse the competencies of personnel, social and corporate competencies, creating and maintaining the competitive advantages of the organization. The structure of managerial competence is defined using a three-dimensional matrix:
- the level of formation of managerial competencies (individual, group, corporate);
- the type of capital underlying competence (human, social, organizational);
- competence status (functional, key, dynamic).
In conclusion, it is necessary to note the growing role of HRM, expressed in the extension of HRM practice to a wider range of issues. Among the most pressing issues of expanding HRM practice in relation to the formation and development of managerial competencies, we will include the development of a culture or way of thinking that makes it possible to maintain unique competencies, and the development and maintenance of socially complex relationships (team work style, knowledge sharing, trust).
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I.Katunina
head department
management and marketing
Omsk State
university
Once, Henry Ford called the executives who headed the departments in his company, and suddenly sent them on a sea cruise in the Caribbean for two weeks. When the vacation ended and the executives arrived at their jobs, a surprise awaited them. Some of them were promoted and some were fired. For what reason?
4. Organizational skills, teamwork
The ability of the manager to form a single, well-coordinated team allows him to create a strong framework for the company. The fundamental competence of a leader is the ability and desire to work in a team, using effective motivation mechanisms, a system of incentives and internal control. Competent, role model for employees. Forms the rules, establishes the regime and himself impartially follows it. He creates a favorable atmosphere in the team, as well as comfortable working conditions and knows how to influence the socio-psychological climate in the team.
“In order to motivate people, you need to know what they want, what is important to them. Money, career, personal development? Know the people you work with, communicate with them. Then you will be able to anticipate the needs and desires of your employee.”
Vladimir Tarasov
An effective manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, analyzes their abilities and takes them into account when placing personnel in the performance of priority and secondary tasks. A good leader understands the importance of qualification growth for the staff, therefore, timely implements a personnel training system, taking into account priority development areas.
5. Own efficiency
The ability to communicate, the ability to present oneself correctly, the present gift of persuasion and the accuracy of expressing thoughts are the key competencies of a leader in any business area. In order to convince the “masses”, inside and outside the company, a lot of mental flexibility is required. In order to effectively conduct meetings, hold the attention of the audience, and confidently lead the group in the right direction, it is necessary to develop the ability to present information, as well as practice emotion management skills and quickly analyze the situation.
At the same time, in order for the development of managerial competencies to grow and expand, it is necessary to work on one's own effectiveness, learn, engage in self-development, master new technologies and advanced methods. The online school offers that will help people with and without certain experience improve their qualifications and managerial skills.
Work, work, don't stop!
“To be a true leader, you have to be willing to lose everything. The leader takes the hit and falls if he falls. Of course, you do not have to prepare for a fall, but you must be ready for it. The one who falls and rises is the great leader who has chosen the Great Way."
Vladimir Tarasov
A leader who, in a changing market and unstable social environment, finds the right solutions and moves his company forward will definitely gain credibility and receive the best reward. An effective leader who will lead his team to success develops effective management techniques and skills that help him in work and in life.
He knows everything about the world of business, will be able to adapt to its changeable course and sudden cataclysms of the market. He continuously learns and guides others. But the most important thing is that such a leader is set up for positive management, instills confidence in people and energizes those who help him, support his mission and go hand in hand with him throughout the Great Path.
