Business Acumen: Knowledge of business concepts, tools, and processes that are needed for making sound decisions in the context of the company’s business; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Basic Understanding:
• Works to understand the business priorities of internal and external clients.
• Describes profitability drivers and considerations.
• Describes desired or actual business results in measurable scales or terms.
• Explains how the organization makes money.
Information Technology Trends: Knowledge of marketplace experience, developments and trends related to the organization’s use of Information Technology (IT); ability to apply knowledge of IT appropriately to benefit the organization.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Compares organization’s technology practices to other organizations.
• Discusses organizational position in relation to technology-related trends.
• Cites examples of successful organization initiatives and underlying technologies.
• Presents alternative views of key technologies and their implications.
• Highlights organizational implications associated with major IT trends.
• Advises key lines of business on major advances in technology and implications.
Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.
• Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.
• Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.
• Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.
• Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.
• Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.
Talent Management: Knowledge of the critical competencies required to achieve intended results; ability to generate consistent approaches for hiring, selection, retaining and leveraging talent across the organization.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Recommends improvements to talent management initiatives based on analysis of data on their effectiveness.
• Maintains strong relationships with formal and informal mentors.
• Implements systems and methods for supporting talent management programs.
• Negotiates for key developmental experiences and transitional experiences.
• Introduces contacts from personal and professional networks to hiring managers.
Leadership: Knowledge of leadership practices and processes; ability to use strategies and skills to enlist others in setting, embracing and achieving objectives while having a long-term perspective of the future state of things and how to get there.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Translates vision into specific functional or departmental initiatives.
• Uses a normative decision model (with leadership styles and situational variables) to select style.
• Promotes efficacy through monitoring, coaching & motivating subordinates, intervention, etc.
• Uses emotional contagion to affect the mood of group members, tone of group and group processes.
• Initiates structure: role clarification, setting standards, holding subordinates accountable, etc.
• Employs various group decision-making methods depending on the situation.
Vendor/Supplier Management: Knowledge of external provider management processes and ability to effectively manage the business relationship with external providers (e.g. vendors, service providers, contractors, consultants and suppliers).
Level Extensive Experience:
• Manages actual and perceived conflict of interest issues.
• Monitors and communicates vendor effectiveness, reliability and performance.
• Influences existing and new vendor relationships and the approved vendor list.
• Interprets documents detailing service provisions and financial arrangements.
• Explains case studies of effective and ineffective partnering relationships and lessons learned.
• Advises others on the issues and considerations for working with new vendors, suppliers or partners.
IT Service Management (ITSM): Knowledge of Information Technology (IT) service; ability to manage IT services and oversee service operations.
Level Expert:
• Oversees the establishment and use of best practices in IT service management.
• Leads in the development of information technology and personal technical skills.
• Promotes the use of standard procedures in each function of IT services.
• Creates criteria to measure professional services; ensures the quality of IT services.
• Forecasts technological industry trends and potential risks in IT service management.
• Provides insight into system optimization and development of process-focused IT services.