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

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

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

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

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 5 Beginning to Adapt: Building from the Bottom Organizational Vision Individual Development Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies Behavioral Competencies Core Values and Priorities Core Services and Processes Performance Knowledge and Skills Technical Knowledge and Job Skills 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

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

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

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

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

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 10 Asking “How” Builds a Common LANGUAGE Organizational Vision Individual Development Behavioral Competencies Leadership Competencies Functional Competencies Core Services and Processes Core Values and Priorities Performance Knowledge and Skills Technical Knowledge and Job Skills

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

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

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 13 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. ProgressionPerformance Handles conflict resolution to maximize opportunity and minimize exposure to risk Maintains a general understanding of a variety of conflict resolution techniques and available resources; uses acquired expertise to call upon a variety of conflict resolution techniques and resources and to diffuse high-tension situations comfortably Resolves conflict in one’s workgroup within established policies and guidelines Attempts to resolve personal (individual) conflicts without intervention of supervisor or manager; identifies conflict and refers to the appropriate person for resolution based on an understanding of relevant policies and guidelines for Stanford Behavioral Competencies

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 14 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. ProgressionPerformance Creates new concepts and new ways of looking at things Clarifies complex concepts, data, or situations for others; able to convey complex ideas in clear, concise manner; able to factor hunches into decision-making equations without allowing them to dominate the final outcome Understands and is able to apply complex concepts in order to generate options, visualize possibilities, and formulate new approaches; able to objectively analyze a situation to evaluate the pros, cons, and implications of any course of action Uses basic rules for identifying patterns, connections, and underlying issues, and recognizes abstract or complex ideas; takes appropriate action Functional Competencies

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 15 Example: Risk Taking Definition: The willingness to promote and support new ideas and opportunities while assuring appropriate controls. ProgressionPerformance Puts own career at risk when necessary to support entrepreneurial initiatives and to “do the right thing” Takes calculated risks to champion breakthrough ideas and initiatives to move team or department forward; creates an environment that encourages innovation and risk taking Encourages and supports new and innovative service or technology opportunities that may be unconventional Supports new and innovative service or technology opportunities that may be unconventional Leadership Competencies

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 16 How the Competencies are Applied CFO Executive Director Senior Staff Staff Senior Technologist Manager Chief Technologist Director

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

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 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

Creating Competency Models for Strategic IT Planning Page 19 A Systemic Approach to Building an ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATION Organizational Vision Individual Development Behavioral Competencies Leadership Competencies Functional Competencies Core Services and Processes Core Values and Priorities Performance Knowledge and Skills Technical Knowledge and Job Skills