Key Competencies Self-Assessment Inventory

Instructions

The statements in this inventory describe specific knowledge/ skills/abilities that are needed to be an effective leader or professional. This inventory focuses on the individual rather than teams or the organization as a whole with respect to the key competencies developed in this book. For each specific knowledge/skill/ability statement, you are to assess yourself on a scale from 1 to 10, according to the descriptive statements provided on the scale shown here.

10 I am outstanding on this knowledge/skill/ability.

9 I am very good on this knowledge/skill/ability.

8 I am good on this knowledge/skill/ability.

7 I am average on this knowledge/skill/ability.

6 I am barely adequate on this knowledge/skill/ability.

5 I am lacking on this knowledge/skill/ability.

4 I am weak on this knowledge/skill/ability.

3 I am very weak on this knowledge/skill/ability.

2 I have little relevant experience on this knowledge/skill/ ability, but the experiences I have had are poor.

1 I have no relevant experience. I have not yet begun to develop this knowledge/skill/ability

Fill in the blank next to each listed specific knowledge/ skill/ability with a number from the preceding scale that you think is most descriptive of yourself. It is important that you choose a number that is most descriptive of what you are actually like rather than what you would prefer to be like or how you would like others to see you.

Statements of Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

_____ 1. Maintains an awareness of own behavior and how it affects others.

 _____ 2. Is able to set priorities and manage time.

 _____ 3. Knows own limitations and asks for help when necessary.

 _____ 4. Assesses and establishes own life- and workrelated goals.

_____ 5. Takes responsibility for decisions and managing self.

___  6. Perseveres in the face of obstacles or criticism.

 _____ 7. Is not self-promoting or arrogant.

_____ 8. Recovers quickly from failure, including learning from mistakes.

_____ 9. Tries to learn continuously.

 _____ 10. Pursues feedback openly and nondefensively.

 _____ 11. Organizes and presents ideas effectively.

_____ 12. Detects and understands others' values, motives, and emotions.

 _____ 13. Presents written materials clearly and concisely.

_____ 14. Listens actively and nonjudgmentally.

_____ 15. Responds appropriately to positive and negative feedback.

_____ 16. Is aware of and sensitive to nonverbal messages.

_____ 17. Holds people's attention when communicating.

_____ 18. Shares information willingly.

_____ 19. Expresses own needs, opinions, and preferences without offending others.

_____ 20. Uses a variety of computer-based (electronic) resources to communicate.

_____ 21. Encourages the inclusion of those who are different from self.

_____ 22. Seeks to learn from those with different characteristics and perspectives.

 _____ 23. Embraces and demonstrates respect for people of other cultures and races.

_____ 24. Shows sensitivity to the needs and concerns of others.

_____ 25. Seeks positive win-win or appropriate compromise solutions to conflicts based on diversity issues.

_____ 26. Embraces unique individual and group characteristics as potential sources of organizational strength.

_____ 27. Is sensitive to differences among people and seeks ways to work with them.

_____ 28. Respects the ideas, values, and traditions of others.

_____ 29. Identifies opportunities to promote diversity.

_____ 30. Invests personal effort in helping people with attributes different from self to succeed

____ 31. Demonstrates dignity and respect for others in working relationships.

_____ 32. Is honest and open in communication, limited only by privacy, legal, and competitive considerations.

_____ 33. Assesses the right or wrong in own decisions and behaviors.

 _____ 34. Adheres to professional and organizational codes of conduct.

 _____ 35. Resists pressures from others to engage in unethical conduct.

_____ 36. Understands ethical principles and rules.

_____ 37. Is seen by others as a person of integrity.

_____ 38. Sets clear expectations of ethical behavior and regularly reinforces this expectation with others.

_____ 39. Is sensitive to the rights of others.

_____ 40. Takes responsibility for own decisions and actions-doesn't place blame on others to escape responsibility.

_____ 41. Seeks to understand and appreciate the characteristics that make a particular culture unique.

_____ 42. Treats people from different cultures with respect.

_____ 43. Considers managerial and other issues from a worldwide perspective, that is, the ability to think globally, act locally.

_____ 44. Works effectively with members from different cultures.

_____ 45. Likes to experience different cultures

_____ 46. Learns from those with different cultural backgrounds.

_____ 47. Knows which cultures have the expectation that individuals are to take care of themselves. _____ 48. Possesses firsthand knowledge that different cultures are risk adverse and use rules to minimize trying to deal with uncertainty.

_____ 49. Knows how masculinity and femininity in different societies affect interpersonal relationships.

_____ 50. Works effectively with people from different cultures who value unequal distribution of power in society.

_____ 51. Works effectively in team situations.

_____ 52. Encourages teams to celebrate accomplishments.

_____ 53. Demonstrates mutual and personal responsibility for achieving team goals.

_____ 54. Observes dynamics when working with groups and raises relevant issues for discussion. _____ 55. Promotes teamwork among groups, discourages "we versus they" thinking.

_____ 56. Supports and praises others for reaching goals and accomplishing tasks.

_____ 57. Encourages and supports creativity in teams.

_____ 58. Shares credit with others.

_____ 59. Motivates team members to work toward common goals.

_____ 60. Is able to use groupware and related information technologies to achieve team goals.

_____ 61. Demonstrates the leadership skills to implement planned change.

_____ 62. Understands how to diagnose pressures for and resistances to change.

_____ 63. Prepares people to manage change.

 _____ 64. Learns, shares, and applies new knowledge to improve a team, department, or whole organization.

_____ 65. Knows how to diagnose a firm's culture.

_____ 66. Uses a variety of technologies to achieve successful change.

_____ 67. Understands how various organizational designs can be used to bring about successful organizational change.

_____ 68. Possesses a positive attitude toward considering changes and new ideas.

_____ 69. Is able to negotiate and resolve conflicts that are often part of any significant change.

_____ 70. Understands how organizational cultures influence organizational change.

Scoring and Interpretation

The Key Competencies Self-Assessment Inventory seeks your selfperceptions on characteristics and dimensions that are representative of seven key competencies. Total your responses for each competency as instructed. The sum of your responses is your score. The maximum score is 100 points for each competency

Self Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to assess your own strengths and weaknesses; set and pursue professional and personal goals; balance work and personal life; and engage in new learning-including new or changed skills, behaviors, and attitudes

• Add your responses for items 1 through 10 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the self competency.

Communication Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to use all of the modes of transmitting, understanding, and receiving ideas, thoughts, and feelings-verbal, listening, nonverbal, written, electronic, and the like-for accurately transferring and exchanging information and emotions.

• Add your responses for items 11 through 20 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the communication competency

Diversity Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to value unique individual, group, and organizational characteristics, embrace such characteristics as potential sources of strength, and appreciate the uniqueness of each.

• Add your responses for items 21 through 30 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the diversity competency

Ethics Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to incorporate values and principles that distinguish right from wrong when making decisions and choosing behaviors.

• Add your responses for items 31 through 40 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the ethics competency.

Across Cultures Competency

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to recognize and embrace similarities and differences among nations and cultures and then approach key issues with an open and curious mind.

• Add your responses for items 41 through 50 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the across cultures competency

Teams Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop, support and lead groups to achieve goals.

• Add your responses for 51 through 60 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the teams competency.

Change Competency:

Includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to recognize and implement needed adaptations or entirely new transformations in the people, tasks, strategies, structures, or technologies.

• Add your responses for items 61 through 70 = _____, which is your self-assessment on the change competency

Your Overall Profile and Comparisons

Determine your overall profile of competencies by using the summary (total) score for each competency. Compare and contrast your scores with those of two sample populations: (1) experienced managers and professionals (shown in the table below) and (2) undergraduate students at colleges and universities (shown in the table to the right). Mean scores and standard deviations are based on a sample of more than 300 individuals. One standard deviation from the mean covers 68 percent of the sample population; that is, if your score falls within one standard deviation of the mean score of either the managerial or the student sample, your score is similar to the scores of 68 percent of the students

Managerial Sample Population

Student Sample Population

Overall Interpretations

Scores Meaning

20-39  You see yourself as having little relevant experience and are deficient on this competency.

40-59  You see yourself as generally lacking on this competency but may be satisfactory or better on a few of its knowledge/skill/ability components.

60-74  You see yourself as average on this competency-probably below average on some of its knowledge/skill/ability components.

75-89 You see yourself as generally above average on this competency and very good on a number of its knowledge/skill/ability components.

90-100 You see yourself as generally outstanding on this competency

Questions

1. What does your overall profile suggest in relation to your needs for personal and professional development?

2. Based on the competency most in need of development, identify three possible actions that you might take to reduce the gap between your current and desired level for that competency.

3. Would others who work with you closely or know you well agree with your self-assessment profile? In what dimensions might their assessments of you be similar to your own? Why? In what dimensions might they differ? Why?