Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning

1. Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Bill Clebsch Executive Director of IT Services Stanford University

2. Adaptive Organization Organizational Change & the Performance Process Customer and Employee Survey Results IT2008 Strategic Plan Pace of IT change STRATEGIC PANNING: Forces for Change But HOW?

3. Defining core values was good but there was no context, which made defining priorities difficult … … and defining core services and processes even more so… Initial Approach: Management from the Top Organizational Vision Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

4. Initial Approach: Management from the Top Organizational Vision Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Even the best possible organizational vision didn’t work: • Staff couldn’t relate to it • It was too high-level Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

5. Staff wanted technical training and skills-building, but uncertain on specifics for future Management knew staff needed “soft skills” but staff saw this as waste of time Beginning to Adapt: Building from the Bottom Organizational Vision Core Services and Processes Core Values and Priorities Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

6. Staff requested career counseling Management wanted to help them plan & develop… But there was no map to start from Beginning to Adapt: Building from the Bottom Organizational Vision Core Services and Processes Core Values and Priorities Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

7. Our Dilemma Organizational Vision Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes We didn’t know how to bridge the gap and address both management and staff needs and concerns Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

8. Instead of “what” and “where,” we needed to ask “how” Our Dilemma WHERE do we want our organization to go WHAT culture are we trying to create WHAT services do we want to provide Perhaps we were asking the wrong questions … Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies WHAT soft skills do we need to have WHAT job skills do we need to have WHERE do we want our careers to go

9. LANGUAGE became the bridge Knowledge = What you know Skills = What you can do Vision = Where you want to go Key distinction: Organizational Vision Core Services and Processes Core Values and Priorities Behavioral Competencies Leadership Competencies Functional Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Competencies = How you do it Individual Development

10. Asking “How” Builds a Common LANGUAGE Organizational Vision Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes Behavioral Competencies Leadership Competencies Functional Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development

11. Phase 1: Phase 2: • Project with executive sponsorship • Core group plus vertical and horizontal focus groups • Refine model to the specifics of the org • Broad dialogue across the entire organization • naysayers • supporters • ALL levels • Transfer ownership to line mgmt • Small group • Research literature • Study and reflect on organization • Define initial models • Prepare the organization for the model: • Seed ideas • Engage in dialogue Review and revise annually • A Bold Declarative Management Statement Process: How We Built our Competency Model

12. Leadership Competencies Essential competencies for managers and technical leaders Functional (Technical) Competencies Essential for technical roles; based on job or occupation requirements Behavioral Competencies Basic, core competencies required and essential for ALL staff regardless of role ITSS Competency Model

13. Behavioral Competencies Example: Conflict Resolution Definition: The ability to address difficult situations and differences of opinion, to project credibility and poise under adversarial situations, and to treat all people fairly.

14. Functional Competencies Example: Conceptual and Critical Thinking Definition: The ability to piece together patterns or connections among situations that may not be obviously related, and to identify key or underlying issues in complex situations. It includes broad scanning of a situation, identifying commonalities among situations, and developing a resolution. It includes creative, critical, associative, and/or inductive reasoning.

15. Leadership Competencies Example: Risk Taking Definition: The willingness to promote and support new ideas and opportunities while assuring appropriate controls.

16. CFO Executive Director Chief Technologist Director Senior Technologist Manager Senior Staff Staff How the Competencies are Applied

17. Employee Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction Leveraging Competency Vision and Strategic Plan Language for Communication Goal Setting Performance Management Performance Appraisal Values Career Planning / Training and Development Change Management

18. Summary • You have to have lots of dialogue to build a common language • Can’t use off-the-shelf, computerized applications that purport to create “customized” Competency Models; typically they only address the technical skills piece • Your Competency Model needs to resonate with and reflect your organization • In terms of process: Look at whole system; start in the middle and move in both directions • Make a powerful declaration with absolute executive backing

19. A Systemic Approach to Building an ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATION Organizational Vision Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes Behavioral Competencies Leadership Competencies Functional Competencies Technical Knowledge and Job Skills Performance Knowledge and Skills Individual Development