If you’re looking for a quick and effective way to run a training needs analysis on your leaders, then you can do far worse than use these 27 questions which were developed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
They are not meant to cover all of the areas but will provide you with solid feedback on what to focus on when providing them with development opportunities.
I’d recommend for each that leaders give themselves a score out of 10 with 10 being best/always.
The 27 Leadership Core Competencies are divided into five levels.
Definitions are listed below organised by the leadership levels.
Managing Self
Integrity/Honesty: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics.
Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.
Continual Learning: Assesses and recognises own strengths and weaknesses; pursues self-development.
Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks.
Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organised, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
Problem Solving: Identifies and analyses problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
Managing Projects
Team Building: Inspires and fosters team commitment, spirit, pride, and trust. Facilitates cooperation and motivates team members to accomplish group goals.
Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.
Technical Credibility: Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialised expertise.
Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.
Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions.
Influencing / Negotiating: Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals.
Managing People
Human Capital Management: Builds and manages workforce based on organisational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manages a multi-sector workforce and a variety of work situations.
Leveraging Diversity: Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organisation.
Conflict Management: Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.
Developing Others: Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods
Managing Programmes
Technology Management: Keeps up-to-date on technological developments. Makes effective use of technology to achieve results. Ensures access to, and security of, technology systems.
Financial Management: Understands the organisation’s financial processes. Prepares, justifies, and administers the budget. Oversees procurement and contracting to achieve desired results. Monitors expenditures and uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities.
Creativity / Innovation: Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting edge programmes/processes.
Partnering: Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.
Political Savvy: Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Perceives organisational and political reality and acts accordingly.
Leading Organisations
External Awareness: Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organisation and shape stakeholders’ views; is aware of the organization’s impact on the external environment.
Vision: Takes a long-term view and builds a shared vision with others; acts as a catalyst for organisation change. Influences others to translate vision into action.
Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the long-term interest of the organisation in a global environment, Capitalises on opportunities and manages risks.
Entrepreneurship: Positions the organisation for future success by identifying new opportunities; builds the organisation by developing or improving products or services. Takes calculated risks to accomplish organisational objectives.
Feedo enables you to run effective training needs analysis campaigns for your people. You can select from self-assessment, 180 degree feedback and 360 degree feedback options. You’ll receive comprehensive reporting which will allow you to create the learning and development opportunities that your people require.
