COURSE: Effective Decision Making
TOPIC: Developing competency
and skills (Unit 4)
By:
Dr. Anjali Gupta
Learning Objectives
• Meaning of Competence
• Difference between competence and competency
• Competency-Iceberg Model
• Developing Competency for effective decision making
• Key decision making skills at work place
• Tips for improving decision making
Competence-Meaning
• Competence is a person’s ability or capacity to do a
job. It was devised in the 1970s by the US Company
McBer to identify the specific personal
characteristics which resulted in effective and/or
superior performance.
• Competencies are the skills, areas of knowledge,
attitudes and abilities that distinguish high
performers.
Competence vs competency
• Competence
• Competence means a skill and the standard of performance
reached
• It describes what people can do
• Competency
• Competency refers to the behaviour by which it is achieved
• It focuses on how people do it
Competency -Iceberg Model
The iceberg model for competencies takes the help
of an iceberg to explain the concept of competency.
An iceberg which has just one-ninth of its volume
above water and the rest remains beneath the
surface in the sea. Similarly, a competency has some
components which are visible like knowledge and
skills but other behavioural components like attitude,
traits, thinking styles, self-image, organizational fit
etc are hidden or beneath the surface.
…….contd……
Competency Iceberg Model
– According to the model the Five types of Competency characteristics are:
• Motives
• The things a person consistently thinks about or wants that cause action
• Traits
• Physical characteristics and consistent responses to situations or informations
• Self Concept
• A person’s attitudes, values or self image
• Knowledge
• Information a person has in specific content areas
• Skill
• The ability to perform a certain physical or mental task
…….contd…
Developing Competency and skills
for effective decision making
• Developing competency for effective decision making means taking responsibility
and feel committed to appropriate decisions keeping in mind the time factor. It
also ensures that decisions are made based on policies, rules and regulations,
organizational priorities and solving the emerging problems.
• The Behavior may include:
• Making decisions in a certainty environment ie. where necessary Information is
available
• Making decisions in uncertainty environment ie. when faced with some
missing/unclear information
• Making decisions in an ambiguous environment ie. when significant information
is incomplete /missing
• Having broader perspectives, looking at different options
• creating new concept models
• Integrating approaches into complete solution
• Using negotiating techniques
• Considering human and environmental impacts
• Incorporating desirable changes positively
Key Decision Making Skills at
workplace
• List can be long , only few important ones are
mentioned below
– Creativity skills that helps in generating various
alternatives
– Logical and Analytical skills that help in reaching
conclusions
– Group decision making skill that may involve
collaboration,communication, negotiation,active
listening
Key Decision Making Skills at
workplace
– Leadership skills that inspire commitment and
action for a chosen solution
– Time and task management skill required for
successful decision implementation
– Critical thinking
– Coping strategies for managing emotions and
perceptions leading to objective decisions
– Risk assessment skills for the possibility of
outcomes
Key Decision Making Skills at
workplace
– Objectivity, Unbiasness and Fairness in decision
making will help in building trust and confidence
in the workforce
– Ethical decision making as it is based on
good/right and bad/wrong involving the overall
goodwill of the organisation .
Tips for improving Decision making
• Right Interpretation of information
– To generate enough and sufficient information
– To see the information from multiple point of view and not in single
way ie. expand your outlook
– Take suggestions from others to reach the decision
• Be rational and unbias
– Objective outlook
– Make a Cost-benefit analysis
– Focus on high priorities first
– Make a logical decision and not an emotional/impulsive one
• Carefully set the decision making process
– By scrutinizing all the steps of the decision making process
Tips for improving Decision making
• Effective teamwork
– Share information amongst the team members
– Involve the team in decision making
– Develop people in making appropriate decisions
• Top Management Support for the application of
delegation and decentralisation down the line in the
organisation
– Helps in building trust and loyalty
– Satisfy the need of self esteem
• Success parameters to be thoughtfully finalised
beforehand
Tips for improving Decision making
• Flexible approach
– Ready to change the decision wherever required
– Learn by experience/mistakes(not only yours but also others)
– Reevaluate time factor where desirable.
– Ready to seek advice from others wherever lacking in expertise
• Do not forget core values while making decision
– Pressure from boss and coworkers to make a decision that doesnot
feel right.
– Be true to your values else you will feel dissatisfied with the result.
Note: Please add to the list of key decision
making skills and tips for improving
decision making, whatever is not
mentioned
….Thanks…
