Week 5 Hr Homework

US Government Bureau

~ Core Competency Model for Managers ~

A Case Study

Purpose:

In recent years the Government Bureau has identified a need to implement a behaviorally-based Core-Competency Model for Managers (CCMM). This initiative is driven by several needs:

· Compliance with Presidential Mandates

· Accomplishment of OMB audit standards

· Achievement of SES ECQ’s

· Alignment with OPM’s management competency model

Internally, Bureau employees at all levels articulated a desire for blending the agency’s core mandates and technical competence with effective/efficient management. One senior manager brought to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) issues of manager competency and training. The ELT then charged Human Resources with investigation and resolution. OED and HR collaborated to document Core Competencies for Bureau Managers.

The Office of Employee Development was furthered tasked by the Bureau’s Director to research, develop and deploy a core competency model for Bureau management which meets these needs. Transition Fitness, LLC, an independent Organizational Development and Human Resource Management consultancy was retained to assist in the process.

Task:

Prepare a bureau-wide CCMM for each the various management levels and titles (e.g. Supervisor, Middle and Senior Manager) based on OPM, SES ECQ Meta competencies and Bureau Leadership Competencies and Guiding Principles for all employees. The CCMM will:

· Be aligned with agency and presidential level mandates

· Incorporate Bureau business reality

· Be validated to include behavioral (i.e. clinical) language that is measurable

This work is being refined and validated with various stakeholder communities throughout the Bureau.

The validated model consists of a suite of competencies that are core to the present and future managerial success of Bureau. In addition, an initial alignment of the various supporting competencies has been made to the Bureau management levels by title.

Activities:

Methodology:

Throughout the Bureau CCMM development process, the Bureau decision makers (CCMM Working and Steering Committees) have applied this general developmental framework:

1. Does it have Mandate? This refers to the overall strategic rationale for the model. In the case of CCMM there is a set of mandates deriving from the Bureau’s needs to:

0. Have SES candidates meet ECQ’s

0. Increase effectiveness of persons in a managerial rotation

0. Pass OMP audits

0. Meet Presidential, Bureau and Departmental Mandates

1. Does it have Linkage? Does the candidate Competency Model have a clear linkage to its Mandate(s)? In the case of CCMM that trail has been scrupulously maintained and advertised.

1. Does it have Relevance? Do the language and metrics of the model reflect how the competencies are actually manifest (or how executive management wants them to be manifest) throughout the organization. In the case of our work on CCMM, the surveys, focus groups and expert panels have been almost entirely focused on relevance of language while maintaining linkage to mandates.

1. Does it have Utility? The final test of value is can rank and file employees and their managers use the Model as a valuable tool in addressing their strategic and tactical needs both for operations and development. So, in addition to Mandate, Linkage and Relevance, can people actually DO something with the model?

Current Outcomes:

In the process of refining the CCMM, focus group participants and other stakeholders applied three test questions to guide and validate their work.

· Are these the right competencies?

· Are we in agreement with them and their definitions?

· Are any competencies missing?

The outcome of these efforts is:

1. A well refined suite of six Core Competencies for Bureau Managers:

· INTEGRITY/HONESTY

· INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

· ACCOUNTABILITY

· STRATEGIC THINKING

· INFLUENCING /NEGOTIATING

· DECISIVENESS

2. A candidate suite of competencies that may become the next six Core Competencies for Bureau Managers:

· MANAGING CHANGE:

· Flexibility

· Resilience

· MANAGING RESOURCES

· Continual Learning

· Leveraging Diversity

· Technical Credibility

· Financial Management

· Human Resources Management

· Technology Management

· MANAGING CONFLICT

· Conflict Management

· Problem Solving

· ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP

· Team Building

· Customer Service

· Partnering

· Political Savvy

3. A series of actions to deploy the CCMM throughout the agency.

Next Steps:

The final deliverables in the current phase of CCMM development involve two final focus group meetings (one with a group of stakeholders who report to managers and one with the steering committee) and making the language suitable for inclusion into the on-line recruiting and assessment system as well as establishing linkages to relevant training and development protocols. It is anticipated that a report will be made to the ELT at this time.

The proposed follow on work would provide the following additional utility:

· Establish an inventory of development opportunities Bureau managers

· Place the CCMM on the Bureau OED website

· On-line self-assessment (for personal consideration about development interests)

· On-line manager assessment (for comparison with self-assessment and dialog about development)

· On-line 360 assessment (for broader based assessment about development opportunity and accomplishment)

· Accumulation of statistical data by various Bureau demographics for establishment of baselines, benchmarks and trends

· Establish validated screening parameters for successful candidates for various management positions throughout the Bureau.

Initial Six Core Competencies:

1 - INTEGRITY/HONESTY

Instills mutual trust and confidence. Initiates and sustains action to accomplish scientific goals by guiding, motivating and gaining the confidence of others. Creates a culture that fosters high standards of ethics. Behaves in a fair and ethical manner toward others. Demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility and commitment to public service. Achieves voluntary commitment to shared values and goals. Adapts leadership style to different situations.

· Sets and demonstrates high standards of respect for people, and appropriate use of property and fiscal resources.

· Encourages and respects various perspectives regarding issues, challenges and opportunities in a framework of consistent and reliable ethics.

· Promotions, work assignments, performance appraisals, training, rewards and recognition are fair and open.

· Displays trust in employees as appropriate to plan and perform work and stands behind the work they produce by honoring the data/information they gather.

· Is honest in communication with people.

· Gives credit to people who deserve it.

· Accepts personal responsibility, especially when things go wrong.

· Focuses on self-understanding and improvement.

2 - INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Establishes and maintains constructive and cooperative interpersonal relationships with others to accomplish the organization's mission. Considers and responds to the needs, feelings and capabilities of different people in different situations. Effectively communicates, to all levels: managers, peers, customers, partners, and employees. Exercises effective listening skills, clarifying information as needed and facilitates an open exchange of ideas. Adapts approach to different people and situations.

· Establishes effective working relationships.

· Effectively promotes programs, products and services of the organization.

· Responds to concerns of employees, customers and partners.

· Motivates by open communication and providing regular constructive feedback.

· Uses a variety of facilitation, communication or other interpersonal skills and tools.

· Effective in working and consulting with external groups and organizations.

· Relates and deals with empathy and respect to a diversity of people.

· Holds confidences.

· Maintains a balance between professional and personal relationships in the workplace.

· Presents information honestly and encourages courses of action that will be best for the organization.

3 - ACCOUNTABILITY

Holds self accountable and reliable to ensure that projects within areas of responsibility are completed in a timely manner. Assures that effective controls are developed and maintained to ensure the integrity of their charge and performance of the organization. Identifies how organizational or program results will be measured. Applies merit principles to hold self and others accountable for rules and responsibilities. Monitors programs and/or activities and takes corrective actions when necessary. Encourages others to take ownership of work, products, services, and results.

Shows accountability for Self by:

· Taking personal responsibility for own actions.

Shows accountability to and for Direct Reports by:

· Taking action to reward employees for excellent service to the Bureau.

· Clearly articulating work assignments for all employees.

· Taking responsibility for the action of subordinates and showing public support for subordinates when their actions where within the scope of their delegated work.

· Ensuring appropriate attention to and holding employees accountable for upholding the guiding principles of the Bureau.

· Actively working to address issues that will lower morale so that productivity is not lost.

· Developing staff by early planning for training and development needs, including appropriate budgeting for necessary funds.

· Taking the time to research and understand current directions and initiatives and honestly sharing the intent of those initiatives with employees and colleagues to eliminate or redirect organizational irritation toward effective problem solving.

Shows accountability to the Bureau by:

· Counseling, disciplining, and when necessary, removing employees for poor performance or conduct issues to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the staff.

· Appropriately scoping projects and manages expectations to available resources.

· Ensuring that the work of the organization is done and products or services are delivery in a timely and appropriate way.

· Maintaining appropriate use of resources, setting realistic budgets and maintaining appropriate controls over the budget to ensure fiscal soundness.

· Making decisions and judgments that are in the best interest of the larger bureau goals over project, local organization, or personal interests.

Shows accountability to the Science by:

· Ensuring the integrity of scientific data or other work-related data.

· Holding self and others accountable for high scientific, business and ethical standards.

4 - STRATEGIC THINKING

Formulates effective strategies to address organizational goals that are consistent with the overall mission of the bureau. Researches, interprets, provides analysis and reports on long-term customer/client trends for the purpose of formulating policy and strategy. Determines objectives and sets priorities. Understands organizational strengths and weaknesses. Anticipates potential threats or opportunities that address long-term customer and stakeholder needs and concerns. Demonstrates courage to speak and act in the best interest of the organization’s future potential. Uses information from various measures in strategic thinking and planning

· Develops creative strategic plans.

· Identifies activities to achieve short- and long-term goals and needs.

· Anticipates scientific and societal change and leads change within the organization

· Integrates lessons learned into strategic planning

· Appropriately blends the needs of the organization with society and science, both applied and basic

· Understands and balances the emphasis and direction of basic science, i.e., push agency goals and the goals of science or balances societal goals and basic science goals.

· Uses a diversity of people, ideas, opinions, approaches to develop organizational strategy.

· Assesses long-held beliefs and practices

5 - INFLUENCING /NEGOTIATING

Develops networks and coalitions. Gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals. Negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions. Builds consensus through give and take. Uses persuasion to change the decisions, opinions, attitudes and behaviors of others. Brings opposing groups or individuals together in order to reconcile differences and accomplish organizational goals. Applies effective negotiation techniques. Identifies and works with key individuals who may be affected by the organization.

· Secures favorable attention and action on behalf of an individual or organizational unit.

· Develops networks with key individuals or groups to produce products and/or services.

· Negotiates agreements to provide reimbursable services.

· Uses facilitation, collaboration, and technical skills and knowledge to achieve science goals.

· Effectively promotes the organization’s mission and capabilities.

· Represents the Bureau in negotiations with others.

· Works with communities to meet their science and information needs

· Encourages team members to be innovative.

· Promotes truly cooperative projects/ventures within and externally to the organization.

6 - DECISIVENESS

Exercises good judgment by making sound and well-informed decisions. Perceives the impact and implications of decisions. Makes effective and timely decisions. Is proactive and achievement oriented. Commits to action, even in uncertain situations. Makes sound and timely decisions necessary to carry out programs, ideas, systems or policies. Deals with complaints by taking appropriate action. Takes corrective action when needed.

· Exercises good judgment when making exceptions to established policies.

· Develops action plans to support decisions.

· Employs wide variety of techniques to generate ideas, knowledge, options and decisions.

· Involves appropriate people in decision-making.

· Encourages and creates an environment which values risk taking to accomplish mission needs.

· Uses appropriate decision making style to circumstances

© Transition Fitness, 2013 Bureau CCMM - A Case Study page 1 of 12