Competency

Dictionary
VERSION 1

Created by Azhar Abbas 7917861.doc Rev. 3/28/07

 THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY
TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction
What Are Competencies?..............................................................................1
So What Is The Competency Dictionary?.....................................................1
Why Was The Dictionary Created?...............................................................2
How Important Are Competencies?..............................................................2

II. How Will Competencies Be Used?...............................................................3

We’re Evolving................................................................................................4

III. The Competency Dictionary: Definitions...................................................5

Accepting and Building Accountability...........................................................6
Acting with Integrity.......................................................................................6
Adaptability....................................................................................................7
Building Sustainable Organization Capabilities............................................7
Building Trust.................................................................................................8
Building Value Based Relationships..............................................................8
Communicating Effectively............................................................................9
Decision Making............................................................................................9
Delivering Relevant Local Consumer Strategies........................................10
Demonstrating Financial Ability...................................................................10
Demonstrating Self Confidence...................................................................11
Enhancing and Sustaining the Performance of Others...............................11
Establishing Direction..................................................................................12
Exerting Personal Influence........................................................................12
Focusing on Customers..............................................................................13
Initiating Action............................................................................................13
Leading a Successful Team........................................................................14
Leading Through Change............................................................................14
Leveraging Diversity....................................................................................15
Managing Interactions with Others..............................................................15
Negotiating..................................................................................................16
Planning and Organizing.............................................................................16
Pursuing Innovation.....................................................................................17
Pursuing Personal Development.................................................................17
Risk Taking..................................................................................................18
Thinking Systemically..................................................................................18
Understanding the Business.......................................................................19

Created by Azhar Abbas 7917861.doc Rev. 3/28/07

INTRODUCTION

The Competency Dictionary

We know that the different people processes can be somewhat confusing. Specifically, the question often raised is –
“What’s the connection between all of these processes?” The connection is having a common foundation and, in our
organization, the foundation is competencies. To this end, we have created the Competency Dictionary.

What Are Competencies?

A competency is defined as the behaviors or actions that demonstrate the knowledge, abilities or skills
necessary for successful performance. For example, the position of finance manager requires the technical
knowledge of economics in order to perform the job. However, a finance manager must also demonstrate
planning and organizing as well as decision making in order to be successful.

So What Is The Competency Dictionary?

The Competency Dictionary is a single resource for competencies at The 4B Group, Pakistan. It reflects the
integration of the Senior Management Competency Model and the Management Framework in light of the
direction of the organization. Some of the competencies in the dictionary are relatively unchanged from the
previous model and framework, while others were taken from other sources within our organization to ensure
that our list was comprehensive. This dictionary can be likened to a database, in that it will house a large list of
competencies and it will be updated over time. So as we learn about the specific job requirements within each
function in the organization, the Competency Dictionary will evolve with some competencies being added and
perhaps some being removed.

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INTRODUCTION

Why Was The Dictionary Created?

The Competency Dictionary was created to:
•Reflect the current business direction
•Translate the company’s core beliefs into observable behaviors
•Respond to the feedback from the field concerning competencies
•Simplify management models/frameworks
•Create a common language around competencies
•Facilitate the implementation of competency-based systems

How Important Are Competencies?

Competencies have a major impact on business results. They help you pinpoint the specific key actions or
behaviors you need for your job as well as the competencies you can develop to improve your performance.
Understanding the relevant competencies for your job helps you do your job better and deliver better business
results. In addition, knowing the competencies you need to qualify for a different position can aid you in
creating a plan for your future. When you develop your competencies, business results improve, as does your
value to the business.
Overall, competencies are foundational to our people processes and connect our people processes by providing
a common language and resource.

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HOW WILL COMPETENCIES BE USED?

This diagram shows the various competency-based activities that help

us convert our strategies and business objectives into superior business
results and develop a best in class organization and diverse workforce.

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HOW WILL COMPETENCIES BE USED?

We’re Evolving

Our efforts have been focused on providing you with

the foundational resources to implement the people
systems and processes that will help you meet your
business objectives in the coming year. In the near
term, we have:

Created the Competency Dictionary,

Integrated the Competency Dictionary into
both the Competency Development Guide and
Maximizing Performance.

We will continue to integrate the Competency

Dictionary into other people systems and processes
(e.g., interview guides, 360° instruments,
competency profiles, etc.). We are committed to
evolving the Competency Dictionary as we learn
about the work within our organization and the best
practices within as well as outside our company.

If you have any questions about the Competency Dictionary,

contact the Corporate Human Resources (Extension: 128).

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

The following is the current list of competencies in the Competency Dictionary. The complete competency
definition and key actions can be found on the pages to follow.

• Accepting and Building • Exerting Personal Influence

Accountability
• Focusing on Customers
• Acting with Integrity
• Initiating Action
• Adaptability
• Leading a Successful Team
• Building Sustainable Organization
Capabilities • Leading Through Change

• Building Trust • Leveraging Diversity

• Building Value Based Relationships • Managing Interactions with Others

• Communicating Effectively • Negotiating

• Decision Making • Planning and Organizing

• Delivering Relevant Local Consumer • Pursuing Innovation

Strategies
• Pursuing Personal Development
• Demonstrating Financial Ability
• Risk Taking
• Demonstrating Self Confidence
• Thinking Systemically
• Enhancing and Sustaining
• Understanding the Business
Performance of Others
• Establishing Direction

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Accepting and Building Accountability

Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility for
successfully accomplishing work objectives and delivering business results; focusing and guiding
others in achieving business results.
Takes responsibility – Accepts responsibility for outcomes (positive or negative) of one’s work;
takes action as if the financial or other risks are his or her own; admits mistakes and refocuses
efforts when appropriate, takes responsibility for commitments to deliver business results.
Sets clear expectations – Collaboratively works with direct reports to set meaningful
performance objectives and management routines to achieve business plan goals; identifies
measures for evaluating achievement against objectives.
Manages against clear accountabilities – Clearly communicates the parameters of the delegated
responsibility, including decision-making authority and any required actions, constraints, or
deadlines; communicates who is accountable for specific results; monitors and follows up against
these accountabilities; takes action when results are not being achieved.
Shares appropriate responsibilities – Allocates decision-making authority and/or task
responsibility in appropriate areas to appropriate individuals (considering potential positive and
negative impact; organizational values and structures; and individual’s position, current
knowledge/skills and enhancement of knowledge/skills).
Encourages others to take responsibility – Provides encouragement and support to others in
accepting responsibility; questions others’ denial of responsibility.

Acting with Integrity

Maintains a commitment to honesty; models social, ethical, and organizational values; firmly
adhering to codes of conduct and ethical principles.
Demonstrates honesty – Deals with people in an honest and forthright manner; represents
information and data accurately and completely.
Maintains confidentiality – Handles confidential information as outline in the Company’s
Information Security Policy and Code of Business Conduct; considers the risk to the company
before sharing any information.
Assumes responsibility for own behavior – Admits when a mistake is their own; assumes
ownership for their own actions.

Adaptability

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Maintains effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work
environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, or requirements.
Tries to understand changes – Tries to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and
environment as well as the logic or basis for change; actively seeks information about new work
situations.
Approaches change or newness positively – Treats change and new situations as opportunities
for learning or growth; focuses on the beneficial aspects of change; speaks positively about the
change to others.
Adjusts to new responsibilities and tasks – Quickly modifies behavior to deal effectively with
changes in the work environment; readily tries new approaches appropriate for new or changed
situations; does not persist with ineffective behaviors.

Building Sustainable Organization Capabilities

Closing the capability gaps in order to drive sustainable business results both today and in the
future. Looking at all aspects of capability building, including people, work processes, systems,
and work environment.
Explains organization capabilities – Communicates, given the destination, direction, and
strategies, what the organization needs to be capable of doing.
Ensures capabilities are in place – Ensures alignment of organization capabilities, including
people, work processes, systems, and work environment, with the desired destination; involves
appropriate individuals in assessing current capability and determining which capabilities need to
be built, changed, or developed in order to reach both short-term and long-term strategies.
Ensures system-wide capability alignment – Works with bottlers, customers, suppliers, etc. to
ensure alignment between the Company's capabilities and the system-wide capabilities.
Ensures sustainable success – Establishes processes for monitoring progress and capturing
knowledge in building and sustaining capabilities; anticipates and plans how to address future
capability needs.

Building Trust

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the
organization.
Operates with integrity – Keeps commitments; behaves in a consistent manner.
Discloses own positions – Shares thoughts and rationale so that others understand personal
positions.
Remains open to ideas – Listens to others and objectively considers others’ ideas and opinions,
even when they conflict with one’s own.
Supports others – Treats people with dignity, respect, and fairness; gives proper credit to others;
stands up for others and their ideas even in the face of resistance or challenge.

Building Value Based Relationships

Generating alliances internally and externally by continuously identifying and acting on those
things that will create success for the Company and its customers, bottlers, suppliers,
communities, and governments.
Explores opportunities for relationships – Analyzes the organization and own area to identify
key relationships that should be initiated or improved to further the attainment of the business
unit’s goals.
Identifies relationship needs – Exchanges information with others to identify and clarify
benefits and potential problems; actively listens to others and displays understanding of others’
issues, viewpoints and needs; clarifies own expectations and others’ expectations for the
relationship.
Facilitates mutual agreement – Gains agreement from others on what it will take to achieve a
mutually beneficial relationship; collaboratively determines courses of action to realize mutual
goals; places higher priority on mutually beneficial goals than on personal goals.
Develops credibility - Fulfills commitments; takes actions consistent with one’s words.
Maintains open lines of communication – Implements effective means for giving and receiving
feedback; continuously monitors the status of the relationship and the achievement of mutual
goals.

Communicating Effectively

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Conveying information and ideas in a clear, meaningful, and timely manner; providing
information through a variety of media in a manner that engages people in the interaction;
solicits input from the audience during the communication.
Organizes the communication – States the purpose and importance of the communication;
stresses major points; sequences information.
Holds others’ attention – Uses a variety of media and techniques (e.g., the inclusion of analogies
in speech or graphic depictions in written reports) in order to engage the audience.
Adjusts to the audience – Considers the audience’s needs, experience, background, culture, and
expectations when developing and delivering a communication.
Listens and ensures own understanding – When receiving communication, asks open-ended
questions to seek input from communicator, checks own understanding, and summarizes message
in different ways to enhance and ensure own understanding.

Decision Making
Forming an opinion or making a decision through careful testing of assumptions and facts.
Identifies issues, problems and opportunities – Recognizes issues, problems, or opportunities
and determines whether action is needed.
Gathers data – Collects and uses facts that are relevant to understanding a specific situation or
making a solid, timely decision.
Interprets information – Integrates information from a variety of sources; detects trends,
associations, and cause-effect relationships.
Generates alternatives – Creates relevant options for addressing problems/opportunities and
achieving desired outcomes.
Considers consequences – Thinks through the implications or potential consequences of actions;
defines success and uses that to test the soundness of decisions and plans; challenges his or her
own and others’ assumptions to fully test conclusions.
Commits to action – Implements decisions within a reasonable period of time; monitors to
ensure that the resulting actions of the decision are completed.

Delivering Relevant Local Consumer Strategies

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Making consumers and their needs the primary focus of the business; developing, evaluating and
selecting consumer-based actions that maximize long-term, profitable volume.
Seeks to understand local consumers – Demonstrates relentless curiosity about consumers and
their needs, attitudes and behaviors that influence purchase and consumption of brands; integrates
local and global consumer insights.
Identifies issues, trends, and opportunities – Utilizes information collected to identify
consumer insights for strategic planning and innovation.
Ensures relevant consumer strategies – Focuses organization on creating and implementing
strategies that connect core brands and local brands to local consumers in meaningful ways;
prioritizes marketing efforts to capture local consumer demand and maximize brand value;
ensures alignment to Company objectives and plans that maximize profitable volume growth for
the system.

Demonstrating Financial Ability

Understands the consequences of financial decisions; understands economic value for the
system; acts as an owner of the business and makes decisions that ensure long-term value for the
organization.
Understands basic finance – Understands financial concepts, information and documentation
(e.g., cash flow, income statements, P&L, present value calculations).
Acts as an owner of the business – Identifies and considers the financial risks of decisions;
implements management routines to review financial information; considers the economic value
for the system before making financial decisions.
Makes sound financial decisions - Asks relevant questions of experts; makes short term
decisions that lead to sustainable growth; understands the long-term implications of short-term
decisions and makes adjustments accordingly; makes multiple short-term decisions that cumulate
to long-term growth.
Reviews financial decisions – Routinely compares the forecasted return on a decision versus the
actual results; reviews decisions against the established financial parameters.

Demonstrating Self Confidence

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Conducting oneself with belief in one’s own actions and capabilities without arrogance.
Seeks Challenges – Seeks unique or challenging experiences; looks for and gets new
responsibilities.
Addresses Conflict – Voices views explicitly, provides constructive, candid input even in
difficult situations.
Interacts with Confidence – States own views clearly and confidently, without belittling others,
and in a manner, which allows for others to continue sharing their ideas; is not limited by the
status quo, norms or what other people say.
Makes tough decisions – Says no or makes difficult decisions.

Enhancing and Sustaining the Performance of Others

Planning and supporting the contributions of individuals and the development of their skills and
abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
Collaborates with employees – Works with individuals to identify areas for development and
options for improving performance; explores obstacles to development and performance with the
associate
Provides support and resources – Secures resources required to support performance and
development efforts; offers assistance to help individuals overcome obstacles to learning; engages
people in reflecting and learning from both success and failure.
Provides timely coaching and feedback – Gives specific feedback for performance and
development purposes; actively seeks ideas and/or suggestions for performance improvement;
collaboratively describes alternatives; builds on good ideas; provides appropriate amount of
guidance; questions to broaden thinking.
Provides opportunities – Arranges appropriate and beneficial on-the-job experiences, job
rotations, workshops or other experiences for the purpose of fostering a person’s development.
Acknowledges progress – Modifies or adjusts plans when necessary to ensure improved
performance and development; acknowledges key positive and performance improvement issues;
recognizes success and addresses non-performance promptly.

Establishing Direction

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Creating a clear view of the destination for the business unit; helping others understand how and
why things will be different when the destination is achieved; building commitment and inspiring
action toward the destination.
Creates shared mindset – Envisions and describes the destination in a way that reflects the
future needs of the business; creates awareness of the current reality, and facilitates action
towards closing the gap between the current reality and the destination.
Enrolls others – Communicates the importance of organizational beliefs and performance
expectations, including boundaries for acceptable behavior; gains buy-in to organizational beliefs
and expectations; reinforces behaviors that are aligned with organization beliefs and expectations.
Inspires action – Conveys the opportunities of the destination in a way that moves decision-
makers, team members, and business partners to action; models the organization’s beliefs and
values through behaviors.
Encourages participation – Develops and maintains an environment which enables full
participation; creates forums that allow for open debate and challenge to the status quo.
Aligns organization to strategy – Uses the destination as a reference point in conducting day-to-
day decisions and activities by helping others see linkages between the destination, strategy,
organizational capability, and organizational beliefs.

Exerting Personal Influence

Persuading others to support or agree with an idea, issue, or position.
Uses a logical argument – Follows logical sequence in discussion to shift another person’s
position or action.
Anticipates reactions – Anticipates reactions and accounts for others’ unique interests or
characteristics.
Asks questions – Asks open-ended questions that cause others to reflect on how they arrived at
their position.
Understands own impact – Moderates the potential positive or negative impact of his or her role
and position on influencing others; recognizes and plans for the effect of an action or other
behavior on another person’s image of the speaker.
Uses alternative approaches – Uses a process or third party to get others to think or act
differently.

Focusing on Customers

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Making customers (external and internal) and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions;
developing and sustaining productive customer relationships; creating and executing plans and
solutions in collaboration with the customer.
Seeks to understand customers – Actively seeks information to understand customers’ internal
and external environments, problems, expectations, and needs.
Works collaboratively – Engages in candid dialogue with customers to build rapport and
cooperative relationships; makes formal commitment to work together to meet goals and
objectives; tests understanding of the customer’s situation by actively listening (e.g.,
paraphrasing, probing, summarizing, etc.).
Enhances customers’ capabilities – Presents and shares information that will aid in building
your customer’s business and capabilities for mutual success.
Takes action to meet customer needs and concerns – Considers how actions or plans will affect
customers; responds quickly to meet customer needs and resolve problems; avoids over-
commitments.
Creates joint strategies and solutions – Joins the customer at their planning table; works with
the customer in creating plans and strategies; helps customers identify opportunities in their
business; makes recommendations based on the customer’s and the system’s long-term needs.

Initiating Action
Propensity for action to achieve greater results beyond what is required; being proactive; taking
initiative.
Responds quickly – Takes immediate action when confronted with a problem or when made
aware of a situation.
Goes above and beyond – Takes numerous actions in the face of obstacles.
Acts proactively – Anticipates a specific opportunity or potential crisis; acts without prompting.
Takes unique or different action – Implements new and/or non-traditional ideas or solutions.
Sees the opportunity – Re-frames problems as opportunities.

Leading a Successful Team

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team;
facilitating the completion of team goals.
Develops direction – Ensures that the purpose and importance of the team are clarified (e.g.,
team has a clear charter or mission statement); guides the setting of specific and measurable team
goals and objectives.
Develops structure – Helps to clarify roles and responsibilities of team members; helps ensure
that necessary steering, review, or support functions are in place.
Facilitates goal accomplishment – Makes procedural or process suggestions for achieving team
goals or performing team functions; provides necessary resources or helps to remove obstacles to
team accomplishments.
Involves others – Listens to and fully involves others in team decisions and actions; values and
uses individual differences and talents.
Informs others on team – Shares important or relevant information with the team.
Models commitment – Adheres to the team’s expectations and guidelines; fulfills team
responsibilities; demonstrates personal commitment to the team.
Leverages differences to enhance performance – Seeks out and uses ideas, opinions, and
insights from diverse and various sources and individuals; maximizes effectiveness by using
individual's particular talents and abilities on tasks or assignments.

Leading Through Change

Encouraging others to seek opportunities for different approaches to addressing problems and
opportunities; takes responsibility for the implementation and acceptance of change within the
workplace.
Provides direction about change – Provides overall direction; sets short-term goals; focuses on
priorities, and provides business rationale for change.
Involves people in change – Leads a group through a new process or activity to create a
substantive change in how the organization operates.
Helps people change – Recognizes and addresses stages of personal transition (i.e., loss,
resistance, exploration, and commitment).
Encourages open communication about change – Encourages people to express their feelings
about the change constructively; encourages people to express their views about how to achieve
the change; communicates what will and will not change.
Manages complexity and contradictions – Tries to minimize or reduce the impact of
complexities and contradictions; clarifies direction and smoothes the process of change; identifies
learning from past change efforts and implications for future changes.

Leveraging Diversity

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Leveraging the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals, internal and external to the
organization that impact business results; developing and maintaining an environment, which
enables full participation and development of all backgrounds, cultures, styles and views;
creating opportunities that lead to a competitive advantage.
Values diversity – Seeks out and uses ideas, opinions, and insights from diverse and various
sources and individuals; maximizes effectiveness by using individuals’ particular talents and
abilities on tasks or assignments.
Promotes diversity – Manages increased diversity through recruitment and development of
individuals from varied backgrounds and cultures; confronts racist, sexist, or inappropriate
behavior from others; challenges exclusionary organizational practices.
Fosters diverse environment – Creates an environment where differences and similarities are
shared and celebrated; encourages others to seek knowledge about differences; strives for
understanding of differences; learns to view differences and similarities as strengths to be
leveraged; and examines their own behavior towards those who are different from themselves or
towards alternative ideas.
Acts on requirements – Manages all mixtures within the organization, and outside of the
organization, by recognizing the prevailing personal preferences, traditions and conveniences of
constituents and then makes decisions that are based on the requirements; assesses decision-
making in light of the degree to which the approach contributes to, distracts from, or has no
impact on the desired objective; makes sound, unbiased decisions that are based on factual, real
requirements of the business.

Managing Interactions with Others

Using an understanding of oneself and others to be effective; working effectively with individuals
of diverse style, ability, and motivation in order to meet business requirements.
Seeks understanding – Learns more about people of diverse backgrounds (e.g., special issues,
social norms, decision-making approaches, preferences, personal values) in order to be more
effective in his/her interactions.
Interprets behavior – Anticipates the behavior of another by understanding their attitudes, needs
and perspectives.
Clarifies behavior – Discusses needs and perspectives in order to avoid misperceptions and
ensure clarity.
Adjust own behavior – Adjusts his or her behavior based on knowing how one is having or can
have an impact on others.
Recognizes differences – Takes actions that respect other cultures, and individual preferences or
styles; continually examines own biases and behaviors; takes actions that consider the diversity of
those involved or affected.
Responds to non-verbal behavior – Reads the explicit or nonverbal reactions of another,
inquires about behaviors when appropriate, and responds accordingly.
Negotiating

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Explore alternatives and positions to reach outcomes that gain all parties’ support and
acceptance.
Clarifies the current situation – Explores all parties’ needs, concerns, and initial positions,
including own.
Identifies points of agreement/disagreement – Builds common ground by highlighting areas of
agreement; focuses efforts by pointing out areas of disagreement.
Keeps discussion issue oriented – Manages the interpersonal process to stay focused on the task;
constructively addresses emotions and conflicts.
Develops others’ and own ideas – Engages in mutual problem solving by brainstorming
alternative positions or approaches and evaluating them openly and fairly.
Builds support for preferred alternatives – Builds value of preferred alternatives by relating
them to the other party’s needs; responds to objections by emphasizing value; exposes problems
with undesirable alternatives.
Facilitates agreement – Seeks beneficial solution through a give-and-take process that
recognizes each party’s core needs.

Planning and Organizing

Establishing courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
Prioritizes – Identifies more critical and less critical activities and tasks; adjusts priorities when
appropriate.
Makes preparations – Ensures that required equipment and/or materials are in appropriate
locations so that own and others’ work can be done effectively.
Schedules – Effectively allocates own time to complete work; coordinates own and others’
schedules to avoid conflicts.
Leverages resources – Takes advantage of available resources (e.g., individuals, processes,
departments, and tools) to complete work efficiently, and not overburden self or others.
Stays focused – Uses time effectively and prevents irrelevant issues or distractions from
interfering with work completion; retains focus despite potential distractions and the ‘crisis of the
day’.

Pursuing Innovation

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Generating innovative solutions in work situations; trying different and creative ways to deal
with work problems and opportunities; seeks and implements new and better ways to achieve
results.
Challenges paradigms – Actively searches for solutions beyond traditional boundaries.
Explores possibilities – Explores different lines of thought; views situations from multiple
perspectives; brainstorms multiple approaches, ideas, solutions.
Generates creative solutions – Considers novel or different approaches; combines ideas in
unique ways.
Fosters creative environment – Establishes an environment that fosters creativity and
innovation by encouraging “out of the box” thinking.
Seeks improvements – Determines ways, or seeks ideas on ways, to continuously improve
methods, processes, systems, and products.

Pursuing Personal Development

Actively identifying new areas for personal learning; regularly creating and taking advantage of
learning opportunities; using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learning through
their application in order to improve results.
Targets learning needs – Seeks and uses feedback and other sources of information to identify
appropriate areas for learning.
Seeks learning activities – Identifies appropriate learning activities to gain knowledge needed.
Actively participates in learning – Takes part in needed learning activities in a way that makes
the most of the learning experience (takes notes, asks questions, critically analyzes information,
keeps on-the-job application in mind, does required tasks.)
Gains and applies knowledge or skill – Puts new knowledge, understanding, or skill to practical
use on the job; furthers learning through trial and error.
Takes risks in learning – Puts self in unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations in order to learn;
asks questions when uncertain.

Risk Taking

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THE COMPETENCY DICTIONARY: DEFINITIONS

Initiating action that tries to achieve a recognized benefit or advantage when potential negative
consequences are understood.
Actively seeks opportunities – Pursues situations or opportunities that can lead to either
substantial benefit or significant negative consequence.
Calculates risk – Gathers information to understand probability of success, benefits of success,
and consequences of failure.
Commits to action – Initiates action despite uncertainty of outcome; is willing to accept the
consequences of failure.

Thinking Systemically
Understanding the complexities and interdependencies of information and events in order to
develop more effective solutions and ideas.
Thinks expansively – Makes connections between disparate ideas; sees the patterns and
interrelationships in seemingly unrelated information and events; views situations from multiple
perspectives.
Examines underlying reasons – Sees alternative ways to view or define problems; identifies
underlying reasons and root causes for events and their interdependencies.
Evaluates multiple solutions – Examines numerous potential solutions and evaluates underlying
reasons to determine where the greatest gain can be achieved.
Creates new concepts – Creates new ways of thinking to address complex situations and help
achieve strategy; tries different and creative ways to deal with problems and opportunities;
develops new frameworks to explain large amounts of information.

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Understanding the Business

Uses knowledge of the value chain to achieve profitable volume growth; perceives the impact and
implications of decisions on the value chain and on the competition.
Understands the value chain – Understands how each element of the value chain relates to one’s
area of responsibility and how each contributes to his or her unit’s business results.
Stays informed – Maintains an understanding of our system’s strengths, weaknesses and
available resources in light of the business destination; knowledgeable of what is going on in the
organization in order to help make decisions.
Understands the organization – Demonstrates an understanding of the drivers of Company
performance; understands the organization and how it functions (processes, resources, formal
structure, and informal networks); demonstrates knowledge of the full range of local products and
services.
Understands the business environment – Understands the competitive environment, industry
trends, government and regulatory issues, political environment and local economics and how
they impact the business.

Created by Azhar Abbas 19 Rev. 09/20/08