Competences: The Problem of Definition is Important! (posted by Oliver Nyumbu)
Posted by Oliver Nyumbu
January 24th, 2007
As some of you are already aware, the notion of competences (not organisational core competences) is hugely problematic. You may want to challenge yourself to come up with say 4 to 5 businesses that have made life difficult for the competition because of adopting a competency framework. Indeed, as one Chief Executive put it, ‘Competences will give you a competent workforce. If you want excellence you have to try something else’.
One of the few people who really has a rounded grasp of competences is Karl Sveiby. In his book ‘The New Organizational Wealth: Managing & Measuring Knowledge-Based Assets’, he defines competences as comprising 5 inter
-dependent elements:
- Explicit knowledge . This involves knowing facts which can be squired through information and education.
- Skill . As Sveiby puts it, skill is the art of knowing how and includes practical proficiency,
- Experience. This is acquired through by reflecting on past mistakes and successes.
- Value judgements which are perceptions of what the individual believes to be right.
- Social network. This is made up of the individual’s relationships with other human beings.
Although Sveiby’s five-point model makes no mention of individuals’ unique talent it is, I would suggest, a much richer and blended view of competences. How does your organisation’s understanding of competences measure up against the one above?
