Competencies— Building Blocks or Buzzwords An Webcast Presenter: Mary Ross Tuesday, January 8 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. 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.

The latest buzzword? How do you view competencies?

Building blocks for success? How do you view competencies?

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

Defining competencies A cluster of knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs)

KSAs—what does that mean? Knowledge—what is known and understood that causes successful performance on the job Skills—behaviors that demonstrate this knowledge Attitudes—personality traits and values that can be displayed in behaviors

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

Competency-based management… … identifies the competencies needed for individual and organizational success and uses them for a wide variety of employee management functions.

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

Toronto Public Library developed competency-based management.

Elements of Toronto PL’s CBM: A “Competency Dictionary” Within each competency, levels of proficiency are clarified Higher levels of job responsibility are reflected in the competencies

TPL Competency— Customer Service Orientation Level One—Clarifies customer expectations Level Two—Takes personal responsibility for addressing problems Level Three—Advocates for the customer (branch manager) Level Four—Addresses underlying customer needs (district manager) Level Five—Uses a long-term perspective (director of public service)

Categorizing competencies Competencies may fall into one of three categories: Core, Behavioral, or Technical.

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

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

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

Behavioral competencies are below the water line! Take a look at MIT’s CompQuick web.mit.edu/personnel/irt/compquick Take a look at MIT’s CompQuick web.mit.edu/personnel/irt/compquick

Identifying competencies for your library Strategies, methods, and perspectives

Strategies for competency studies Working backward—Focus on high performers. How does their behavior differ from their less- proficient colleagues? Working forward—Begin with a comprehensive list and ask employees to rank according to importance.

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.)

Get a 360-degree view from… Incumbents Direct reports Supervisors …using only the incumbent’s perception…limits the role to what has existed in the past.” (C. G. Atwood, “Implementing Your Succession Plan,” T&D, November, 2007)

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)

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.)

Competencies in the profession Some resources available to help you

In the profession, competencies are used for: Standards Certification programs Library education

The American Library Association has developed: Technical competencies for specific service areas such as children’s, young adult, and reference services Core competencies for professional values such as intellectual freedom (These can be found on the ALA Website,

Western Council of State Libraries has a competency- based certification program. (Details at certificate.westernco.org)

The CPLA program is based on nine sets of competencies. (

SJSU’s 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.)

Competencies at your library… …and how they benefit your organization

For your library, competencies… Highlight your organizational values Provide clear roadmaps for employee success Give you practical tools for performance management

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

Competencies for you as an individual Your roadmap to individual development and career planning

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

Ohio Library Council provides a roadmap to skill development. Names the competency Defines it Lists skills and behaviors Identifies possible training units (Available at

“…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”)

Thank you! Randy Glasbergen cartoons, used with permission of the artist, Photographs from iStockphoto.com, used with permission