Create your own competencies or use the research of others?

There are good arguments for every organisation creating its own competency framework, as explained in the best practice journal paper referenced in this blog a couple of posts ago. The main benefit is that such organisation-specific competencies can reflect the unique culture, values, mission, vision and strategic objectives of a mature and successful organisation. But what if your organisation is not mature enough to have developed it’s own unique culture etc.? Or what if your organisation has been created in the image of another organisation (and doesn’t want to just use the competencies that the ‘parent’ organisation uses)?

Then it makes sense to use good quality work done by others. Take a look at:

Bartram, D. (2005). The Great Eight Competencies: A criterion-centric approach to validation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 1185-1203.

Professor Bartram describes an extensive research programme to identify a set of robust general management competencies that should apply in most organisations. The research was undertaken by the occupational psychology company SHL, and is often used by that organisation to promote the sale and use of its products and services. Here at the Oakwood Club and Alumni Network blog, we’re not in the business of recommending (or criticising) other organisations, but we like the ‘Great Eight’ competencies described in the paper, even if they are used by organisations as no more than a starting point in making their own competency framework.

Take a look at the paper. I could help you get your competency framework started.