Reliance Retail

Competency Dictionary
A User’s Guide – Version 1.0, May 2006
 Reliance Retail

Table of Contents

User’s Guide Working Styles

• The Competency Index • Data Gathering
• The Competencies • Adaptability
• The Stages of • Attention to Detail
Development • Teamwork
• The Benchmarking • Persuasiveness
Database
Management
Cognition • Coaching & Mentoring
• Analysis • Direction Setting
• Innovation • Conflict Resolution
• Pattern Recognition • Leadership
• Strategic Thinking • Team Building

Growth & Knowledge Enterprise

• Leveraging • Networking
Knowledge • Effective Communication
• Learning Orientation • Values Orientation
• Political Savvy
Character • Planning & Organizing
• Confidence & • Resource Stewardship
Decisiveness
• Results Orientation Customer
• Ownership • Customer Focus
• Interpersonal • Customer Analysis
Sensitivity
• Stress Tolerance &
Professionalism
• Initiative

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User’s Guide
The Competency Index
The Competency Index

A Competency Model begins with the assumption that in every job there is
variability in performance among individuals. In addition, top performers produce
better results by relying on a fundamentally different approach to their work than
other individuals. By identifying these special behaviors, working styles, and
attitudes (or Competencies) and defining them in observable and measurable terms,
we are able to build a profile of what it takes to be a top performer for a specific job
within an organization.

The following OED Competency Index consists of individual competencies grouped

into seven bands:
• Cognition

• Growth & Knowledge

• Character

• Working Styles

• Management

• Enterprise

• Customer

A band of competencies represents a group of competencies related to a certain area

of superior job performance. While there is no prescribed formula that dictates how
many competencies a model should contain and from which bands they should
derive, it can be generally accepted that a typical model will include between 8 and
12 competencies and that they should strike a balance between the varied aspects of
the principal job responsibilities.

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User’s Guide
The Competencies

The Competencies

Each individual competency in the core index includes:

• A detailed Definition of the competency;
• Stages of Development which form a progressively complex scale of
behaviors for that competency; and
• A Transition Vehicle (arrow) that represents the concept underlying a
specific behavioral scale and how one moves from a lower Stage of
Development to a higher Stage of Development. Each competency has a
distinct Transition Vehicle.

In a completed and customized competency model for a particular job, each competency
will also include:
• A highlighted Expected Stage of Development which targets a specific Stage
of Development where a top performer is expected to operate with regard to a
particular competency; and
• “In Action” Examples which illustrate different Stages of Development
tailored to a particular job.

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User’s Guide
The Stages of Development

The Stages of Development

The significance of using Stages of Development for each competency is to

establish a benchmark for the study of top job performance. It is typically not
just the presence or absence of a competency that distinguishes top job
performance; rather, it is the level of complexity at which the competency is
being demonstrated. As a result, these simple rules below can be used to
evaluate the individual Stages of Development:
• A higher Stage of Development (i.e. Expert is the highest) of a
competency must be recognizably different from a lower Stage of
Development (i.e., New Learner is the lowest) of the same
competency; and Meaningful and valid comparisons can be made
between individuals based on the Stage of Development at which they
demonstrate a particular competency.

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User’s Guide
The Benchmarking Database

The Benchmarking Database

By establishing the Expected Stage of Performance for each competency, we can begin to
build a database rich in job and industry specific competency models that can assist us in
determining industry norms for key jobs. In the future, when creating a competency
model for a particular client, the Benchmarking Database will allow us to validate and
enhance findings against similar positions in best-in-class organizations, even when there
are gaps in data collected at the current client. We will ensure that the data included in the
database reflects those competencies found by research to predict top job performance in
similar roles.

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Cognition
Analysis

Analysis is the ability to think logically and effectively and understand

situations or problems by organizing or synthesizing information in a systematic
way. It includes proactively anticipating and identifying problems before they
evolve, recognizing symptoms, evaluating root causes, and developing
alternative solutions.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Considers Applies
Simplifies Sets Identifies Causal Logic in
Complexity Priorities Obstacles Relationships Novel
Situations

• Identifies and • Makes • Anticipates • Recognizes • Develops

defines sequential links obstacles complex highly
problem between realistically and inter- organized and
situations component plans for dependencies profoundly
clearly steps within a contingencies among parts insightful
task, process or of a problem logical analyses
• Identifies problem • Thinks ahead which interact and
discrete action about to cause explanations
steps and • Prioritizes alternative events
timing problems so outcomes and • Approaches
considerations that major proactively • Integrates unfamiliar or
issues are addresses various parts unusual
solved in a uncertainties of a problem situations
timely way and fits them logically and
together as a identifies a
whole range of
solutions

Simple Scope of Understanding Complex

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Cognition
Innovation

Innovation is the drive to improve organizational performance through the

introduction of completely new ideas, processes, products or services.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Challenges Drives Job- Drives Drives

Remains
the Status Related Organizational Industry
Open
Quo Innovation Performance Innovation

• Is receptive to • Questions and • Impacts job • Improves • Propels the

new ideas and challenges the efficiency and organizational organization to
ways of doing adequacy and processes by performance industry
things when quality of doing by leadership
suggested by traditional something new introducing through
others thinking (i.e., and different new products, pioneering new
the way things services or products,
• Willingly have always • Improves job work services or
incorporates been done) performance processes work processes
new processes through the
into standard • Helps others introduction of • Imports • Develops
work habits view situations a new practice cutting-edge leading-edge
from a different practices from products and
perspective the services that set
competition a new industry
standard

Incremental Scope of Impact Fundamental

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Cognition
Pattern Recognition

Pattern Recognition is the ability to identify a pattern in an assortment of

unorganized, or seemingly random information. It includes being able to
generalize from specifics, integrate discrete data into a coherent whole, and
identify a theme or pattern in information or events.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Leverages
Defines Recognizes Knowledge Sees the
Current Themes Integrates Big Picture
and
State Data
Experience

• Uses basic • Sees trends, • Uses past • Readily • Thinks in terms

guidelines and patterns or experience to makes of overall
common sense missing pieces resolve current connections concepts
to define of information problems, or between
problems adapts past disparate sets • Captures the
• When solutions to fit of data by broader context
• Recognizes reviewing data, current drawing from around specific
similarities readily able to circumstances a range of issues and puts
between organize and information information
current and past rapidly cut to and together in a
situations important synthesizing way that adds
issues or many ideas value but others
information may not
recognize

Specifics Level of Integration Big

Picture

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Cognition
Strategic Thinking

Strategic Thinking is the ability to apply industry knowledge and experience

to assess a business situation broadly, define realistic goals, and conceive
effective strategies and action plans, while considering possible strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It includes addressing and recognizing
wider implications of a situation, consideration of alternative scenarios and
different paths to achieving long term business goals.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Adapts to
Grasps Business Sustains a Anticipates
Business Strategies Long- Industry
Strategies Term Direction
Focus

• Grasps the key • Evaluates fit • Adopts a • Demonstrates

elements of an between long-term insight into the
articulated personal perspective, ways industry
business plan actions and generating dynamics will
or strategy broader hypotheses or interact with
business alternative business strategies
• Demonstrates strategy scenarios of to influence future
an appreciation how critical needs
of the critical • Rapidly issues will
issues facing identifies the play out over • Develops new
the key leverage the long-term strategies and an
organization points in a integrated series of
and how they current • Positions action steps to
are addressed situation and work unit to leverage strengths
through the sees how they anticipate and and move the
current may be utilized react organization
business plan to meet effectively to forward
business future
objectives business
changes

Adapts Scope of Impact Shapes

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Growth & Knowledge

Leveraging Knowledge

Leveraging Knowledge is the ability to use one’s knowledge, acquired

through experience, association, or formal training, in ways that directly support
organizational goals and objectives. It includes the ability to educate others and
be seen by others as an expert.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Applies Utilizes Spreads Demonstrates

Knowledge Expertise in Knowledge Industry
in Familiar Complex and Ideas Leadership
Situations Situations

• Has in-depth • Draws on • Introduces • Independently and

knowledge of expertise and people to new effectively
the “tools of past experience ways of researches and
the trade” and in demanding looking at develops new
uses circumstances, things and ideas and
appropriate such as complex educates solutions within
expertise as the transactions, others about one’s area of
situation organizational aspects of a expertise
demands—to crises or problem that
solve a problems that they were • Develops an
problem, have never been previously expert reputation
respond to a encountered unaware of both within and
request or before outside of the
define a critical • Enhances organization
issue • May take the others’
initiative to decision-
involve oneself making
in an through
organizational lending a
matter before different
being asked perspective

Individual Breadth of Impact Organization

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Growth & Knowledge

Learning Orientation

Learning Orientation is the desire and capacity to readily learn, integrate

and use new work related knowledge and expertise in the interest of becoming
more effective. It involves an orientation toward new ideas, acquiring
knowledge, mastering new skill sets, and the drive to continuously grow and
learn.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Reacts
Positively to Stays Grows
Up-To- Evaluates Professionally
Learning Self
Opportunities Date

• Is excited by • Stays current • Assesses • Exposes oneself

the challenge of with new current to increasingly
obtaining a new approaches expertise and more challenging
skill, body of within own knowledge experiences and
knowledge, etc. field of base on an on- independently
expertise and going basis pursues informal
• Maintains a tracks and formal
positive developments • Understands training
attitude and is in the field own strengths opportunities to
not afraid to through readily and identifies develop
approach new available areas of capability in new
or unknown sources development areas
territory and growth
• Works to • Leverages
quickly “get up • Demonstrates broader learning
to speed” with self- experiences to
new development the
approaches so skills and organization’s
that a value- makes initial advantage by
added efforts to applying it to
contribution improve in unfamiliar or
can be made weaker areas novel business
situations

Maintaining Complexity of Knowledge Building

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Character
Confidence & Decisiveness

Confidence & Decisiveness is the capacity to present oneself in an assured,

forceful, impressive and unhesitating manner. It includes a passion and
excitement about ideas, work, people, a positive outlook, and a consistent display
of a decisive presence.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Expresses
Own Ideas Handles Manages
Demonstrates
and Challenge Confrontation
Presence
Opinions

• Consistently • Speaks with • Demonstrates • Tactfully

presents self in authority, confidence in disagrees with
an assured conviction, and own opinion, others and
manner passion when analysis or takes
presenting point of view ownership of
• Sees oneself as ideas when own viewpoint
capable and challenged in the face of
effective • Understands adversity or in
the scope of • Sticks to one's a high risk
• Makes a one’s authority guns and is not situation
positive and intimidated by
impression on comfortably others who are • Does not
others takes actions in a position of compromise
and makes power when the best
independent interests of the
decisions organization
are at stake

Supportive Challenging
Environment Level of Forcefulness Environment

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Character
Results Orientation

Results Orientation is the capacity to be energized and excited by

challenging objectives and a concern for exceeding goals set by self or others. It
includes executing actions in a focused manner, and pursuing alternative courses
of action to increase the probability of reaching desired outcomes.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Takes
Works to Meet Sets Own Improves Pursues Calculated
Expectations Standards Performance Stretch Risks
Goals

• Takes personal • Identifies and • Changes • Aggressively • Makes decisions,

ownership and works towards systems or pursues chooses goals, or
demonstrates own work processes stretch leverages
commitment performance in order to objectives that resources to
for meeting standards improve are not within significantly raise
personal and which go performance immediate the bar for
organizational “above and reach organizational
objectives beyond” what • Elevates performance
would normally standards on an • Strives to
• Shows be expected ongoing basis reach goals in • Perseveres in
responsibility for the work order to attain difficult or
for doing the • Takes pride in area’s benefit both personal challenging
job correctly achieving and business situations and
and on time results beyond benefits takes full
others’ ownership for
expectations achieving these
goals

Meeting
Establishing
Established Level of Risk New Goals
Goals
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Character
Ownership

Ownership is a sense of personal accountability and responsibility for getting

things done and achieving results. It includes a willingness to go beyond what is
required in a given situation, overcome obstacles or barriers to success, and
persevere.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Willingly Extends Overcomes

Accepts
Commits Beyond Adversity Accepts Broader
Responsibility
Role Accountability

• Takes personal • Assumes • Continues to • Accepts • Assumes

responsibility responsibility maintain responsibility responsibility for
for delivering or takes on momentum for negative outcomes related
results tasks that are under highly consequences to group effort
beyond the demanding or or failure
• Measures self scope of one’s adverse • Holds self
by the results role circumstances • Makes good accountable for
produced use of group success or
• Volunteers for • Takes constructively failure, even
additional persistent or critical when the
involvement alternative feedback to outcomes are not
actions to improve necessarily
overcome performance within the
obstacles control of the
individual
• Does not give
up

Direct Indirect
Control Level of Accountability Control

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Character
Interpersonal Sensitivity
Interpersonal Sensitivity is the ability to read other people and to be
attentive to the thoughts, feelings, needs, and motives of others. It includes
treating people with care and respect regardless of position, status, or
background.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Perceives
Surface Establishes Understands Leverages
Behavior Rapport Hidden Insight
Feelings

• Carefully • Quickly • Demonstrates • Uses

observes what establishes trust an understanding
others do and in relationships understanding of others’
say because of the of and responds enduring
ability to to others’ attitudes and
• Understands empathize with hidden feelings perspectives to
present others’ overt predict their
emotion when feelings and • Develops an behavior and to
interacting with point of view understanding effectively
others of the reasons respond to work
• Actively listens for ongoing or related issues
and asks long-term
questions to feelings • Modifies own
clarify or behavior to
confirm the work effectively
speaker’s with others
thoughts based on an
understanding
of their biases
and motivations

Explicit Degree of Adaptation Implicit

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Character
Stress Tolerance &
Professionalism
Stress Tolerance & Professionalism is the recognition of the need to
manage one’s emotions or behaviors in order to have a positive benefit for the
company and to ensure productive performance.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Restrains Continues Acts to Manages

Emotions Activities Remedy Stress Calms
Situation Effectively Others

• Consciously • Experiences • Separates self • Uses positive • Actively takes

controls tenseness or from emotional and steps to help
impulses and discomfort situations and constructive others control
channels them under pressure takes active techniques to strong emotions
appropriately or opposition steps to remedy deal with
but does not or diffuse them ongoing • Exhibits a calm,
• Maintains a allow this to pressure, even
constructive interfere with • Immediately uncertainty, or temperament
approach and needed job remedies opposition during stressful
tone performance conflict to circumstances
avoid • Maintains that has a
• Resists the • Quickly recurrence in consistent level calming effect on
inclination to recovers after the future of energy and others
speak or act being thrown positive
inappropriately off balance attitude related
initially by a to problems
stressful and pressures
situation over time.

Restrained Duration of Stress Calming

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Character
Initiative

Initiative is the ability to proactively address situations or opportunities as

opposed to reacting to problems and assignments. It is reflected through action,
not simply thinking, and includes a willingness to seize opportunities and act
decisively and boldly in order to drive the business forward.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Takes
Immediate Takes Volunteers Stays One Anticipates
Action Persistent Efforts Step Future
Action Ahead Events

• Takes action • Takes action to • Volunteers to • Accomplishes • Thinks and acts

when the overcome perform near-term in anticipation of
situation obstacles and challenging or objectives future events
requires it, persists in undesirable without being
despite alerting others tasks told to do so or • Consistently acts
personal to impending when to do it in a proactive
inconvenience problems • Eager and manner in
willing to “go • Takes the next addressing
• Takes action • Does not give the extra mile” step with little significant
when there is up easily when in terms of time or no guidance opportunities or
an apparent things do not and effort problems
need for doing go smoothly • Realizes that
so something • Identifies and
• Follows needs to be acts to seize new
through from done and acts opportunities
beginning to on it looking ahead to
end the future

Immediate Level of Proactivity Long

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Working Styles
Data Gathering

Data Gathering is the ability to penetrate surface issues by probing for

meaningful information. It is reflected in 1) systematic research, 2) the tapping of
unique sources, and 3) the reconciliation of conflicting data.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Makes Seeks Out Pushes for Gathers Tracks

General Details Root Diverse Evolving
Inquiries Causes Perspectives Issues

• Asks direct • Seeks to • Goes beyond • May develop • Diligently

questions of personally surface new ways of researches an
others to improve information to obtaining issue or collects
obtain understanding ascertain the information data over time
needed of a problem or underlying root and to track an
information issue by cause of a leveraging the issue as it
clarifying problem or use of others evolves
• Uses readily details or issue
available resolving • Seeks out a • Continually
information ambiguities • Does not stop diversity of modifies and
sources with the first opinions and refines personal
• Takes specific answer, but reconciles understanding
actions to learn pushes for data contradictions of a dynamic
more about a that is harder to issue
complex obtain
situation

Multiple
Single Source Depth of Inquiry Source

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Working Styles
Adaptability

Adaptability is the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and adopt a

flexible work style. It includes a willingness to readily adjust to new demands,
requirements, or directions, and the ability to shift priorities to meet a changing
strategy. It is also reflected through modeling the importance of adaptability to
others.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Respects Models
Need for Adapts Modifies Adapts
Adaptability
Flexibility Quickly Approach Strategies
for Others

• Recognizes the • Projects • Demonstrates • Makes short- • Based on

validity of flexibility in the importance term shifting
others’ actual task- of being modifications business
viewpoints and oriented work adaptable to based on priorities,
alternative situations others shifting makes long-
ways of doing priorities, term,
things • Adapts standard • Provides others pressing fundamental
procedures and with demands or changes in
• Listens to processes to best information new strategic
others and is fit with an tailored to their information direction
receptive to unusual situation needs, and, in
new ideas and exchange, • Knows when • May sacrifice
different • Quickly and encourages it is necessary one’s own
perspectives effectively others to adjust to deviate work area
adjusts to new effectively to from a plan interests based
situations and changing or and changes a on what's best
environments ambiguous course of for the
work action based organization as
circumstances on a whole
understanding
of
organizational
goals

Tactical Magnitude of Adaptation Required Strategic

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Working Styles
Attention to Detail

Attention to Detail is the ability to appropriately seek order and reduce

uncertainty. It suggests a detail orientation directed at minimizing errors and
keeping tasks and responsibilities clear and on schedule.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Strives for Focuses on Ensures Tracks Develops

Clarity Details Accuracy Progress Processes

• Maintains • Organizes self • Checks the • Monitors • Puts new,

organization in in a highly accuracy and progress of a detailed
order to efficient quality of work deliverable processes in
effectively manner such (own and against plan place to
ensure attention that things do others ) to organize and
to detail not “fall ensure that it • Discovers keep track of
through the meets expected missing steps, information,
• Clarifies cracks” standards and ensuring increase order
uncertainty and follows clarity, and and improve
minimizes • Plans the required resolves the quality of
ambiguity by details of work procedures contradictions work output
setting or or projects and ,
confirming considers the • Reviews inconsistencie • Enables others
expectations, critical path to accuracy, s or problems to more clearly
timeframes and ensure quality quality, and before they monitor
budgets and efficiency thoroughness, become crises progress and
making results
appropriate
changes as
necessary

Discreet Complexity of Effort Systemic

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Working Styles
Teamwork

Teamwork is the ability to collaborate and work toward shared values and
common goals. It is demonstrated through an ability to create and sustain
positive working relationships with others.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Participates Shares Adjusts Ensures Team

in Team Experience Plans for Effectiveness
Efforts the Team

• Cooperates • Finds • Recognizes • Works

with others on opportunities to those situations constructively
specific tasks share when it is with others
or projects experiences appropriate for despite
with others the needs of the differences in
• Maintains team to come interest,
smooth, • Adds value to first perspective or
cooperative others through needs
relationships dialogue and • Adjusts or
with other sharing of adapts ideas • Takes
team members experience and plans, in responsibility
order to assist for creating and
• Willing to “roll • Communicates or to better maintaining a
up his/her with team achieve team
sleeves” when members common goals environment
necessary to consistently that supports
accomplish a and often collaborative
team goal behaviors

• Handles
friction
effectively

Cooperates Level of Effort Promotes

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Working Styles
Persuasiveness
Persuasiveness is the ability to move others to a belief, position, or course of
action. It includes the ability to clearly define needs, propose options, and
explain benefits and outcomes. It implies a skill in establishing an understanding
of the wants and needs of people and organizations and in reaching “win-win”
agreement or an effective resolution of the situation at hand.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Supports Addresses Influences

Presents a
Position Others’ Through
Viewpoint
Interests Alliance

• Understand • Offers • Recognizes • Aligns with

s when a several the interests key decision-
situation different data and needs of makers to
calls for sources to others and develop
influencing persuade adapts broader
others others of the methods and support and
merit in a strategies of influence the
• Confidently proposed communicati outcome of an
uses direct course of on event
persuasion action accordingly
and rational • Establishes
arguments • Uses • Anticipates coalitions and
to excite complex set and prepares alliances to
and compel of facts to for how influence a
people into explain the others will course of
action logic behind react based action
choices on their
particular
• Incorporates concerns
consequence and issues
s (risks,
ramifications
, etc.) into a
discussion,
approach, or
argument

Direct & Indirect &

Tactical
Complexity of Strategy
Strategic
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Management
Coaching & Mentoring

Coaching & Mentoring is the capacity to take a genuine interest in people

and help in their development of relevant technical, business, client and social
skills. It includes providing timely, actionable, and constructive performance
feedback and demonstrating a capability in respecting, nurturing and guiding
others.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Provides Assesses Delegates Coaches Builds

Feedback Development Fully for Over Time Talent
Needs Development Pool

• Consistently • Agrees on • Facilitates • Provides • Selects and

provides performance growth of guidance grooms key
sincere, goals that are subordinates by around a long- people to
genuine and specific, empowering term assure
candid measurable, and delegating development succession into
behavioral and timebound, increasing plan for an leadership
feedback for and establishes responsibility individual’s positions
development a mechanism to them skills and
purposes for monitoring abilities • Takes a sincere
progress • Allows team interest in
• Gives members to • Recommends helping groups
positive • Recommends learn from development of subordinates
feedback training or mistakes in plans that are grow
when other non-critical a stretch and professionally
deserved and assignments for settings are aimed at and raises the
does not addressing ensuring overall
hesitate to development continuous performance
give needs development level of the
constructive and enhancing organization by
feedback professional maximizing
when growth individual
required effectiveness

One-on-One Duration of Effort Organization-wide

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Management
Directing Others
Directing Others is the ability to use one's position, authority and power to
provide clear directions and direct feedback, and to ensure that critical goals and
objectives are accomplished on time, within budget and according to quality
standards. It is demonstrated through setting clear expectations, holding others to
those expectations, and ensuring that the team effort remains on-track and that
the group effort is not diverted toward competing priorities and interests.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Provides Defines Maintains Holds Others Takes

Clear Parameters Focus Accountable Charge
Direction

• Gives clear • Guides • Takes • Identifies • In extreme

guidance and professional independent under- cases, will
direction to activity and action to ensure performance personally take
others, encourages others remain and takes aggressive,
explaining others to work focused corrective decisive action
what is within the action to achieve
required and parameters of a • Ensures that important
how to achieve specific task or others remain • Makes organizational
it project focused and necessary objectives
productive, changes,
• Effectively • Expresses a even when including re- • Exercises
communicates difference of outside assigning personal
who will do opinion pressures responsibility, authority and
what by when constructively threaten project to bring about makes
and upholds momentum success while unilateral
standards, even continuing to decisions when
when this work through appropriate
disappoints others
others

Guidance Degree of Forcefulness Limits

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Management
Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution is the ability to recognize, manage and resolve the issues
which emerge among individuals and groups with competing interests, needs and
agendas. It includes the ability to step up to conflicts, seeing them as
opportunities for improvement, negotiate agreements, and settle disputes
equitably.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Seeks
Encourages Solutions Reduces
Intervenes
Candor Through Future
Decisively
Compromise Conflict

• Generates a non- • Uses positive • Makes sure • Through a

threatening and that whatever forward
environment to constructive solution is looking
encourage a fair techniques to chosen, the approach, takes
exchange of look for workgroup’s action to ward
perspectives mutually or off or to
beneficial organization’s minimize
• Approaches solutions best interests potential future
potentially between are protected conflict
contentious individuals or
situations with groups when • May take • Takes advance
an even-handed disagreement charge to action to ward
approach exists force off or short-
resolution in circuit potential
• Allows others • Finds the accordance conflict
their voice and appropriate with
ensures that all win/win workgroup
participants are alternatives, organizational
heard areas of mutual interests
agreement, or
the appropriate
middle ground

Reactive Level of Control Proactive

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Management
Leadership

Leadership is the ability to use effective leadership techniques to manage the

performance of team members. This includes motivating and inspiring others
toward achieving specific aims.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Establishes
Establishes Meets Leadership Conveys a
Team Needs of Fosters Team Strong
Commitment Credibility
Goals the Group Vision

• Communicates • Understands • Fosters an • Regularly acts • Builds

the mission of the full extent atmosphere of as an effective company pride
the team and of the team’s teamwork and role model in and belief in
uses it to set capabilities and encourages terms of the
goals for the makes sure the going above attitude, organization by
team needs of the and beyond to teamwork, and communicating
team are met reach the ability to a compelling
• Encourages by obtaining established “get the job vision
staff to achieve needed team goals done”
set goals personnel, • Inspires staff to
resources, and • Creates an • Continuously follow and
information for environment displays creates lasting
the team that motivates competence as buy-in to the
others and a leader company and
• Makes an effort builds morale (tackles tough its vision by
to follow issues, conveying
through on communicates passion and
commitments effectively, enthusiasm
to the team follows through
on promises,
exhibits
integrity, etc.)

Information Degree of Leadership Vision

27
 Reliance Retail

Management
Team Building

Team Building is the ability to effectively influence and direct the activities
of individuals and groups, by developing motivation, commitment and
teamwork, and providing focus on a business objective. It includes creating and
communicating a common vision, mobilizing team members and providing
support and guidance in the accomplishment of tasks and objectives.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Involves Shares Builds Shares Fully

Others Accolades Espirit Authority Empowers
De Corps

• Includes others • Looks for • Encourages and • Encourages • Appropriately

in establishing opportunities to promotes personal delegates full
plans or team acknowledge teamwork by initiative by authority and
initiatives others who monitoring empowering responsibility
have performed morale and capable team to complete an
• Involves well and intervening to members to important task
others at encourages improve team lead selected or drive a
critical others to value climate group efforts critical
decision points their strengths initiative in a
and • Builds a • Allows team way that
contributions distinct culture members to leverages a
and identity for assume a level person’s
the team and a of authority strengths
shared sense of and share
ownership of leadership
outcomes over a
particular
situation or
problem

Sharing Level of Authority Shared Empowering

28
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Networking
Networking is the ability to build and leverage networks of formal and
informal relationships to access to new business, influence decisions, or seek
advice or consult others to clarify problems or resolve issues. It includes the
cultivation of mutually beneficial relationships inside and outside of the
organization with customers and colleagues.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Establishes Establishes Builds and Leverages

Makes Relationships Relationships Strengthens Relationships
Routine for Current for Future Long-Term with Business
Contact Needs Needs Relationships Alliances

• Develops and • Creates • Actively pursues • Uses every • Consistently

maintains relationships to and cultivates opportunity to achieves goals
sound working address the relationships improve and that impact
relationships current with the strengthen overall
based on situation intention of relationships organizational
regular and achieving future with key performance by
routine contact • Increases direct business contacts making use of
personal opportunities business
• Frequently interactions • Demonstrates alliances
initiates contact and/or indirect • Develops flexibility in
with others as a contact with the contacts to responding to • Calls upon
basis for purpose of capitalize on ongoing alliances to
building achieving an anticipated changes in mobilize
rapport immediate market relationship commitment for,
agreement or developments and needs and achievement
other short- even when there of, objectives
term is no immediate and strategies
opportunity benefit
• Utilizes business
• Fosters new partnerships to
linkages identify
between groups opportunities and
that have gather market
traditionally intelligence
operated
independently

Routine Across
Diversity of People Included Boundaries 29
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Effective Communication

Effective Communication is the ability to effectively explain, describe, or

convey ideas in individual and group situations. It includes adjusting language
and detail to the characteristics and needs of the audience to ensure that complex
messages have been accurately understood, as well as keeping all appropriate
parties “in the loop” regarding any relevant issues.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Simplifies Generates Reinforces Improves

Convey Complexity Dialogue Messages Organizational
Ideas Communication

• In • Articulates • Fosters two- • Communicate • Encourages and

speaking/writi complex issues way s frequently helps others
ng, is able to in a concise, communication and identifies communicate
articulate readily- by and uses more
ideas, understood communicating several effectively with
concepts or a manner a position, explanations their work
position in a listening to to convey an partners
form so that • Simplifies feedback, idea to a
others can issues by using asking diverse group • Improves
readily analogies, questions to to overcome communication
understand the stories, or clarify, and resistance beyond the
message graphical paraphrasing realm of one’s
presentations understanding • Contextualize own work
• Communicate s message to group
s easily, with a • Blends • Uses active ensure full
clear sense of technical and listening and understanding
audience and non-technical addresses by others
appropriate information specific points
tone easily and of confusion in
smoothly response to
others

Expressive Complexity of the Content Reinforcing

30
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Values Orientation

Values Orientation is the ability to align oneself with the needs, priorities
and goals of the broader organization. It involves exhibiting high professional
standards in the face of rapid and unpredictable organizational and industry
change and is demonstrated through objectivity, courage, and fairness, across all
situations.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Constructi
Models Acts on vely Helps to
Acts Fairly Integrity Values and Define
Challenges
Beliefs Others Values

• Acts honestly • Understands • Acts on one’s • Confronts • Actively

and fairly in and acts in values and others whose contributes to
all business accordance beliefs when it behavior does the
practices and with the takes extra not support clarification
dealings with organization’s effort to take organizational and definition
others values that course values of values and
standards of
• Keeps • Sets a good • Takes a • Helps others business
promises, ethical example personal stand align work practice for
maintains and acts as a on an issue behavior with the
confidences role model for when values those values organization
and others are involved and insists
demonstrates that others • Translates
high standards • Accepts • Maintains the take values into
of integrity responsibility trust and responsibility actions
for mistakes, confidence of for their
learns from others by being actions
them, and takes candid when
action to avoid there is a
similar future problem or
situations disappointment

Abides by Level of Personal Identification Shapes

Values Values

31
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Political Savvy

Political Savvy is the ability to understand and utilize the formal and informal
decision-making structures within the organization. It includes understanding how
the organization works and the ability to build appropriate alliances to accomplish
goals.

New Basic Foundati Proficie Mastery Expert

Learner onal nt

Follows Follows Taps Into

Established Cultural Pulls Political
Procedures Norms Strings Relationships

• Demonstrates a • Understands • Gets to the • Recognizes

general the prevailing right people to on-going
understanding climate and make things power and
of how the culture and happen political
organization knows “how relationships
functions things are • Understands and alliances
done” who has and adapts
• Follows the influence in the decisions,
lead of • Knows how to organization plans, and
superiors and get things done and uses this goals to take
abides by the across understanding advantage of
organization’s organizational to mobilize those
established boundaries support for relationships
norms and plans and
practices • Works agendas • Recognizes
effectively the potential
through formal impact of
and informal decisions and
networks agendas on
various
stakeholders

Explicit Level of Insight Implicit

32
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Planning & Organizing

Planning & Organizing is the ability to develop strategies and schedules for
meeting goals and anticipate obstacles to goal attainment. It includes thinking
ahead and identifying possible barriers or problems which will affect the
completion of work, monitoring progress of plans and making adjustments when
necessary.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Demonstrates Alters Modifies

Monitors Tactical Planning
an Organized
Sets the Progress Approach System
Approach
Stage

• Develops • Prioritizes • Organizes tasks • Makes • Sets new

logical and activities based for most necessary planning
practical on criticality efficient use of adjustments standards for
plans and and time and and revisions the
schedules to successfully monitors and seeks organization to
achieve weighs progress redefinition of keep track of
needed important steps against objectives information,
results relative to milestones or based upon increase order
eachother when deadlines learnings and and improve
• Is extremely planning changes the quality of
well- • Effectively the final
organized in • Visualizes the anticipates and • Juggles product
own work entire process measures resources,
and in when planning, impact of requests, and • Enables others
directing and remains obstacles and scheduled to more clearly
others aware of all changing activities in monitor
that needs to be circumstances order to fulfill progress and
• Plans and done, rather and puts steps all results
schedules are than simply in place to commitments
clear and focusing on resolve them
doable and what is next
the execution
is well
organized

Up-front Planning of Approach On-going

33
 Reliance Retail

Enterprise
Resource Stewardship

Resource Stewardship is the effective and efficient utilization of human,

capital, and intellectual resources to achieve needed business results. It includes
defining objectives, establishing and implementing plans, and monitoring results
to make adjustments in a timely fashion.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Understands Allocates Re- Plans for

Resource for Allocates Contingencies
Issues Optimal Resources
Impact

• Understands • Anticipates • Sees the • Manages

key financial what resources allocation of resources
and human will be needed resources as proactively,
resource issues to complete an an ongoing thinking ahead,
that drive initiative and process, not a anticipating
performance takes action to one-time changes in
ensure that decision circumstances,
• Recognizes the appropriate and considering
need for resources are • Regularly options before
making obtained monitors a problem
resource progress and arises
decisions up- • Understands adapts
front that the limits of resource • Anticipates
balance what can and allocation to unforeseen
realistic cannot be ensure that circumstances
objectives and achieved and initiatives are and ensures
cost-effective uses sound being carried that resources
solutions judgment to out are available to
align resources effectively, keep initiatives
in ways that efficiently, moving
provide and profitably
maximum
benefit

Recognizes Implements
Issues Ability to Adapt Alternatives
34
 Reliance Retail

Customer
Customer Focus

Customer Focus is the demonstration of passion for the customer and the
active attempt to go beyond what is required in order to meet or exceed customer
expectations. It includes an awareness of customer needs and how those issues
impact and are impacted by business decisions and processes.

New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert

Learner

Responds Establishes Takes Signals Modifies

Willingly Mutual Ownership Difficulties Systems
Expectatio
ns

• Gives • Sets mutual • Reacts to client • Calls potential • Suggests or

customers expectations deadlines in a problems to directly makes
full attention with customers timely manner, customer's improvements in
and respect by asking the fulfilling attention and the processes
and strives to right questions expectations identifies through which
meet their to uncover their possible customers are
explicit needs needs • Spends extra solutions prior served
time assisting a to issues
• Is direct and • Checks back customer, emerging or • Prevents
truthful when with customers especially in a causing problems from
trying to to ensure that critical difficulty re-occurring for
meet a problems have situation customers
customer’s been corrected • Alerts the through
needs and issues • Makes customer to correcting faulty
resolved commitments problems procedures or
• Is focused on to customers ahead of time improving upon
meeting • Develops and responds current practices
customer’s credible and follows
needs when relationships through with a
they arise with customers sense of
urgency

Reactive Proactive
Service Commitment

35
 Reliance Retail

Customer
Customer Analysis

Customer Analysis is the ability to seek customer information to improve

services, and consider customer impact in every decision. It is reflected in a high
level of trust and participation in the customer's decision-making so as to drive
customer perspectives and preferences.
New Basic Foundational Proficient Mastery Expert
Learner

Impacts
Knows the Establishes Customer’ Acts as Advocates
Business Credibility s Thinking Trusted for the
Advisor Customer

• Actively seeks • Develops an • Uses • Positions self • Advocates on the

information independent knowledge of as a general customer's behalf
about all opinion of the business business and suggests
aspects of a customer issues and the needs advisor and solutions that are
customer’s and problems, of the customer becomes in the best
business and based on to shift the involved in interest of the
the explicit looking beyond customer's the customer with
needs which the obvious or perceptions customer’s the long-term
flow from it explicit issues around industry decision view of the
to identify issues making relationship in
• Analyzes issues underlying process mind
and problems needs • Adds value to
from the the customer by • Acts as an • Identifies areas
customer's • Demonstrates matching their advisor and for improvement
perspective an in-depth needs to consultant to in customer
understanding standard (or client and operations
of major customized) recommends
customer solutions that solutions that • Puts customer
business needs allow for are new and needs above
business different from personal or
growth those organization’s
requested needs

Understands Shapes Customer

Level of Collaboration
Customer Thinking

36