REASON 4 – CAREER PLANNING
Planning to be a rock star was easy in the 80s. First you had to work on your hair, then the guitar stance, then the stage name. If you didn’t want to be a rock star, it was still easier. Start somewhere, work your way up, repeat until you finish your working life, all in the one organisation.
People ended up in leadership roles, not because they were suited to it, but because they were good at what they currently did. This introduces the fourth reason competencies are great. Not only can you evaluate how well you meet the expectations of your current role, you can also do this for desired roles. Want to be a senior investment analyst or a propulsion components engineer? Not a problem, grab the competencies and see what you need to work on. And if you’re game, get some feedback from others.
For example, imagine you are working as a Public Relations Assistant. Your career plan might include Public Relations Manager as a next step. But how do you get there? What capabilities will you need and what will you need to develop? The answer is competencies. One of the competencies needed in Public Relations would be “Press Pitching”. This might be needed in both the Assistant and Manager roles, but the level of ability might be different. For example:
Press Pitching Behaviours Needed By Public Relations Assistant
- Able to craft a pitch for the intended audience
- Can pitch across multiple channels including broadcast, print and online
Press Pitching Behaviours Needed By Public Relations Manager
- Crafts compelling and novel pitches for the intended audience
- Bases channel recommendations on measurable ROI
- Has relationships with key journalists and celebrities
- Keeps up to date with PR technology and innovations
Looking at these higher level behaviours you can understand which you are already capable of and which you need to develop. Your career plan can include specific develop activities to get you ready for the next role.
Before moving onto the next section, we’d like to apologise to the 80s rock stars out there. We love you and don’t really think it was easy to get to the top.