Competency models and assessment - Where do we start?

We have been promising for a while that we would start to look at a subject dear to our hearts, competency and assessment. Rather than immediately going into one of our normal tirades over what people are doing wrong, we wanted to start with some definitions and to get some feedback, either via the blog or directly.

Let's start with what a competency model is and why we might need it?
Here are some definitions that Fred and I hear when we are talking to clients, we would be interested in your thoughts.

1. A definition of the attributes we want our sales people to have
2. A combination of the attributes and knowledge we expect our people to have to be successful as sales people
3. A set of attributes, knowledge and skills that we are looking for in our people
4. A definition of what a world class sales person looks like
5. A definition of what we expect our people to do in their role, what they need to know and how they need to behave to successfully fulfil their role
6. A set of people skills we can measure

The above are all definitions we have been given by both prospects and existing clients. Once we have heard what they think they are looking for in a competency model, we then ask them what they want to do with it?

1. Use it for recruitment
2. Use it to identify "high flyers"
3. Use it to identify "people in the wrong job"
4. Create a definition of what good looks like
5. To create a "world class" sales organisation
6. Because our competition is doing it

Of course it is really important to find out who the competency model is for, i.e. what are you going to do with the results?

1. For HR to benchmark people
2. For Learning & Development to see what training is required
3. For Learning & Development to validate the effectiveness of training
4. For the Sales Director to see what their team looks like
5. For the individual sales people to understand what they need to look like to be better at their job.

We would like to know what you would want from a competency model?

Rather than immediately tell you what we think, we would like to hear from you. How will a competency model help you? If you are a sales manager, a sales rep, or a sales director, we would like to understand what value you would like to gain from being assessed against a competency model.

We do not want anything complicated, just the answer to 3 questions

1. What would you like a competency model to tell you
2. How would you like to be measured against the model
3. What would you like to do with the information.

As we are only talking to sales people we know you will want something in return.

We will put the names of all those who respond into a "virtual hat" and then provide them and up to 8 colleagues with a free assessment and coaching on their approach to selling.

Send us your responses now!

Either add a comment to the blog and share it with others, or send us your thoughtsdirectly  by email to either mark.savinson@sales-accredit.com or fred.nelson@sales-accredit.com. 

Next week we will look at how you create an effective competency model