One of the creative core competencies I highlighted in the leadership toolbox that requires more
attention is Achieving. Achieving is the creative use of power, with a focus on purpose, vision,
and end outcomes. As a result, Achieving is strongly linked to effectiveness. In the survey,
employees expressed dissatisfaction with management's trustworthiness and vision. This
negativity can be addressed by focusing on mastering the Achieving leadership ability. Within
the Achieving competency, the two outer-circle abilities that need to be prioritized are Purposeful
Visionary and Strategic Focus. Many of the dissatisfactory survey results can be attributed to a
breakdown in communication between management and employees. The Purposeful Visionary
competency evaluates a leader's communication abilities, which must be prioritized and
strengthened as a result of the employee survey results. The Strategic Focus competency assesses
a leader's ability to focus. Strategic Focus is recognized when a company is very explicit about
its goal and vision and has a cohesive, well-articulated plan for accomplishing them. Employees
under the direction of leaders who excel in Strategic Focus will better understand and achieve
organizational objectives.
Focusing on the development of the Achieving competency will drive the scores for both the
statements regarding "My company cares about its employees" and "Provides leadership that acts
in just an ethical way" in a more favorable direction. Currently, employees feel neglected and
disengaged and do not feel that the company cares about them. As a result of the current gap in
communicating the vision and mission of the company, employees feel that the company does
not act ethically and ultimately does not care about them. If employees were better informed and
aligned with the company goals, this gap may potentially not exist. Decisions made by leadership
must be discussed with the employees, and feedback needs to be solicited. Creating an
environment in which open dialogue is encouraged with leaders actively listening to employee's
concerns and thoughts will allow employees to feel valued, thus establishing trust and respect
between leadership and the employees. The Achieving competency assists managers in
leading the organization. As a result, managers who excel in Achieving can manage change,
solve problems and make decisive choices, handle corporate politics, motivate others, take
chances and encourage innovation, and convey clearly and concisely the company's vision and
strategy. These leaders can enhance business skills and knowledge amongst their team and can
understand and navigate the organization ethically and efficiently.
The creative core competency Relating is another skill that the leaders in the company need to
develop. A leader's capacity to connect with their employees in a manner that inspires confidence
in people, teams, and organizations is referred to as the Relating competency. By leaders
developing the Relating competency skills, the scores for "I trust my supervisor" and "My job
makes good use of my skills and abilities" can be positively impacted. Management must
strengthen a few abilities on the outer circle of the Relating competency. The Caring Connection
skill, for example, assesses the leader's commitment and capacity to establish genuine,
empathetic connections. Displaying concern and care for the employees will facilitate trust
between the employee and their supervisors. Ensuring that employees feel that they are more
than just a number and that their supervisor truly cares about their well-being fosters a more
trusting environment, which leads to higher employee engagement and productivity.
Interpersonal Intelligence is another essential ability in the Relating competencies outer circle
that evaluates interpersonal effectiveness. Leaders who possess this skill are great listeners,
participate in disagreement and debate, interact with the emotions of others, and control their
own feelings. Increasing the scores on the employee survey related to the statement, "My
company cares about its employees," will benefit from leadership developing Interpersonal
Intelligence. The final competence in the outer circle to focus on is Mentoring and Development,
which examines a leader's capacity to mentor and enhance performance while maintaining
growth-promoting connections. Relationships that indicate a leader's interest in their employees'
future careers and want to see them succeed demonstrate to employees that their supervisor cares
about them and is willing to recognize their strengths to help them advance their careers. Leaders
who exceed in the Relating competency can effectively interact with their employees,strengthen
them as individuals, appreciate diversity, establish relationships, and efficiently manage teams
and groups.
Future employee surveys will demonstrate positive progress in the focus areas Working
Conditions, Job Satisfaction, and Company & Strategy if the leadership qualities stated herein
are
addressed.
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/leadership-and-
navigation/pages/leadershipcompetencies.aspx
