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THE SEVEN COMPETENCIES

Competencies are cumulative, so you must be able to demonstrate the competencies at and below the level assigned to you. However, in most
cases, it will not be necessary to examine the competencies relating to lower levels in detail.

COMPETENCY 1: CUSTOMER* FOCUS


LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Has a good understanding Secures a customer friendly, Defines, models and Champions excellent service Creates an organisation-
of the services they provide safe environment for reviews customer service through high quality, wide culture of outstanding
Committed to provision of a customers standards customer focused solutions customer service
high level of customer Creates understanding of Reviews customer service Fully understands and Reviews current and future
POSITIVE SIGNS

service at all times customer service standards metrics and seeks and acts anticipates customer needs, customer trends and
Responsive and helpful to amongst team on customer feedback developing new and requirements to inform
customers; always puts the Supervises, monitors and Appropriately challenges innovative options to meet Council decisions
customers needs first measures customer service existing ways of working and changing requirements Allocates resources to meet
Demonstrates active and satisfaction empowers employees to Works in partnership to customer needs
listening and communicates Develops relationships with meet customer needs improve customer
clearly all customers through staff Responds to complaints and experience
Tactful and understanding of Demonstrates empathy in queries constructively
customer needs and communication Understands the current and
provides positive support Ensures customer service potential customer base
Provides timely service with standards are met
suitable and relevant
information or advice

Impatient with customers Doesnt take ownership of Allows old fashioned and/or Doesnt seek and use Does not consider
Does not put the customer issues and passes them on inefficient ways of working to customer feedback customers when making
NEGATIVE

first without follow-up go unchallenged Fails to respond to changing strategic decisions


SIGNS

Has a not my job mentality Does not model good Creates or maintains a needs or to reduce failure Fails to allocate resources to
practice or challenge poor blame culture demand meet customer needs
service

*Customers may be internal colleagues or those from partner organisations, citizens, councillors, other visitors and all those who interact with us.

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COMPETENCY 2: COMMUNICATING AND ENGAGING
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Listens actively and Ensures team are well Ensures that service Visible across the Visible and regularly
communicates with informed and up to date, objectives are understood organisation and a engages and communicates
colleagues and customers engaging with them and owned by colleagues committed member of Team consistently with staff and
clearly, concisely, accurately regularly and encouraging and managers MKC stakeholders
POSITIVE SIGNS

and in ways that promote feedback Encourages two way Manages communication, Tailors messages to the
understanding Maintains a positive team dialogue with colleagues ensuring managers and audience and listens and
Shows awareness of cultural environment through open, and peers and listens and other colleagues are always acts on feedback
issues at all times when two way communication acts on views of others well informed Reinforces messages to
communicating with others Directly addresses failures Communicates effectively Uses appropriate channels enhance understanding
An effective communicator to engage using appropriate channels to ensure messages are
both in writing and verbally Has a good level of written Has a high level of written, received and understood
Engages with and works and verbal communication presentation and verbal Encourages initiative and
effectively with colleagues skills and can express ideas communication skills proactively engages
and team members in written and oral form
Communicates work related
information to fellow team
members

Displays a negative attitude Withholds information from Does not make themselves Only uses e-mail to share Lacks conviction or changes
at work colleagues - has a available when colleagues information and works in an their opinion dependent on
NEGATIVE

Has poor communication knowledge is power need to communicate isolated manner who they are with,
SIGNS

skills attitude Does not care if their team Ignores conflict within teams compromising their
Moans about their job and are engaged or disengaged credibility
Does not respect colleagues Does not own council wide
undermines proactivity Does not push forward any initiatives or others priorities Does not walk the floor or
good ideas from communicate regularly or
colleagues/employees effectively

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COMPETENCY 3: MANAGING RESOURCES AND RISK
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Effectively prioritises their Manages resources and Manages budgets, risk and Plans, sets and actively Sets direction, identifying
own work and ensures their risk proactively to secure services to conserve manages budgets taking key outcomes and
supervisor is kept informed maximum effectiveness resources and ensure they prompt action to resolve determining optimum means
of issues or delays Manages delegated budget, are properly applied in the variations to deliver services
Always works in a cost ensuring all spending is most cost effective way Understands and adapts Leads innovation and
POSITIVE SIGNS

effective way and properly recorded and Identifies most appropriate service to changing demand strategically commissions
safeguards resources at all accounted means to deliver services, trends and forecasts services for long term needs
times Challenges poor resource maximise savings and Identifies opportunities for Allocates resources to meet
Aware of and acts on management in team and generate additional income innovation, to grow key priorities and build
Council financial and encourages and supports Makes business case for customer base and increase future resilience and
procurement rules and steps to improve efficiency more resources income and alternative succession
constraints in their area of and effectiveness of team Seeks to understand and methods of service delivery
work Makes required cost savings eliminate failure demand
Accounts for spending and and identifies potential
procurement in a timely income generation
clear way and consistent opportunities
with regulations
Supports others to conserve
and manage resources

Wastes or is careless with Does not consider Overspends against their Fails to act to minimise Fails to respond to the
materials, equipment, alternatives that may reduce controllable budget overspends changing financial, policy
NEGATIVE

energy usage or other cost or increase income Does not regularly forecast Delays implementation of and environmental climate
SIGNS

resources Fails to challenge poor use likely budget outturn and projects or innovations Does not reallocate
Breaks financial or of resources take any required remedial which impact on the bottom resources to changing
procurement rules action line needs

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COMPETENCY 4: ORGANISING AND IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Manages own workload Identifies team and Creates clear delivery plans, Identifies key service Engages all stakeholders to
effectively to deliver individual priorities to meet monitors achievement and objectives and allocates create bold long term
effective service required timeframes adapts plans to meet resource to meet these strategic plans for the
POSITIVE SIGNS

Tells manager when under Understands and manages changing needs, resources Coaches and mentors staff, citizens of MK
pressure and what steps are workflow across the team and timescales working with all stakeholders Establishes clear success
needed to alleviate this Acts to meet changed Delegates effectively, to secure effective outcomes criteria, reviewing progress
Anticipates busy periods demands by reorganising monitoring progress and Encourages and acts on and evaluating outcomes
and prepares for them by team and individual priorities providing coaching and new ideas; challenges regularly and rigorously
organising their work as necessary support when required traditional assumptions Creates agile organisation
accordingly Seeks to continuously Reviews services and Professionally up to date resourced and able to
Supports changes being improve effectiveness and agrees improvement plans, planning for future needs respond quickly to change
implemented efficiency of service and acting to tackle poor using data, metrics and
encourages team to performance at team and networking
Actively engages in personal individual levels
and team development innovate to support this

Misses tasks or deadlines Unable to amend plans or Allows the performance of Sticks to old ways of doing Plans fail to address MK
Avoids or shows no interest priorities when needed the team drop off or plateau things issues
NEGATIVE

in improving ways of Fails to keep stakeholders Believes good is good Fails to get buy in from Does not evaluate outcomes
SIGNS

working or behaving informed and updated enough stakeholders about plans Does not anticipate need for
change

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COMPETENCY 5: TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Punctual, reliable and Influences others through Manages services by Behaves ethically, shows Makes things happen and is
professional in conduct own high standards providing leadership and active leadership and accountable for the
Takes responsibility for Creates clear and guidance, always setting an delivers on promises performance of the Council
completing own work achievable objectives for excellent example and Helps colleagues connect and personal responsibilities
POSITIVE SIGNS

without unnecessary team and individuals identifying systematic their contribution with MKC Works corporately and stops
supervision solutions plans and priorities and actions that are not adding
Works with others to deliver
Asks for guidance when wider outcomes Takes responsibility for support priorities of others value
unclear about what is contributing to delivery of Celebrates success and Establishes appropriate
Accepts constructive high level objectives
expected feedback and adapts tackles and takes systems of scrutiny, review
Listens to colleagues and actions/behaviours Addresses issues promptly, accountability for and monitoring and acts on
admits mistakes responding positively to underperformance in the findings
Acts to address changing requirements, team and wider service
Completes routine tasks to shortcomings in team and setbacks and challenges
the standard expected individual performance
Accepts responsibility for the
achievement of team
objectives

Often late for work/meetings Demonstrates low standards Allows situations to drift Acts in an underhand way Fails to address
or inappropriately dressed in behaviour or approach to without tackling them Does not address issues unnecessary bureaucracy
NEGATIVE

Makes frequent mistakes work Often lets frustrations or which impact on delivering which may slow down
SIGNS

with routine tasks Puts achievement of negative feelings show to outcomes MKCs ability to deliver
personal objectives ahead of others outcomes.
Blames others
those of colleagues Fails to take collective
responsibility for mistakes or
underperformance

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COMPETENCY 6: TEAM PLAYER
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Works effectively in co- Builds positive relationships Uses wide collaboration to Creates a wider team Always accessible and
operation with others within the team and add value to services and mentality by building strong works with stakeholders
Puts the interests and addresses weakness improve effectiveness links within the Council and across the region to get the
priorities of others ahead of promptly and positively Encourages input and with partner organisations best outcomes for MK
POSITIVE SIGNS

personal needs Visible, approachable and participation from colleagues Engages with colleagues Creates an environment for
Plays a full part in the team accessible across the Council to solve across the Council to find people to collaborate, share
and contributes positively at Shows an active interest in problems and innovate ways of improving services knowledge, innovate and
all times others opinions, ideas and Provides constructive Promotes a one Council work across boundaries
Recognises the part they well being challenge and support ethos and identifies with Provides leadership to
play in the reputation of the Provides appropriate Plays to the different colleagues priorities to create wider partnerships
team, service and Council practical and emotional strengths within a team to create a shared agenda
Responds positively and support to both staff and maximise effectiveness
flexibly to requests for help colleagues
and support
Has a can do attitude and
goes the extra mile

Works in an isolated way Puts own interests before Dominates group Misses opportunities to work Perpetuates divisions
Does not appear willing to the team discussions with other teams between services
NEGATIVE

be flexible for the good of Unable to build a good team Does not listen to or use Does not see that others Only contributes from a
SIGNS

the team atmosphere other peoples ideas priorities impact on their own limited strategic viewpoint
Does not make themselves Fails to maintain
available relationships with key
partners

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COMPETENCY 7: EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP
LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5
Team Leaders Middle Managers
Typical posts
Team Members Specialists Senior Specialists Heads of Service CLT and Directors
in each level
Professionals Senior Professionals

Displays sincerity and Provides direction, support, Provides inspiring, confident


integrity in all actions and an guidance and leadership and support to
exemplary work ethic encouragement others and importance of
Models MKC behaviours Provides clear alignment of work/life balance
and values at all times service objectives to MKC Works with the current and
POSITIVE SIGNS

Articulates a clear team strategic objectives emerging big picture in mind


vision that all colleagues can Coaches, mentors and at all times
understand and work supports talented individuals Articulates the future vision
towards and enables and promotes of MKC clearly , confidently
Possesses the ability to spot staff development and consistently
potential in others, Supports all colleagues to
encourage it and develop it achieve their objectives
Available (open door) to all Works effectively with
colleague questions and politicians
suggestions
Use sound judgment to
make good decisions at the
right time

Uses deceptive behaviour Is a poor communicator and Is only aware of pressures


for personal advantage does not cascade any on their area and not MKC
NEGATIVE

Does not have a team vision information to their teams as a whole


SIGNS

or care what the big picture Offers little or no support to Does not share new learning
is. employees and does not or ways of working with their
Bad mouths MKC and the value their opinions or input peers
senior management Has a negative view of
working at MKC.

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