Competencies Building Blocks or Buzzwords An Webcast

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CompetenciesBuilding Blocks or Buzzwords
An Webcast
Tuesday, January 8 1200 noon to 100 p.m.

• Presenter Mary Ross
• mbucherross_at_earthlink.net

Infopeople webcasts are supported by the U.S.
Institute of Museum and Library Services under
the provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act, administered in California by the
State Librarian.
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The latest buzzword?
How do you view competencies?
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Building blocks for success?
How do you view competencies?
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Agenda

• Definitions of competencies and competency-based
  management
• How competencies can be identified and
  categorized
• How they are used in the library profession
• How they benefit your library
• Why they are important to you individually

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Defining competencies

• A cluster of knowledge, skills and attitudes
  (KSAs)

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KSAswhat does that mean?

• Knowledgewhat is known and understood that
  causes successful performance on the job
• Skillsbehaviors that demonstrate this knowledge
• Attitudespersonality traits and values that can
  be displayed in behaviors

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Competencies are KSAs that

• Correlate with successful performance on the job
• Can be measured against well-accepted standards
• Can be improved through training and development

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Competency-based management

• identifies the competencies needed for
  individual and organizational success and uses
  them for a wide variety of employee management
  functions.

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In this type of management, competencies are
reinforced in

• Recruitment and hiring
• Job design and work assignments
• Onboarding new employees
• Promotions and succession planning
• Performance appraisal
• Staff training and development

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Toronto Public Library developed competency-based
management.
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Elements of Toronto PLs CBM

• A Competency Dictionary
• Within each competency, levels of proficiency are
  clarified
• Higher levels of job responsibility are reflected
  in the competencies

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TPL CompetencyCustomer Service Orientation

• Level OneClarifies customer expectations
• Level TwoTakes personal responsibility for
  addressing problems
• Level ThreeAdvocates for the customer (branch
  manager)
• Level FourAddresses underlying customer needs
  (district manager)
• Level FiveUses a long-term perspective (director
  of public service)

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Categorizing competencies

• Competencies may fall into one of three
  categories Core, Behavioral, or Technical.

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Core competencies

• Based on organizational values and strategic
  directions
• Necessary for all jobs
• Expected of all employees

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Technical competencies

• Sometimes called professional competencies
• Knowledge and skills critical to a specific job
  or work role
• Not the same as technology competencies

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Behavioral competencies

• Reflect personal characteristics that drive
  successful job performance
• Apply to multiple jobs
• Demonstrate self-image, typical behaviors, and
  motivations

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Behavioral competencies are below the water line!
Take a look at MITs CompQuick web.mit.edu/personn
el/irt/compquick
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Identifying competencies for your library

• Strategies, methods, and perspectives

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Strategies for competency studies

• Working backwardFocus on high performers. How
  does their behavior differ from their
  less-proficient colleagues?
• Working forwardBegin with a comprehensive list
  and ask employees to rank according to
  importance.

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Using two or more methods validates results

• Surveys (interviews or questionnaires)
• Focus groups
• Direct observation
• Self-assessments
• Performance appraisals
• Research (work logs, professional standards,
  production data, etc.)

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Get a 360-degree view from

• Incumbents
• Direct reports
• Supervisors

using only the incumbents perceptionlimits the
role to what has existed in the past. (C. G.
Atwood, Implementing Your Succession Plan, TD,
November, 2007)
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Be future-focused!
Educate yourself about future competency needs
for the workforce as a whole, not just your
business or industry. (Kevin Oakes, Institute
for Corporate Productivity)
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Look at workforce trends
recent graduates entering the workforce
unprepared for current demands and the looming
retirement of large numbers of baby boomers
undermines the ability of businesses to grow and
compete. (Bridging the Skills Gap, an ASTD
white paper, Fall 2006.)
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Competencies in the profession

• Some resources available to help you

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In the profession, competencies are used for

• Standards
• Certification programs
• Library education

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The American Library Association has developed

• Technical competencies for specific service areas
  such as childrens, young adult, and reference
  services
• Core competencies for professional values such as
  intellectual freedom

(These can be found on the ALA Website,
www.ala.org.)
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Western Council of State Libraries has a
competency-based certification program.
(Details at certificate.westernco.org)
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The CPLA program is based on nine sets of
competencies.
(www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaapplication.htm
l)
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SJSUs School of Library and Information Science

• Curriculum is based on 15 MLIS core competencies
• Syllabus for each class lists the competencies
  addressed
• Students demonstrate mastery of the core
  competencies in a culminating portfolio

(Details can be found at slisweb.sjsu.edu/coa2007.
)
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Competencies at your library

• and how they benefit your organization

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For your library, competencies

• Highlight your organizational values
• Provide clear roadmaps for employee success
• Give you practical tools for performance
  management

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More benefits of competencies

• Help you target staff training and development
  needs
• Enable a better fit between employees and their
  jobs
• Help you forecast future skills and plan for
  succession

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Competencies for you as an individual

• Your roadmap to individual development and career
  planning

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For you as an individual, competencies help you

• Compete successfully for promotion
• Gain recognition as a top performer
• Work with your supervisor to create an IDP
• Build your portfolio of knowledge and skills
• Develop the skills to lead from any position

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Ohio Library Council provides a roadmap to skill
development.

• Names the competency
• Defines it
• Lists skills and behaviors
• Identifies possible training units

(Available at www.olc.org/CoreCompetencies.asp)
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people are the most valuable assets of any
organization.
In order for the organization to succeed, it has
to ensure that all staff have the necessary
abilities to maintain success. (Josephine Bryant
and Kay Poustie, Competencies Needed by Public
Library Staff)
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Thank you!

• Randy Glasbergen cartoons, used with permission
  of the artist, www.glasbergen.com
• Photographs from iStockphoto.com, used with
  permission