How is competency defined? The Cambridge English dictionary defines competency as ‘an important skill needed to do a job.’ A bit broad. If we look deeper, competencies are the skills and abilities that enable a person (or organization) to carry out their job effectively. They are inherent qualities that an individual possesses.
Competencies are often part of a broader competency framework, which allows organizations to select and develop talent and assess employee performance. The competency framework is generally divided into three areas – core values, which are the values chosen by the organization, core competencies, focusing on the employee’s behavior and soft skills; and functional competencies, focusing on the actual job responsibilities and duties of the employee.
As a leadership coach and consultant, my main interest is in the core competencies area. Having been an employee and leader in the broadcast media space for over 20 years, I used competency frameworks on countless occasions – both to be assessed and to assess.
This assessment generally took place once a year (and was tied to my annual salary review) and had generalized meanings on what these core competencies were – communication, teamwork, decision-making, strategic thinking, commercial awareness, etc. These are all critical attributes to have when performing a job well.
Although some of these competencies involved some emotional intelligence skills, they still needed to embrace the total value of what these skills can bring to every level of an organization and its employees.
Firstly though, what is emotional intelligence (EQ)? Psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey describe it as ‘the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.’
Working alongside companies such as Johnson & Johnson and American Express, CREIO has backed up its findings on the positive impact implementing an emotional intelligence framework has on the workforce.
Emotional intelligence is the glue that holds other competencies together and allows them to have more meaning. For example, ‘Communication’ is a standardized competency most organizations assess against. This is because communication is a critical skill, both inside and outside work.
But how do we assess communication? A huge part of communicating is listening to the other person (active listening), asking open-ended questions, and displaying empathy. But often, these skills should be taken into consideration and developed. And yet, they are essential for conflict management and having difficult conversations with your manager or colleagues.
These are the factors that Linda K Clemons has talked about and stresses that if one needs to know the exact essence of being content, then one needs to understand the concept of EI and be emotionally aware of their own and others’ emotional needs while communicating.
With her skills, Linda helps individuals Improve their interpersonal skills for personal and business development. Her expertise has provided her with the knowledge and experience she uses as the wisdom that others can use to benefit them.
When people get help from Linda regarding interpersonal skills, it is always used in favor of Its Impact on Sales, interpersonal skills, business, relationships, and dating gets obvious and shows positive changes.
