Skill Descriptors
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.
Planning: Tactical, Strategic: Knowledge of effective planning techniques and ability to contribute to operational (short term), tactical (1-2 years) and strategic (3-5 years) planning in support of the overall business plan.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Contributes to short-term operational plans.
• Anticipates and adapts to plan changes.
• Monitors progress of work against plan as required to meet objectives.
• Reports variances and makes agreed-upon corrections.
• Under guidance, develops tactical plan for own direct responsibility.
Process Management: Knowledge of business process improvement tools and techniques; ability to understand, monitor, update, control, or enhance existing business or work processes.
Level Basic Understanding:
• Interprets process flow diagrams.
• Explains differences between a process and a project.
• Identifies process management initiatives in own area.
• Describes key business processes in own area.
Collaborating: Knowledge of collaborative techniques; ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and collaborative manner.
Level Basic Understanding:
• Demonstrates a basic understanding of the concept of collaborative processes.
• Explains the concept of collaboration as applicable to organizations.
• Provides examples of how collaboration has helped achieve organizational goals.
• Contrasts collaborative with competitive operating styles in organizations.
Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.
• Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.
• Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work.
• Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.
• Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.
Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Basic Understanding:
• Explains the value of a disciplined approach to problem solving.
• Describes problem reporting and escalation practices.
• Utilizes accepted procedures for problem analysis and resolution.
• Identifies key aspects of problem-solving techniques used in own area.
Project Management: Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Provides input for Gantt or PERT charts or their equivalent to track project progress and status.
• Under guidance, plans and estimates simple projects.
• Assists in detailed project plans including cost, schedule, and resource requirements.
• Obtains information from stakeholders during the planning stage of a project.
• Produces standard project status reports.
Data Gathering and Reporting: Knowledge of tools, techniques and processes for gathering and reporting data; ability to practice them in a particular department or division of a company.
Level Basic Understanding:
• Identifies the key objectives of gathering data.
• Describes alternative data-gathering techniques and tools.
• Applies basic data-gathering methodologies.
• Identifies key sources of needed information**.**