Defines Strategic Direction & Intent
Competency Definition:
The individual communicates the organization's overall strategies so that everyone can see the relationship between their work and the accomplishment of the workgroup or organization's goals. They effectively implement short and long-term strategies to meet organizational goals.
Conversation Check-List:
- What are the key areas of focus we will dedicate ourselves to over the next 5-10 years?
- What will we NOT do or emphasize?
- Is there a governance plan in place for monitoring the progress of strategies and goals?
Example Actions:
- Create a 1-pager for your team that includes the company mission, vision, and values, and includes the team's goals - connecting them to the bigger picture.
- Hold "what-how-and-why" town hall meetings to build employees' understanding of the company direction. Allow employees to ask questions and gain greater clarity about the priorities and direction and how they affect their work.
Resources to Get Started:
Defines Goals & Objectives
Competency Definition:
The individual encourages high employee accountability in setting and accomplishing organizational goals. They communicate a clear set of goals and objectives that can be linked to the mission, vision, and strategy of the workgroup or organization.
Conversation Check-List:
- What are the specific outcomes we hope to achieve this year?
- How will we know that we are progressing toward our strategies and vision?
- Who is involved in the goal-setting process?
Example Actions:
- Utilize a specific framework for goal setting (SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely).
- Create a set of clear behavioral objectives that reinforces how work needs to get done in order to support shifts in the strategy.
- Adopt several "big picture" goals that promote cross-functional coordination.
Resources to Get Started:
Creates Shared Vision
Competency Definition:
The leader helps create a shared view of a desired future state for his/her organizational unit. They inspire others with this vision, translates it into everyday activities, and engages others to ensure buy-in and commitment.
Conversation Check-List:
- What is our ultimate picture of success?
- How is progress reported? How often is progress reported?
- How do we recognize success?
Example Actions:
- Make the mission and vision key components of your employee onboarding process.
- Link discussions about the strategy and goals directly back to the vision, to create line-of-sight between near and long-term priorities.
- Transform key maintenance and inspection processes in support of a new safety vision for the organization.
Resources to Get Started:
Manages Coordination & Integration
Competency Definition:
The individual ensures that different functions or units of the workgroup or organization are able to work together well to achieve common goals. They establish necessary contacts and coordinate resources in other groups to prevent organizational boundaries from interfering with getting work done.
Conversation Check-List:
- How easy or difficult is it to work with someone from another part of the organization?
- Is there awareness and alignment of goals across teams and levels?
- What are the key deliverables that we provide to others across the organization? What are the key deliverables that we get from others across the organization? Do we ever discuss how well we are meeting each other's needs?
Example Actions:
- Conduct facilitated cross-functional “give-get” sessions to clarify interdependencies and expectations for working across teams and functions.
- Create job shadowing or rotation programs to pair up functional counterparts across divisions.
- Hold “brown bag” sessions where employees can hear what others in the organization are working on, learn about problems they are trying to solve, and hear success stories.
Resources to Get Started:
Works to Reach Agreement
Competency Definition:
The individual helps to reconcile differences when they occur by actively promoting constructive discussion of conflicting ideas, incorporating diverse points of view into decisions, and working toward win-win solutions.
Conversation Check-List:
- When problems and issues arise, are we able to surface them and discuss them in a constructive manner?
- Are we “conflict-averse” or do we utilize conflict to generate positive action?
- Is it a safe environment to express disagreement and different opinions?
- What are the key issues and/or problems on which we disagree—or for which we need greater alignment and consensus?
Example Actions:
- Train employees on skills for having honest, crucial conversations.
- Create a clear approach for escalation of issues—with specific directions regarding whom to engage with and when.
- Institute “direct with respect” as an expectation for leaders to engage in candid feedback and performance discussions.
Resources to Get Started:
Defines Core Values
Competency Definition:
The individual communicates and lives by a set of non-negotiable core values. They help to define the workgroup or organization's culture, values, and ethics; and helps employees learn to apply the organization's values when dealing with customers, stakeholders, and other employees.
Conversation Check-List:
- What gets recognized here? What gets people in trouble?
- Do our values guide our behaviors and actions as we interact with internal colleagues and external stakeholders?
- Are there implications for consistent/inconsistent behavior?
Example Actions:
- Incorporate the core values into the performance review process—indicating that how work gets done is as important as what gets done.
- Recognize behaviors and actions that reflect a core value in-practice.
- Include an opportunity for employees to describe the ways in which the organization is “living the values” and where the organization is “falling short” as part of the annual culture assessment.
Resources to Get Started:
Develops Organizational Capability
Competency Definition:
The individual manager continually focuses on the development of skills and knowledge to meet ongoing business needs. They know how to effectively utilize the diversity in the workforce.
Conversation Check-List:
- What are the key strategies of the organization, and what capabilities are needed to execute those strategies?
- Do we appropriate the necessary resources to develop our employees?
- Is developing employees considered an important part of a leader’s role?
- Do we have the talent pipeline necessary for future success?
Example Actions:
- Utilize job-rotation programs to develop the skills of individuals and deepen bench-strength for the organization.
- Create an explicit map of career paths and the competencies needed to move along those paths.
- Require all leaders to dedicate at least 10% of their time to professional development for themselves and those who report to them.
Resources to Get Started:
Builds Team Orientation
Competency Definition:
The individual manager places value on employees working cooperatively toward common goals and often relies on team effort to get work done. They help establish a sense of mutual accountability for the accomplishment of goals.
Conversation Check-List:
- Is there a clear purpose for your team and a clear connection to the greater purpose of the organization?
- Are there clear performance goals for your team?
- Do we establish team agreements (expectations regarding how we will work together as well as what we will do together)?
Example Actions:
- Promote social activities that allow for the building of stronger working relationships and fostering team spirit (volunteer work, sporting events, team competitions, etc.)
- Identify gaps in the leadership “team” performance and take steps to address those specific issues (decision-making, trust, strategic direction, etc.)
- Allow teams to offer innovative solutions to critical business needs and reward the “winning” solution.
Resources to Get Started:
Empowers People
Competency Definition:
The individual helps to create an environment where individuals have authority, initiative, and the ability to manage their own work. The individual has a sense of ownership and responsibility for the organization.
Conversation Check-List:
- Have we established clear boundaries (WHAT as defined by our strategies & goals, and HOW as defined by our values) within which to empower employees?
- Is there trust in both leader and employee intentions and abilities to accomplish shared goals?
Example Actions:
- Recognize and reward individuals and teams that take the initiative to solve a business issue or customer problem.
- Give staff the opportunity to tailor their training curriculum to fit their interests and needs.
- Have leaders engage their employees in discussions to clarify what decisions they can make, those they can influence, and those that are beyond the scope of that employee’s responsibility.
Resources to Get Started:
Creates Change
Competency Definition:
The individual knows the organizational environment, quickly reacts to current trends, and anticipates future changes. They continuously create adaptive and innovative ways to meet changing needs.
Conversation Check-List:
- Is change typically considered an “initiative” or is it a core competency of the organization?
- Is change usually met with excitement or resistance?
Example Actions:
- Implement lean principles and processes to involve employees in redesigning efficient work processes.
- Develop clear messages regarding changes that reinforce why the change is important and how it will move the organization forward.
- Restructure the organization to better meet customer needs.
Resources to Get Started:
Promotes Organizational Learning
Competency Definition:
The individual leader encourages innovation, risk-taking, and continuous improvement. They see mistakes as opportunities for gaining knowledge and developing capabilities.
Conversation Check-List:
- Do we have a system to capture and disseminate important organizational learnings?
- Do people feel safe speaking openly about mistakes?
- What is management’s typical reaction when failures or mistakes occur?
Example Actions:
- Hire talent that brings a unique set of experiences that are new to the organization and allow them to promote a different way of thinking.
- Promote AAR’s (After Action Reviews) or “Lessons Learned” events to deconstruct an activity and share what was learned—capturing the positive and negative in an effort to inform future actions.
- Allocate time for learning and innovation, making them an expected component of an employee’s job.
Resources to Get Started:
Emphasizes Customer Focus
Competency Definition:
The individual is driven to clearly understand the present and future needs of the customer, seeks ongoing input from the customer, continuously strives to improve customer service, and ensures that all employees are driven by a concern to satisfy the customer.
Conversation Check-List:
- Do we actively and consistently solicit customer input and feedback?
- Is customer feedback widely shared?
- How is it acted upon?
- Is everyone clear about who their customers are?
Example Actions:
- Create customer personas to help service employees better understand customer wants and needs.
- Have a recognition program that is based on exceptional customer service.
- Conduct annual partnering sessions with customers to align on key business objectives and the desired behaviors for working together.
Resources to Get Started:
Beliefs & Assumptions
At the center of the Denison Model are "Beliefs and Assumptions." Each of us has deeply held beliefs about our organization, our coworkers, our customers, our competitors, and our industry. These beliefs and assumptions, and their associated behaviors, determine the ways a leader impacts an organization's culture.
