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The Persistent Need for Strategic Thinking, Profit, and Organizational Synergy
Bruce Griffiths M.S.
As preface to this topic, last fall OSI was asked to help with a search for universally applicable competencies by the Competency Based Education Network (CBEN) as part of their annual conference. CBEN uses our universal competency model, Polaris®, as their reference standard and asked to use our 41 competencies as the starting point for a conference wide exercise to winnow to complete model to a generalizable subset of competencies needed across all jobs. Evergreen competencies universally needed.
We have long known that some competencies are only essential for certain roles in a talent pipeline (e.g., Delegation is only relevant to supervisory roles), but there are a set of competencies (e.g., Active Listening and Drive/Energy) are more universally applicable. Further evidence for the universality of certain competencies is the mountain of assessment center longitudinal validity research, across many organizations, reveals a set of competencies universally required by leaders, i.e., Problem Solving, Organizing & Planning, Influence, Interpersonal.
We've also discovered through the hundreds of competency card sorts done with diverse leadership teams that a separate subset of competencies is typically revealed as essential for those top leaders in any organization. Reliably agreed on by dozens of managers are the following competencies needed to perform in a strategic leader role: Strategic Thinking, Financial Acumen, Business Thinking, Visioning, Industry Knowledge, Global Mindset, and Risk-Taking.
Our business simulation, Paper Nation, teaches these competencies by providing a realistic emulation of a contemporary paper company in a strategic context. The simulation presents a longitudinal challenge as participants are given a five-year time frame to double the top line while meeting profit expectations that add to shareholder value. The simulation is truly a practice field to rehearse what it takes to be a strategic leader.
In these tumultuous times, uncertainty is certainly a headline. So, as we recently watched a Paper Nation team manage in their ambiguous circumstance, it was obvious that their constant ability to think strategically, generate profit (the green fuel that powered the enterprise), and synergize their business systems were called upon no matter what threat or opportunity was presented across their five years. And as we transferred that observation to real organizations navigating through these times, these evergreen strategic competencies stood out as constants. This need for organizational leaders to think strategically, systemically, and profitably is more important now than ever.
INSIGHT Now Available
A common refrain (regret?) among HR professionals is that "we hire for the hard skills (expertise), but then fire for (lack of) soft skills". It is easier to sort candidates for technical skills using education and/or expertise filters, but research not only proves a lack of predictive power for these criteria, but also an introduction of bias against traditionally protected groups when hiring.
What are the soft skills that are so important as hiring criteria? Emotional intelligence comes to mind at once, but decades of research has revealed that people skills are only one of several needed skillsets.
INSIGHT is an online test that measure eight competency areas essential for obtaining that necessary first look at candidate readiness. INSIGHT can be used both as a test for helping winnow a candidate pool, or as a development tool for leader development.
For more information about OSI's award winning business simulation "Paper Nation The $2 Billion Challenge", our new online test, INSIGHT, or our industry leading competency library, Polaris®, please contact Crystal Matsuura at OSI at cmatsuura@orgsysint.com.
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