Formation of a competent. How to develop competencies
At the moment, the gap between the knowledge acquired by students at the institute and the real knowledge and skills that are required at the enterprise is still large. This is connected not only with the level of education, but also with problems at enterprises. A rare HR specialist can formulate a profile of professional competencies for a particular position. It is demand that gives rise to supply, it is enterprises that must form a set of required knowledge and skills that an employee must possess when applying for a job.
What are professional competencies? How is the development and formation of professional competencies carried out? It is these questions that are answered in this article.
Rules for developing a profile of professional competencies
Professional competencies - competencies that characterize a group of positions
The development of a profile of professional competencies is a very time-consuming process that starts with the main groups of positions. For example, if the Company is engaged in sales, development should begin with the positions of Sales Managers.
There is no standard competency model. For each company for similar positions, it can be radically different.
It is possible that when compiling a competency profile, data from other companies is taken as a basis, but this must be approached thoughtfully. If, for example, we take managers of the sales department, then it should be borne in mind that for the sale of complex technical products and ordinary goods and services there will be some similarities in profile, but there will also be significant differences.
An HR specialist and line managers and top managers should be involved in the development of a competency profile. It is important that everyone, at their level, stick to the creation stage and actively participate. Before starting, you need to arm yourself with literature on this topic.
When forming a profile of professional competencies, it is important to involve employees of departments in order to reduce resistance to implementation. This does not have to be done at every stage, but the more regularly this happens, the easier the implementation phase of the new system will be.
Project plan.
Vision of the end result, how can the organization apply the result of the work in the future? Implementation deadlines. It is important to decide for what purpose the competence model is being created. In this case, two options are possible.
- In the future, the entire system of personnel management and development will be implemented through the competence profile. Assessment of the level of development, as well as the learning process will take place through a model of professional competence.
- The construction of the model is necessary for the reception of a large number of personnel and is necessary for the standardization of selection methods.
After we have decided on the purpose of the project, it is necessary to convince the line managers of its necessity.
After that, it is necessary to determine the time for the implementation of this project. On average, the formation of a profile of professional competencies takes from 2-4 months.
Creation of a project team
A team leader needs to be identified. Consider who needs to be included additionally, who will be an expert opinion. What literature will be used.
Designing a competency model: collecting and analyzing information
At this stage, it is important to pay attention to the work of units. Collect all examples of standard behavior that are successful. Based on the data collected, formulate examples of standards of behavior that will bring positive results in the future.
The sources of information are employees, managers, colleagues, clients, partners, mentors, coaches.
The following methods can be used to collect information:
- Analysis of the work of the unit
- Conducting focus groups
- Compilation of questionnaires, conducting surveys of department employees
- Design team brainstorming
- Working groups with employees and managers
Definition of levels of competency models
At this stage, it is necessary to draw up a matrix of priorities, what is important, what is not. To carry out this work, it is necessary to divide into several groups. Each group works on each item individually. Next, you need to get together and combine the result of the work.
It is important to remember that the model should contain a limited number of competencies and levels, the more there are, the more difficulties arise with implementation and application.
There is no exact recommendation on how many levels are optimal. In the competency models implemented at enterprises, there are both 3-stage and models that contain 7 stages. Most often, a 4-stage is used. Next, you need to determine the values for each level of development, prescribe the standard.
An example of building competence development levels.
As an example, we suggest considering the competence of a key account manager.
Competence: Service with the maximum consideration of the needs of the client.
Definition:Desire to help and serve the customer in a way that best meets their needs. This quality is expressed in the efforts that a person makes to understand exactly what the client expects and wants, and to provide him with high-level service, which will become the basis for long-term mutually beneficial cooperation. A client is any person or organization that provides services (this can be an internal client, colleagues at any level, customer partners, etc.).
- Level 1. The employee is personally responsible for the quality of service
- Responds to customer inquiries.
- Keeps the client updated on the progress of a project or task.
- Personally makes sure that the client receives what he asked for.
- Takes action to resolve any issue.
- Fully puts himself and his time at the disposal of the customer (for example, spend extra time and effort when the customer needs it)
- Level 2. Knows how to identify the true needs of the client, underlying everything else, and take the necessary actions.
Behavioral signs of this level.
- Strive to learn more about the business and customer needs.
- Matches already existing products or services (which can be tailored to the individual needs of the client) to the needs of the client, which are at the heart of everything.
- Anticipates what the client will need in the medium and long term.
- Spends a lot of time in communication with the client, trying to better understand his needs.
- Level 3. Acts from a position and in the interests of long-term mutual benefit.
Behavioral signs of this level.
- Able to earn the trust of the client, which will allow him to give advice or guide the client in his choice.
- Pay more attention to building long-term relationships for the future and future profits than to today's interests.
- Offers mutually beneficial actions to build long-term relationships with the client. Involves with the client in the decision-making process.
Formation of competency profiles for specific positions.
At this stage, the task is to check the compliance of competencies with roles. This must be done by the immediate supervisor of the department. If he understands everything, then the system can be implemented. If not, it needs to be finalized with the HR department. Below is a profile of competencies for the position of regional manager.
The formation of key competencies is becoming the main goal of education today, as it provides the student with the opportunity to improve his educational achievements and solves the issues of reducing the lack of communication in society.
The formation of students' competencies in the learning process is presented in documents on education: "Strategies for the content of general education." “Modernization concepts Russian education until 2010”. “The regional component of the SES during childhood, basic general and secondary (complete) general education Sverdlovsk region". The “Concept for the Modernization of Russian Education until 2010” prescribes the introduction of competence and a competency-based approach, “the formation of a new system of universal knowledge, abilities, skills, as well as the experience of independent activity and personal responsibility of students, i.e. modern key competencies.” “The regional component of the SES during childhood, basic general and secondary (complete) general education in the Sverdlovsk region” makes it possible to implement a competency-based approach in the educational process.
Since the components of any competence are: the possession of knowledge, the content of competence, the manifestation of competence in different situations, attitude to the content of competence and the object of its application, then communicative competence can be considered from the standpoint of three components: subject-informational, activity-communicative, personality-oriented, where all components constitute an integral system of personal properties of students. Therefore, communicative competence should be considered as a student's readiness to independently solve problems based on knowledge, skills, and personality traits.
An analysis of the state of teaching the Russian language, literature and rhetoric shows that the skills and abilities of oral and written speech are not sufficiently formed at school. Theoretical information about the Russian language, literature, rhetoric is not fully used for the formation of practical speech activity. This means that the problem of the relationship between knowledge of the language and practical knowledge of the language has not yet been resolved. The formation of communicative competence in the process of teaching the Russian language, literature, rhetoric is one of the ways to solve this problem. The formation of communicative competence is based on the activity approach, as it provides independent creative activity of each student. The approach is based on the position of P. Ya. Galperin that in the independent creative activity of each student one must go from external practical material actions to internal, theoretical, ideal actions. That is, training involves, at the first stage, joint educational and cognitive activity under the guidance of a teacher, and then - independent. We are talking about the “zone of proximal development”, which must be taken into account when forming communicative competence. This approach is not opposed to the traditional one, but it is not identical to it either, since it fixes and establishes the subordination of knowledge and skills, placing an emphasis on the practical side of the issue, expanding the content with personal components. In order for the formation of communicative competence to be effective, more successful, in order to create optimal conditions for the advancement of each student, it is necessary to know the learning capabilities of students of this age. For this purpose, the diagnostics of the educational activity of students of the 5th grade was carried out according to the method of the Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences I. N. Cheredov. A necessary condition for the effectiveness of diagnostic work was the creation of conditions that cause positive emotions. When determining the learning opportunities of students, two parameters were taken into account: learning ability and learning performance. One of the criteria for determining the level of training is grades in journals. The level of formed gi of intellectual skills is determined in the process of cognitive activity by observation. Having determined the levels of formation of these qualities, I establish the general level of learning for each student. I determine the level of educational performance by monitoring the physical performance of students, the formation of a positive attitude towards learning. Having determined the levels of formation of these qualities, I establish the learning capabilities of each. The high level of education was 33%, the average level was 67%. I determine the direction of work, selecting methods aimed at developing an intellectual-cognitive environment: a method for forming awareness of attention management when working with a verbal text (a system of semantic methods for working with texts L. Belkovets, a method for memorizing material in a given sequence by K. K. Maltseva for compiling supports , a system of exercises developing the mechanisms of speech.
Communicative competence is defined as the student's creative ability to use the inventory of language tools, which consists of knowledge and readiness for their adequate use. Communicative competencies are monitored in the lessons of the Russian language, literature, rhetoric in the 6th grade. (Educational program “School-2100”). The authors of the School-2100 program offer a problem-based learning technology that allows you to replace the lesson of explaining new material with a lesson of discovering knowledge: students themselves formulate the objectives of the lesson, define the problem, and together we look for ways to solve the problem. A special approach to the development of coherent oral and written speech in this program is that the authors proceed from the fact that it is impossible to “develop speech in general”, but should focus in each class on certain varieties of oral and written speech. They believe that in the 6th grade on the topic “Speech Development” it is necessary to know: the concept of the text and its structure; (1) the concept of style, types of styles and their features; ways and means of communication of sentences in the text; definition of a paragraph and knowledge of its functions; the concept of the stylistic coloring of the word and its text-forming function; definition of dialogue and monologue; ways of transmitting someone else's speech; definition of direct and indirect speech; features of the structure of business narrative. (9)
Know1. Have productive skills various kinds oral and written speech
a) oral scientific and educational speech:
determine the scientific style of speech;
highlight key words in the text;
put questions to the text;
plan the text;
compose an oral detailed answer and retell the text;
make a speech on a linguistic topic.
b) written scientific and educational speech:
write a summary of a scientific and educational text;
write an essay-narrative on a linguistic topic;
c) oral colloquial speech:
answer textbook questions
to have a dialog;
own etiquette means of the language;
describe the speech situation on the basis of text, drawing;
determine their communicative successes (failures);
to form explicitly (aloud), implicitly (to oneself) a communicative intention;
navigate the situation of communication, taking into account the addressee;
analyze, evaluate;
justify your answer;
d) written colloquial speech with elements of fiction:
create your own texts;
edit text;
retell the text
d) oral artistic speech:
determine the artistic style of speech;
distinguish between broad and narrow topics;
perform tasks for free dictations, for presentations;
retell the text;
compose an oral story using key words and phrases.
e) written artistic speech:
write free dictations;
write a detailed teaching summary;
write an essay - a description of different genres;
write annotations and reviews;
find and eliminate repetitions - shortcomings;
use in writing the features of parts of speech, syntactic constructions.
2. Develop types of speech activity: work with tasks for the text; move from one type of reading to another.
3. Develop the grammatical structure of speech:
be able to put words in the right form;
be able to construct phrases and sentences;
4. Enrich the vocabulary of words:
observe the lexical meaning of words;
use words with a new lexical meaning in speech;
The purpose of the development of communicative competence: obtaining quantitative and qualitative information about the formation of this competence of students. The main objectives of the formation of communicative competence are: the formation of functional literacy of students, the formation of productive skills and abilities in various types of oral and written speech, the formation of "general linguistic competence" among students, which is necessary for the successful mastery of other subjects. The main principle of the formation of communicative competence is the personal targeting of education. Therefore, the topic “Speech Development” is realized primarily in the ability to introduce students to the content of this topic in various ways, depending on the personality-psychological and physiological characteristics sixth graders. The ways of implementing the communicative competence of students are that the forms, methods and techniques of work are aimed at ensuring that the content of the educational material is a source for an independent search for a solution to the problem. An exploratory approach to the themes of literary works helps to consider the life of a literary hero as an educational study. A discussion based on the results of essays provides an opportunity to express their point of view, listen to others, argue. Scientists believe that at the age of 10-11, the peak of a child's interest in the world around him begins. And if the interest of the child is not satisfied, it will fade away. This interest is also supported by traditional reader conferences, where students introduce classmates to the most interesting books they have read, reviews of which are recorded in reader diaries. In the lessons of rhetoric, students really like role-playing games where they learn the culture of communication. The formation of communicative competence involves a procedural-productive approach, since the effectiveness of work can only be judged by the result. Any result requires evaluation. For evaluation, I use tables No. 1-4.
Table No. 1 Evaluation of the manifestation of communicative competence
Information and subject
Full name of the student Knows the source of information Knows how to transform information Knows the styles of presenting information Knows the content of the section Total number of manifestations
% Level of development
The fact of a single manifestation is fixed by the “+” sign. The total number of communicative manifestations is determined in%. Then the level of manifestation of communicative competence is determined. Up to 50% - low, 50-70% - medium, 70-100% - high.
Table No. 2 Assessment of the formation of communicative competence (activity-communicative)
Full name of the student Skills Type of speech activity (complex of operations) Manifestation of types of communicative actions Zone of proximal development % of implementation Implementation level
Actions of all with the help of the teacher himself
1 1. Possess productive skills of various types of oral and written speech - to make an oral presentation on a linguistic topic;
– write summaries
– write essays
– to have a dialog
The fact of a single action is fixed by the “+” sign. The overall result is translated into % and the level of communicative competence of each student is determined. 50% - low, 50-70% - medium, 70-100% - high.
Table No. 3 Manifestation of communicative competence
value orientation
Full name of the student Responsibility (as the ability to make one's statement understandable) Communication culture The ability to show personal citizenship in communication The ability to accept universal human values The ability to think critically Evaluation
% level
The fact of a single manifestation of the type of communicative action by students is fixed by the + sign. The overall result is calculated, translated into %, the level of formation of the value-oriented component of each student is determined. 50% is low, 50–70% is medium, 70–l00 is high.
Individual assessment indicators for each table: table No. 1, table No. 2, table No. 3 are entered in the summary table No. 4, which helps to determine the level of formation of communicative competence in each student in two components: subject-information, activity-communicative.
The final result (the level of formation of communicative competence) is found by adding the two indicators noted in the table in percentage for each component: subject-information and activity-communicative, divided by the number of components (there are two of them). We get the result as a percentage. Then, on a special scale, where 50% indicates a low level of formation, 50–70% is average, 70–100% is high, we evaluate the level of formation of the communicative competence of each student as a percentage. The value-oriented component is not included in Table 4, since it is impossible to evaluate it only quantitatively. The level of evaluation of the value-oriented component is of particular difficulty. Therefore, in the assessment of this component, the results of self-diagnosis of students, questioning of students, and observations of teachers are used. And as a result of the expert opinion of teachers working in this class, conclusions are drawn on the presence or absence of the necessary personality traits, which are constantly corrected in further work.
Table No. 4 Levels of formation of the communicative competence of studentsF. I. student Subject-informational Activity-communicative Level of formation
Determining the level of formation of communicative competence helps to more objectively approach the result of students' learning on this topic.
Diagnostic methods
1. Poll.
2. Self-diagnosis.
3. Testing.
4. Questioning.
Self-diagnosis sheet (activity-communicative)
Reflecting on your speech participation in the lesson on this subject, you understand that something is easy for you, and something is difficult. You can talk about your difficulties. Opposite the sentences, put the numbers with a “+” sign, depending on how much you think this skill is manifested or not manifested.
Answer honestly and frankly. Remember: everyone can have difficulties. Having identified difficulties, it is easier to overcome them. Communication skills Rather difficult Rather easy
Do it to me. . .
1. Make an oral presentation on a linguistic topic
2. Plan the text
3. Retell the text
4. Answer the question
5. Write a summary
6. Write an essay
7. Have a dialogue
8. I know the etiquette of the language
9. Identify your successes (failures)
10. Analyze and evaluate the response
11. Write a review
12. Use new words in speech
Self-diagnosis sheet
(value-oriented) Communicative values “yes” “no” “I don’t know”
1. I am aware of my responsibility that any of my statements should be clear
2. I own a culture of communication
3. I can feel a sense of pride in the success of my classmates.
4. I can admit my mistake
5. I can prove my point
6. Draw conclusions.
As a result of the self-diagnosis, a conclusion is made by the students, and then by the teacher, about the presence or formation of certain knowledge, skills, personality traits.
Self-diagnosis sheet
(subject-informational) Communicative values “I don’t know” “I know, but not firmly” “I know well”
1. Definition of text, text structure
2. Styles of speech and their features
3. Ways and means of communication of sentences in the text
4. Definition of dialogue and monologue
5. Ways of transmitting someone else's speech
6. Definition of direct and indirect speech
Questionnaire (subject-information)
1. I am aware of the lack of information on the subject.
2. I apply the method proposed by the teacher to obtain information from the specified source.
3. I understand the information received.
4. Understand the conclusions on a particular issue.
5. I am aware of what information on the issue I have, what I do not.
6. I use the method proposed by the teacher to obtain information from several sources.
7. I can give arguments.
8. I use the received information in my work.
9. I am aware of my problems in communication.
10. I follow the methods of information transformation.
11. I choose information sources that correspond to the purpose of my work.
Questionnaire (activity-communicative)
1. I understand the problems, goals and objectives.
2. I have a general idea of the results of my activities.
3. I speak about the result.
4. I formulate the goal and objectives (by myself, with the help of a textbook).
5. I plan my activities.
6. I can evaluate the process of activity and the result.
7. I analyze my activities.
8. I work with questions for clarification.
9. I know how to work in a group.
10. I know how to establish contact with the audience.
11. I follow the rules of presentation of the text.
So, the work on the formation of communicative competence was preceded by the study of the capabilities of students. Based on the results of the diagnostics, appropriate methods were selected that helped to form key competencies, where communicative is the main one. For an objective assessment of the formation of this competence, we used the results of the summary table No. 4, self-diagnosis of students, the results of a survey of students, the results of observations and expert opinions of teachers working in this class. Since values are not diagnosed, the results of the expert opinion of the value-oriented component must be constantly corrected in further work.
The formation of communicative competence in the process of teaching subjects equips students with language tools that will help the student to be successful and realize himself in any creative activity.
State institution "Svobodnenskaya secondary school"
(Speech at a meeting of the methodological association)
Head of the Ministry of Defense M. Tokhasheva
2013-2014 academic year
FORMATION OF STUDENTS' KEY COMPETENCES
One of the main tasks modern education is to achieve a new, modern quality of education. The new quality of education is understood as an orientation towards the development of the child's personality, his cognitive and creative abilities. The general education school should form a new system of universal knowledge, abilities, skills, as well as the experience of independent activity and personal responsibility of students, that is, modern key competencies.
The composition of key competencies should include generalized, universal competencies, the mastery of which is necessary for a graduate for further education, own development life self-realization, regardless of the level of his education, development and the profession he chooses. In other words, the list of competencies, one way or another, reproduces a certain list of the main types of human activity.
What theoretical principles should be guided by when forming key competencies in the process of education. It should be noted that, seeing the shortcomings of the current content of education, teachers themselves are trying to improve it, without waiting for regulatory documents.
Studies have shown that building the content of education only on the basis of a competency-based approach is inappropriate. At the same time, the superstructure over the current content of education in the form of content that determines the formation of competencies leads to an overload of the already overloaded content of education. The way out is seen in the emphasis on the methods of activity and the creation of conditions for the emergence of students' experience of activity.
First, at the level of the pre-subject content of education, key competencies are formed and their content content is determined. Secondly, educational situations are constructed, the experience of action in which contributes to the formation of key competencies.
Given the above, it is possible to formulate didactic guidelines for the selection of pre-subject content of education (of a general theoretical nature) from the standpoint of a competency-based approach:
The idea of a core competency as the ability to solve life problems important issues in specific situations.
A set of key competencies and their content.
The structure of key competencies, the central link of which is the experience of activity based on the acquired knowledge and skills of the individual.
Studies have shown that it is advisable to single out as key competenciesgeneral cultural, social - labor, communicative, personal self-determination.
General cultural competence - this is the ability of a person to navigate in the space of culture, it includes a knowledge component: an idea of the scientific picture of the world, knowledge of the main scientific achievements, an idea of artistic values.
The content of general cultural competence includes generalized methods of activity that allow the individual to appropriate cultural patterns and create new ones. The idea of these modes of action is formed within the competence-based approach. In general cultural competence, one can single out cognitive-informational competence, which includes the following methods of cognitive activity: intellectual skills (analysis, synthesis, comparison, classification, systematization, vision of patterns), skills of searching, processing, using and creating information, as well as observation, experiment, definition concepts, hypotheses, etc.
The experience of cognitive and informational activity is formed in conditions of a high degree of independence of students in the learning process.
Social and labor competence - the ability of the individual to interact with social institutions, perform social functions, navigate the labor market. Social and labor competence implies knowledge about society (its functions, values, development), social institutions(their functions, interaction with a person and with each other), the labor market (its current needs, development prospects, requirements for a professional in a particular industry).
The activities can be distinguished as follows:
the ability to perform social functions that belong to a certain social role:
ability to solve problems in the labor market.
The experience of students in the area of responsibility of social and labor competence is formed in business, role-playing and simulation games, social practices and projects.
Communicative competence - in the activity approach, communication is considered as a joint activity of communication participants, during which a common (up to a certain limit) view of things and actions with it are developed.
Communication is an integral part of the communication process, which is the interaction of two or more people, including the exchange of information (i.e. communication) and mutual perception, understanding of students. Communicative competence is associated with informational competence, covering the receipt, use, transfer of information in the process of interaction.
The main focus should be on the methods of activity, which include:
1. ways to share information
monologue skills - perceive monologue speech, determine the main thing, make a monologue statement, analyze the perceived information, treat it critically;
dialogic skills - start communication, perceive information in the course of interaction, ask questions, analyze information in the course of interaction, ask questions, analyze information, clarify details, express your opinion;
2. ways of organizing joint activities -
goal setting, choice of methods of action, etc., supplemented by the ability to distribute responsibilities, be able to lead and obey, participate in the discussion of the problem, and summarize.
The experience of such activity is acquired in situations of perception and implementation of a monologue statement, participation in dialogues, discussions, joint solution of various problems: practical, philosophical, ethical, aesthetic, etc.
Ways of activity:
1) self-knowledge skills (self-observation, reflection, self-assessment);
2) the ability to make an appropriate choice (identify possible alternatives, analyze the positive and negative aspects of each, predict the consequences, both for oneself and for others, make a choice and justify it, recognize and correct mistakes).
Since the key competence is considered as the ability of an individual to solve vital problems in specific situations, the ability to identify a problem, formulate it, analyze the available information and determine the missing, etc., arising from the stages of problem solving, should be present in each competence. Such skills are called organizational, their essence is the ability to organize one's activities to solve emerging problems.
Communicative competence is formed in the aspect of subject competences related to the teaching of monologue and dialogic speech.
In the formation of key competencies, a combination of classroom and extracurricular activities is necessary, since these competencies are formed throughout the student's life space, which is wider than school.
Various methods and approaches contribute to the formation of key competencies.
For example, how can a chemistry lesson be built in terms of the integration of subject-oriented and competence-based approaches. So, when studying the topic “Electrolytic dissociation” in the 8th grade chemistry course, during the actualization, the knowledge that students already have from the physics course is established: usually children already know what electric current is, sources of electric current, the effects of electric current, etc. . The next moment in the actualization block is to clarify the expectations of students, the definition of cognitive and practical problems that they would like to solve. These may be problems associated with the operation of a particular device for experiments in chemistry with an electric current, questions in which keyword: “Why?” The next moment is to conduct elementary experiments proving the electrical conductivity or non-electrical conductivity of certain substances and solutions.
The workshop provides an opportunity to pay significant attention to the formation of key competencies. In this block, practical problems are solved with students, including those reflecting real life situations in which there is always an element of uncertainty.
The method of projects significantly contributes to the formation of key competencies.
Value-semantic competencies - these are competencies associated with the student's value orientations, his ability to see and understand the world around him, navigate in it, realize his role and purpose, be able to choose target and semantic settings for his actions and deeds, make decisions. These competencies provide a mechanism for student self-determination in situations of educational and other activities. The individual educational trajectory of the student and the program of his life as a whole depend on them.
Educational and cognitive competencies - this is a set of student competencies in the field of independent cognitive activity, including elements of logical, methodological, general educational activities. This includes ways to organize goal setting, planning, analysis, reflection, self-assessment. In relation to the objects being studied, the student masters creative skills: obtaining knowledge directly from the surrounding reality, mastering the techniques of educational and cognitive problems, actions in non-standard situations. Within the framework of these competencies, the requirements of functional literacy are determined: the ability to distinguish facts from conjectures, possession of measurement skills, the use of probable, statistical and other methods of cognition.
Information competencies - these are skills of activity in relation to information in educational subjects and educational areas, as well as in the surrounding world. Possession of modern media (TV, DVD, telephone, fax, computer, printer, modem, copier, etc.) and information technology(audio-video recording, Email, media, Internet). Search, analysis and selection of the necessary information, its transformation, storage and transmission.
In each academic subject (educational area), it is necessary to determine the necessary and sufficient number of interconnected real objects of study, which form the knowledge, skills, abilities and methods of activity that make up the content of certain competencies. The society of the future is a society with a demanded education, so the most important task today is to develop the required level of competencies achieved by students, as well as an appropriate measurement tool, ways that will make it possible to maintain equal rights to a decent education that allows individual achievements in the form of key competencies.
The emergence of competencies is the patterns of development of the history of education, which itself is marked by changes in educational activities. The sharp change in many professional tasks, in particular as a result of the introduction of new technologies, requires new actions and qualifications, the general educational basis of which must be laid in school.
An important issue in the formation of competencies is its knowledge content. Competences cannot be reduced only to actual knowledge or to activity skills. There are people who have extensive knowledge, but at the same time do not know how to apply it at all. The question arises, what should be the minimum that all young people should know by the end of school, what elements of history, art, literature, science and technology should be included in education in order to provide an understanding of the current situation, the realities of life and the ability to adequate activities that are in demand today . Knowledge cannot remain academic, and this issue is resolved through the development of key competencies.
Let us dwell in more detail on the concept of core competencies. What can be called core competencies? In a metaphorical sense, this concept can be represented as a tool with which you can carry out various actions, be prepared for new situations. Thus, the more actions you can perform using this tool, the better it is.
It should be noted that educational self-organization and self-education should be classified as the most significant key competencies. One of the goals of education is to create educational conditions for students to master key competencies.
Using European and Russian experience, there are two different levels of core competencies. The first level deals with education and the future of learners and can be called “core competencies for all learners”. The second, narrower, level refers to the development of personality traits, which is necessary for a new Russian society. The proposed system contains samples of competencies compiled on the basis of various domestic and foreign educational documents.
Educational competencies:
Organize the learning process and choose your own educational trajectory.
Solve educational and self-educational problems.
Link together and use separate pieces of knowledge.
Benefit from educational experience.
Take responsibility for the education you receive.
Research competencies:
Receiving and processing information.
Access to various data sources and their use.
Organization of consultations with an expert.
Presentation and discussion of different types of materials in a variety of audiences.
The use of documents and their systematization in independently organized activities.
Socio-personal competencies:
To critically consider one or another aspect of the development of our society.
See connections between present and past events.
Recognize the importance of the political and economic contexts of educational and professional situations.
Assess social patterns related to health, consumption and the environment.
Understand works of art and literature.
Engage in discussion and form your own opinion.
Deal with uncertainty and complexity.
Communication competencies:
Listen and consider other people's views.
Discuss and defend your point of view.
Perform in public.
Express yourself in a literary work.
Cooperation:
To make decisions.
Establish and maintain contacts.
Handle diversity of opinion and conflict.
Negotiate.
Collaborate and work in a team.
Organizational activity:
Organize your work.
Take responsibility.
Master the modeling tool.
Be included in and contribute to a group or community.
Get involved in the project.
Personally - adaptive competencies:
Use new information and communication technologies.
Come up with new solutions.
Be flexible in the face of rapid change.
Be persistent and resilient in the face of adversity.
Be prepared for self-education and self-organization.
It is possible to identify key competencies without relating them to the interests of those who should acquire them. Earlier, speaking of competencies, it was noted that all students need to master them. But it is well known that educational institutions have various types and types are organized in various directions. In this regard, it is important to determine how far it is possible to go in the definition general approach to education and meaningful competencies. Key competencies, by definition, should be considered as belonging to the general selection of qualities necessary for a person, as well as an integral part of the general core of education.
Currently, criteria are being developed that determine the content of key competencies. They are based on the strategy of reorienting education towards the development of the student's personality.
modern society requires a person open to communication, capable of intercultural interaction and cooperation. Therefore, one of the leading tasks of pedagogical activity is the formation of communicative competence at all levels of the educational process at school.
The competence-based approach involves the combination of the educational process and its comprehension into a single whole, during which the formation of the student's personal position, his attitude to the subject of his activity takes place. The main idea of this approach is that the main result of education is not individual knowledge, skills and abilities, but the ability and readiness of a person for effective and productive activity in various socially significant situations. In this regard, within the framework of the competence-based approach, it is logical to analyze not a simple “increase in the volume” of knowledge, but the acquisition of versatile experience. In the competence approach, one of the first places is taken by personal qualities enabling a person to be successful in society. From this point of view, the advantages of active, as well as group and collective teaching methods are:
development of positive self-esteem, tolerance and empathy, understanding of other people and their needs;
priority attention to the development of skills of cooperation, not competition;
providing an opportunity for group members and their teachers to recognize and appreciate the skills of others, thereby gaining confirmation of self-esteem;
development of listening and communication skills;
encouraging innovation and creativity.
Let us dwell separately on the formation of key competencies through collective forms of learning.
KEY COMPETENCES
Competence
Sphere of manifestation of competence
Activities within the competence
The subjects where this competence is the leading
social
sphere public relations(politics, labor, religion, interethnic relations, ecology, health)
the ability to take responsibility to participate in joint decision-making
physical Culture
story
social science
technology
economy
economical geography
ecology
self-building
sphere of social and cultural
determination of the main life goals and ways to achieve them. Active adaptation to the socio-cultural environment to achieve the main life goals
story
social science
economy
health-saving
sphere healthy lifestyle life
the formation of the main installations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A clear idea of the plan for the preservation and development of their own health and the health of others
all things
PDO
communicative
sphere of communication
mastery of oral and written communication
all things
PDO
Classroom hour
informational
sphere of information
knowledge of new technologies, the ability to evaluate information
all things
PDO
educational and cognitive
sphere of science, art
the ability to learn throughout life, possession of knowledge, skills and abilities
physics
chemistry
geography
maths
art
Competence of professional self-determination
career guidance and pre-professional education
determination of own interests in professional activity. Valuable attitude to work and its results. Ability to design your own life program, readiness for its implementation
All things
PDO
Classroom hour
With these competencies, students will be able to freely and independently choose the goals and means of various activities, manage their activities, while improving and developing their abilities for its implementation.
The introduction of the competency-based approach should be carried out in a differentiated way, taking into account the specifics of individual subjects.
The competence-based approach, which is gaining momentum in the modern school, is a reflection of the perceived need of society to train people who are not only knowledgeable, but also able to apply their knowledge.
Literature:
1. Barannikov A.V. The content of general education. Competence approach - M., HSE - 2002
2. Bodalev A.A. Personality and Communication Fav. tr. - M., Pedagogy, 1983
3. Khutorskoy A.V. Key competencies. Design technology - M., Pedagogy, 2003, No. 5
4. Competence-based approach in teacher education. Ed. V.A. Kozyreva, N.F. Radionova - S Pb, 2004
5. Lyceum education: experience, problems, prospects. Ed. ABOUT. Repinoy - M., 2007
6. New requirements for the content and methods of teaching in the Russian school in the context of the results of the international study PISA - 2000 - M., 2005
>>>
SCIENTIFIC ASPECT No. 1 - 2013 - Samara: Publishing house of Aspect LLC, 2012. - 228p. Signed for publication on 10.04.2013. Xerox paper. The print is operational. Format 120x168 1/8. Volume 22.5 p.l.
SCIENTIFIC ASPECT No. 4 - 2012 - Samara: Publishing House of LLC "Aspect", 2012. - V.1-2. – 304 p. Signed for publication on 10.01.2013. Xerox paper. The print is operational. Format 120x168 1/8. Volume 38p.l.
>>>
UDC 373.5.05.324
Formation of key competencies in education
Argunova Pelageya Grigorievna– post-graduate student of the Department of General Pedagogy of the North-Eastern Federal University. M.K. Ammosov. (NEFU, Yakutsk)
Annotation: The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of a wide range scientific approaches to understanding the essence and structure of competence/competence, classifications of key competencies are presented, their main components are characterized.
Keywords: Competence, competence, basic competencies, groups of competencies.
Most researchers studying the nature of competence pay attention to its multifaceted, diverse and systemic nature. The problem of selecting key (basic, universal) competencies is one of the central ones for updating the content of education. There is a wide variety of opinions about the list of key competencies, while in the scientific and methodological literature both the European system of key competencies and Russian classifications are used. The glossary of the Federal State Educational Standard distinguishes between the concepts of "competence" and "competence". So, competence is understood as “a set of certain knowledge, skills and abilities in which a person must be aware and have practical experience work ", and under competence -" the ability to actively use the acquired personal and professional knowledge and skills in practical or scientific activities ". The interpretation of the concept of "communicative competence" is also ambiguous. According to the GEF glossary, communicative competence sounds like this: “The ability to set and solve certain types of communicative tasks: determine the goals of communication, assess the situation, take into account the intentions and methods of communication of the partner (partners), choose adequate communication strategies, be ready for a meaningful change in one’s own speech behavior. AT communicative competence, respectively, includes the ability to establish and maintain the necessary contacts with other people, satisfactory possession of certain norms of communication, behavior, which, in turn, involves the assimilation of ethnic and socio-psychological standards, standards, stereotypes of behavior, mastery of the "technique" of communication (rules courtesy and other norms of behavior).
The question remains regarding the allocation of key competencies. It can be noted that it is difficult to talk about a single semantic space for the concept of “key competencies”: even they are called differently in different sources - key, basic, universal, transdisciplinary, metaprofessional, systematic, etc. And also the identification of key competencies reveals both laxity and blurring of the division in these competencies (and competencies). So, for example, G.K. Selevko singles out "mathematical, communicative, informational, autonomization, social, productive, moral" competencies. The looseness (overlapping of classes) here is that productivity can be considered as a general property of any activity, for example, the activity of solving mathematical problems or the activity of communication. Information competence intersects with all others, etc. Those. these competencies (competences) cannot be singled out as separate ones.
In selected Khutorsky A.V. competencies, intersecting meanings can also be noted - “value-semantic, general cultural, educational and cognitive, informational, communicative, social and labor, personal competence or competence of personal improvement.
It is known that the number of core competencies for different authors varies from 3 to 140. In 1996, at the symposium "Key competencies for Europe", held in Bern, their approximate list was presented. It included:
1) political and social competencies;
2) intercultural competencies that allow harmonious coexistence with people of a different culture, religion;
3) competencies related to oral and written communication; information competence;
4) competencies that determine the ability to learn throughout life.
In the same year, Jacques Delors in his report "Education: a hidden treasure" identified four global competencies: "learn to know, learn to do, learn to live together, learn to live" .
Key competencies are also highlighted by domestic teachers, for example, A.V. Khutorskoy notes seven groups of key competencies: value-semantic, general cultural, educational and cognitive, informational, communicative, social and labor, personal self-improvement. Moreover, each group contains elements of independent learning activities. G.K. Selevko classifies competencies by type of activity, by branches of science, by components of the psychological sphere, as well as by spheres of social life, production, in the field of abilities and by levels of social maturity and status.
The most complex classification proposed by I.A. Winter is based on activity category. The author identifies three groups of competencies:
1) competencies related to the person himself as a person, the subject of activity, communication;
2) competencies related to the social interaction of a person and the social environment;
3) competencies related to human activity.
Each group has several types of competencies. The first group includes competencies: health saving; value-semantic orientation in the World; integration; citizenship; self-improvement, self-regulation, self-development, personal and subject reflection; meaning of life; professional development; language and speech development; mastery of the culture of the native language, knowledge of a foreign language. The second group contains competencies: social interaction; communication. The third group includes competencies: activities; cognitive activity; information technologies.
If we analyze the examples of key competencies and key competencies given by the authors, then it is difficult to notice visible fundamental differences. So, "information and communication competencies" are very close in meaning to the so-called "communicative competence".
Therefore, defining our position, we, following I.A. Zimnyaya, we consider competence and competencies as mutually subordinate components of the subject's activity. We believe that competence is considered as potential activity, readiness and desire for a certain type of activity. Competence - an integral quality of a person - is a competence successfully implemented in activity. The components of competence/competence in any area of life, in our opinion, can be represented as follows:
Cognitive component (knowledge);
Motivational component;
Axiological component (orientation, value relations of the individual); practical component (skills, skills, experience); capabilities;
Emotional-volitional component (self-regulation). In this case, competence acts as the potential of competence, which can be realized in a certain field of activity, should become effective with the help of mechanisms of self-organization, self-regulation.
The specific structure of the competence of a specialist with higher education, in our opinion, includes professional competence (willingness, desire to work in a certain professional field of activity) and socio-psychological competence (desire and readiness to live in harmony with oneself and others, harmony of self and society).
In turn, each of these competencies can be divided into general (basic, key) competencies, common to all graduates of all universities and special, important for a given specialty. Thus, in the structure of the competence of a university graduate, four blocks of competencies/competences are clearly distinguished: general professional competence, special professional competence, general socio-psychological competence, special socio-psychological competence.
General professional competence (GPC) is defined as general professional knowledge, skills, abilities, as well as the willingness to update them in the field of a certain group of professions. We believe that the structure of the defense industry includes the competence of a graduate in the field of research, design, construction, administrative, management, production, and teaching activities.
Special professional competence - the degree and type of professional training of a graduate, the presence of professional competencies (i.e. readiness and aspiration) necessary for the performance of a certain professional activity. Their content (the content of their instrumental basis) is determined by the state qualification characteristics.
General socio-psychological competence - the willingness and desire to effectively interact with others, to understand oneself and others with a constant modification of mental states, interpersonal relationships and conditions of the social environment. As part of the socio-psychological block, social competencies (tolerance, responsibility, ability to work in a team, etc.), personal (readiness and desire for self-development, self-improvement, self-education, reflection, creativity, etc.), information (ownership of new technologies, their critical use, knowledge foreign languages etc.), environmental (environmental responsibility based on knowledge of the general laws of the development of society and nature), valeological (willingness and desire to lead a healthy lifestyle), etc.
Special socio-psychological competence is the readiness and ability to mobilize professionally important qualities that ensure the productivity of a specialist's direct work activity. We believe that the classification of professions can be used to describe the socio-psychological competence of a graduate of a particular specialty.
It should be noted that in the countries of the European Union a special place is given to the concepts of "key competencies" and "key qualifications". They represent the main criteria for the quality of education in countries. Based on the analysis of the literature, we came to the conclusion that in foreign studies these categories are often used as synonyms for the concepts of "basic skills" or "key skills" and are defined as "personal and interpersonal qualities, abilities, skills and knowledge that are expressed in various forms in a variety of work situations and social life". These key qualifications (basic skills) include:
Core skills (literacy, numeracy), life skills (self-management, professional and social development skills), key skills (communications), social and civic skills, entrepreneurial skills, managerial skills, ability to analyze and plan;
Psychomotor skills, general labor qualities, cognitive abilities, individually oriented abilities, social abilities;
Socio-professional, sensorimotor and personal qualifications, polyvalent professional competence, professional cognitive abilities, etc.
Comparing their content with “core competencies”, which are given special importance in vocational education European Community, we can note a lot in common:
Social competence (the ability to take responsibility, jointly develop a solution and participate in its implementation, tolerance for different ethnic cultures and religions, manifestation of the conjugation of personal interests with the needs of the enterprise and society);
Cognitive (personal) competence (willingness to constantly improve the educational level, the need to update and realize one's personal potential, the ability to independently acquire new knowledge and skills, the ability to self-develop); competence in the field of independent cognitive activity;
Communicative competence (possession of oral and written communication technologies in different languages, including computer programming);
Socio-informational competence (knowledge of information technologies and a critical attitude to social information disseminated by the media);
Intercultural competencies;
Special competence (preparedness for independent performance of professional actions, evaluation of the results of one's work).
E.F. Zeer and his followers call core competencies:
"intercultural and intersectoral knowledge, skills, abilities necessary for adaptation and productive activity in various professional communities";
a complex of universal (integral) knowledge that “include general scientific and general professional categories, principles and patterns of the functioning of science, technology, society” ... that “determine the implementation of special competencies and specific competencies”.
The same key competencies ensure the productivity of various activities. Key professional competencies determine the social and professional mobility of specialists, allow them to successfully adapt in different social and professional communities. In their study, the authors, referring to S.E. Shishov, give the following definition: key competencies are “the general (universal) ability of a person to mobilize acquired knowledge and skills in the course of professional activity, as well as to use generalized methods for performing actions”.
To (basic) competencies they include general scientific, socio-economic, civil law, information and communication, polytechnic and special general professional knowledge.
But the “qualification”, according to E.F. Zeer and G.M. Romantsev, it is "a set of social and professional qualification requirements imposed on the social and professional abilities of a person.
Another researcher of this issue, L.G. Semushina writes that "qualification characterizes the degree of mastery of a given profession or specialty by an employee ... (qualification can be low, medium and high)". E.F. Zeer clarifies and relates this definition to the concept of "professional qualifications" - "... the degree and type of professional training of an employee, his knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform a certain job." Thus, qualifications, just like competencies, can be key and professional (special), and special qualifications are most often called simply “qualifications”.
Key qualifications” in the domestic scientific literature called:
Extrafunctional knowledge, skills, qualities and properties of an individual that go beyond professional training ...;
General professional knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as the abilities and qualities of the individual necessary to perform work in the field of a certain group of professions ...;
Intercultural and intersectoral knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for adaptation and productive activity in various professional communities.
The structural elements of key qualifications include the professional orientation of the individual, professional competence, professionally important qualities, professionally significant psychophysiological properties. E.F. Zeer and E. Symanyuk call “metaprofessional qualities” as part of key qualifications - “abilities, personality traits that determine the productivity of a wide range of social and professional activities of a specialist, for example, such qualities as “... organization, independence, responsibility, reliability, ability planning, problem solving, etc. And the very concept of “key qualifications” is defined by the authors as “metaprofessional constructs of a wide range of use, which include basic competencies and metaprofessional qualities.
In our study, we made an attempt to compare these categories with the identified clusters of competencies/competences (competence in our study represents potential competence, readiness and desire for activity) by types: general - special; professional - socio-psychological.
The concept of “key competencies” has the broadest meaning here. It incorporates general competencies (“key qualifications”) – competencies that are equally necessary for any specialist with a higher education. They are divided into proper professional and socio-psychological (personal). Such a system of concepts is built into the presented model of the competence of a university graduate, becomes convenient for use, and this, in turn, allows you to determine a system of factors, principles, conditions for the formation of the competence of a future specialist in the course of the educational process.
In a theoretical analysis of the definitions presented in the literature, one cannot but pay attention to the fact that, despite such a variety, one of the most important characteristics of the elements of competence and competencies, it is the activity and effectiveness of existing knowledge and experience that is emphasized, the presence of potential instrumental framework) and implemented structure (internal and external activities) in competence.
It should also be noted the differentiation of competencies by areas of activity in the "Strategy for the modernization of the content of general education" (6):
Competence in the field of independent cognitive activity, based on the assimilation of ways to acquire knowledge from various sources of information, including extracurricular ones;
Competence in the field of civil and social activities, (performing the roles of a citizen, voter, consumer);
Competence in the field of social and labor activity (including the ability to analyze the situation on the labor market, assess one's own professional capabilities, navigate the norms and ethics of relationships, self-organization skills);
Competence in the domestic sphere (including aspects of one's own health, family life, etc.);
Competence in the field of cultural and leisure activities (including the choice of ways and means of using free time, culturally and spiritually enriching the individual.
Thus, considering the many approaches and opinions to the definition of "key competencies", it can be noted that in the totality of their meanings lies the idea of a humanistic type of personality, which should become a conductor of the values and beliefs mastered by it in the modern educational environment.
Bibliography
1. Bermus A.G. Problems and prospects for the implementation of the competency-based approach in education // Internet magazine "Eidos" [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: http://www.eidos.ru/journal/2005/0910-12.htm.
2. Zeer E.F. Identification of universal competencies of graduates by the employer / E.F. Zeer // Higher education in Russia. - 2007. - No. 11. - P. 39-46.
3. Zeer E.F. Psychology of professions: Textbook for university students / E.F. Zeer. - Yekaterinburg: UGPU, 1997. - 244 p.
4. Zimnyaya I.A. Key competencies - new paradigm the result of education / I.A. Winter // Higher education today. - 2003. - No. 5. - S. 34-42.
5. Selevko G.K. – Competences and their classification // National education. - 2004. - No. 4. - S. 136-144.
6. Strategy for modernization of the content of general education. - M., 2001.
7. Khutorskoy A.V. Key competencies as a component of the personality-oriented paradigm of education. Narodnoe obrazovanie. - 2003. - No. 2. - P. 58–64; No. 5 - S. 55-61.
8. Delors J. Education: a hidden treasure. UNESCO, 1996.
9. European Zone higher education. Joint statement of European Ministers of Education. - Bologna (Italy), 1999. www.bologna.spbu.ru/documents/bol.doc.
Training and Development Goals
- Factors that affect learning and development
- The contribution of competencies to learning and development
- Conclusions
In this chapter, we consider training as a method of personnel development. We present "training" as an "immersive" activity that focuses on learning and practice and is carried out using specific techniques. We define "development" broadly - as a process of learning, deepening knowledge and transferring learning outcomes to activity skills.
This can be illustrated with the following example:
"Training" and "Development"
Joe decides he needs to learn how to drive. He takes lessons from a driving instructor. In addition, he goes out with his mother, an experienced driver, to practice driving between lessons with an instructor. Joe passes his driving test on the first try. Driving lessons and driving practice is "training". Joe learns and practices driving techniques. The fact that Joe passed the test does not mean that he is already a skilled driver. In reality, this only means that he is able to demonstrate the knowledge and practical application of safe driving techniques.
AT subsequent years Joe "developed" his driving skills and abilities. He achieved this by applying the technique he had been taught to various conditions and situations. Joe learned by doing, so he became an experienced driver.
Training and Development Goals
There are many reasons for the effectiveness of training and development, which seem to be important for two parties - for the organization and for the employee. These reasons include:
mi factors of constant working capacity and continuous employment
Therefore, training and development are fruitful for both successful work organization, and for the career advancement of staff:
- ensuring that the equipment and skills of the employees' activities correspond to the current needs of production
- the preparedness of equipment and skills of employees for the future needs of production is ensured.
Factors that affect learning and development
Educationand development provided by the organization itself
Factors that influence learning and development within the organization itself:
- organization's strategic plans - especially upcoming changes in mastered levels and types of business
- organization policy, which may include determining the required levels of staff competencies (for example, holding Development Centers), or a policy that inspires staff for self-development
- providing employees with opportunities to advance in a personal area (for example, supporting promotion in a profession according to established state qualifications) or within the entire organization (for example, supporting promotion through corporate hierarchy levels through management training)
- future needs - the need to develop staff for new roles and the need to achieve this professional level across the state so that people's skills anticipate business change (introduction of new technologies, improvement of production culture, etc.)
- lack of skills, that is, the discrepancy between the skills of existing personnel and the requirements of production
- the need or desire to meet external requirements - in order to acquire the status of a "firm that invests in people" in order to comply with laws and professional rules (for example, Personal Investment Authority, Control of substances Hagardous to Health) or
to protect funds (for example, through the Training and Enterprige Councils for National or Scottish Vocational Qualifications).
The challenges of learning are forcing many companies to adopt special programs to provide their staff with real opportunities to learn and develop. As we will see below, there are many factors that influence which training and development opportunities are appropriate for employees.
Training and development carried out by an individual.
The factors influencing what kind of training actually takes place depend both on the environment and on the individual himself. Environmental influences include:
- availability of resources, i.e. how many employees can be "released" at a certain time to attend training events, as well as the sufficiency of funds to pay for training events
The quality of the course of study - how formal or informal, structured or unstructured the course is and whether it meets the objectives of the learners
- the quality of employee support after completing the training course, that is, the level of support and assistance to the employee in transferring the acquired knowledge and skills to workplace
- a culture that promotes learning - how much the organization helps learning by noticing errors in work, inspires staff to avoid mistakes in the future through training, and does not eliminate miscalculations in work with repressive measures.
The influence of the worker himself on training includes:
- learning styles, preference for different types of learning activities and previous experience indicating what is best learned by the employee in learning
- motivation based on positive and negative assessments of the standards of behavior adopted in the organization
- personal goals - for example, ambition, the desire to learn in order to increase the chances of professional growth in one's own or outside one's organization
- personal interests based on what the person likes to do and what they want to do to challenge themselves (remember the analogy of learning to drive a car).
- employee's personal situation (i.e. what else is on the person's mind) - personal circumstances can affect how much an individual can focus on learning and development
- potential and actual knowledge - whether the employee has the basic body of knowledge required as a prerequisite for training
These lists do not exhaust all the factors influencing learning, but they show that whatever learning and development is offered and carried out, the actual situation in the field of learning and development is determined by a variety of factors.
The contribution of competencies to learning and development
Education and training are usually carried out due to the lack of technical skills of employees. Therefore, training is always aimed at the competence necessary to perform tasks and achieve specified work results. In addition, training always refers to the technical competence required to advance towards a specific goal. For example: training in presentation skills, training in conducting interviews in the evaluation of work, as well as in the selection of candidates, training in keyboard skills. The use of the term "skills" can cause some confusion, because employees are usually trained not in skills, but in working methods. Training does not make an employee skillful - the skill is developed through the practical application of the methods mastered in the training process.
Competence is the result of the skillful application of different methods in combination with a specific situation, values, abilities and knowledge. For example, successful team leadership can be the result of effective training in the use of methods such as interviewing for performance evaluation, holding workshops, providing feedback, managing performance. But management, along with other factors, is based on the interest of employees in development, on respect for the interests of each employee, on the knowledge of team members and personal motivation to perform work.
The narrow concept of "technical training" does not refer to competencies in their entirety, but to individual elements of competencies. This type of training is carried out through:
- identifying elements of the competency that can be developed through training - for example, filling gaps in knowledge or work practices
- the focus of training on standards of behavior when the correction of behavior is achieved by training.
For example, in the Application there is a competence "Decision Making", which is a part, an element of the cluster "WORKING WITH INFORMATION". The basic elements of a Level 1 competency may include training in skills such as: decision making, procedures, boundaries of authority, transfer of individual decisions to other performers, etc. Training in individual elements of competence may include training in behavioral standards, for example, information retrieval and intelligible communication of a decision to performers.
Focusing on the basic elements and standards that fall within the purview of behavior is the main approach to learning and development. But there is another attitude to learning and development - focusing on competence in general. Competency training as a whole allows you to combine and use in practice all the elements - knowledge, skills, values, abilities, experience, etc. For example: the development of the "Decision Making" competence to a level that would allow making effective daily decisions - in a real situation and directly at the workplace.
Competences provide a fruitful model for learning and development that is applicable to all three approaches (methods, behaviour, competencies in general). This model can help you:
- an objective assessment of the need for training and development
-development of the structure of training and development activities
- selection of effective types of training and development
- evaluation of training - to ensure that it is in line with the assigned learning and development goals and the organization's strategy
- management of progress towards the goal of training and development.
objectiveassessing the need for trainingand development
There are several reasons for recognizing the need for learning and development. These grounds include:
- formal and informal performance appraisals
- evaluations with 360° feedback
- assessment exercises in personnel selection
- assessment exercises for employee development
- self-esteem
- career management interview.
Whatever system is used, the main principle remains the same. Determination of the need for training and development occurs through a comparison of a set of requirements for the successful performance of work with the personal quality of the employee's performance of this work, regardless of whether the person is working or only applying for a job. In other words: through a comparison of the level of work performance achieved by the employee with the reference performance of the same work.
It is important to know what is needed - training or development. This may seem like a small thing, but there is an important difference here. The question to be asked is: does the employee know everything that is required in order to do a particular job? If the answer is “no”, then training in working methods will be required. If the answer is “yes”, then you need to teach skills in order to develop the employee. For example: if an employee fails to complete the work by the required deadline, then this may not be because he did not attend the “time management” training, but because he is irresponsible about the performance of work in set time. Most of the methods for determining the need for training and development are given in the chapter on selection (assessment for selection: chapter 3) or in the chapter on performance assessment (performance assessment, 360° feedback assessment, self-assessment: chapter 4). The career development and management interview has a certain peculiarity: it is necessary to find high-level standards and compare the level of performance achieved by the employee with standards of precisely this quality.
Career Development Interview
Such an interview is a structured discussion (dialogue) between an employee and another person about the aspirations and plans of the employee. We use the term "career" in this sense: the promotion of an employee from job to job, which is accompanied by an increase in existing competencies and the development of competencies that are useful in the future. This path may be different from past career paths where the focus was on advancement in one's company or one's profession. But a career can be built on transitions to new companies, on changes in profession or industry. Career development interviews are conducted by different people:
Training and Development Specialists
- mentors
- line managers
- external consultants
- consultants from the employment office.
The key factor is that each of these people has extensive knowledge of different types work within or outside the organization. At the same time, they may or may not know the person who needs advice.
In the past, career interviews typically focused on interests, qualifications, and experience. But this, especially in interviews conducted by people inexperienced in career management issues, is not necessary if the employee is given a wide choice of career options.
Example. Susan has the following experience, qualifications and interests:
An inexperienced consultant may focus on Susan's accounting experience, and her career choice will be limited to finding a "good" job in the accounting field. This may be a job that requires regular working hours so that Susan can play sports and participate in competitions. Although these are significant things, focusing only on these factors is unnecessarily limiting Susan's career choices.
Competencies can add a lot to a career interview. This is also the case with Susan: she recently visited the Center for Development Assessment, which showed that Susan excels in the following competencies:
- Teamwork (Level 3).
- Collection and analysis of information (Level 2).
- Planning (Level 2).
- Managing deadlines (Level 2).
- Generating and putting forward ideas (Level 1)
Introducing this data into a career interview opens up a wider range of job opportunities. The list will cover jobs that are not necessarily related to accounting, but that match Susan's ability to manage a team.
People conducting in-depth career interviews need information about the interviewee's competency profile. This information can be obtained through:
- formal and informal assessment of the level achieved
- multilateral evaluation
- evaluative selection exercises
- assessment exercises to develop
- self-esteem
- questionnaires
Any information obtained by these methods should be considered taking into account certain factors:
- How objective is the information received? That is, does it come from the employee himself or does it reflect the opinions of people observing the behavior of the employee?
- How comprehensive is this information? Selection or development assessment exercises limit competencies to those required to achieve job objectives or to some fixed level, so many competencies are missed in this model.
- For what purpose was the information collected? For example: information for selection is concentrated on comparing performance with prescribed standards, and "feedback"
may not contain a complete picture of the level of competence achieved.
Whatever the career interview, the outcome of that interview will be a determination of the need for training or development and a suggestion of how to implement the training or development. This is described a little further in this chapter.
Organization of training and development courses.
Learning training is any activity in which a person learns something new. Development activities cover any activity in which learning is translated into practice, that is, skills are developed.
Table 21 illustrates what these learning activities might be. Less structured and more informal are events that are not specially organized - most often developmental events.
Table 21
EXAMPLES OF STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
But many of the points we put below can be equally applicable to both structured (formal) and unstructured (informal) learning activities. For clarity, we will agree that the term "activity" is used to describe the element of teaching (which, from the point of view of the participant, is reactive), and the term "activity" will be used to describe the element of learning (which, from the point of view of the participant, is active). An event includes or is accompanied by an activity. The activity, however, should not be prompted by an event and should not be preceded by an event. Since there are various ways of organizing and conducting training and development activities, the planner of this work should take into account:
Learning objectives for employees, teams, departments or organizations
- achieved levels of competence of the participants
- situations in which learning will be translated into practice
- recommendations from internal and external training specialists
- available resources (money, time, training materials and facilities).
With the exception of resources, a competency model can help develop all of these learning components.
Learning objectives
The very first reason for conducting learning and development activities is that there is a need for it - for an individual or for a group. Such activities should meet the needs of people, but they are not always successful, because even with the right goal chosen, the content of the activities themselves may not correspond to it.
Chasing time
large financial institution Trained staff on how to communicate with customers over the phone. The training activities focused specifically on the element of customer service. But the training goals were never fully achieved because the organizers did not take into account the technique and did not train the staff in the technique of communicating with clients in the conditions of daily stressful real situations. And workers simply didn't have time to ask customers if they understood what they were told. Employees did not have time to ask customers if they needed help with anything else. Employees were under constant pressure of running out of time: they had to answer as many calls per hour as it is difficult to even imagine.
Both at the level of the entire organization and at the level of the department, improvement of specific competencies may be required. The competency model will help to accurately set the goals of the activities necessary to eliminate the missing competency. The model is useful because the behavior of workers who are already successfully working at a certain level of competence is known. For example: you may need to improve your skills in managing a team, an entire organization or a department. Relying on a competency model will give an idea of what standards of behavior are required to display successful team management skills. AT application("WORKING WITH PEOPLE: Teamwork. Level 3") it might look like this:
Uses knowledge strengths, interests and qualities that need to be developed among team members in order to determine personal tasks in teamwork.-
Provides regular feedback to team members.
- Achieves understanding of team members of personal and collective responsibility.
- Provides constant "feedback" to all team members.
- Ensures that team members understand their individual and collective responsibilities.
But since the Model application is built on the basis of increasing competences (that is, competence at a certain level includes the competences of all previous levels), then the behavior for Levels 1 and 2 will also be included in the competence of Level 3.
The more specific a model is needed in a particular situation, the more appropriate training based on behavior indicators. But if a generic model is used, then some work will be required to adjust the behavior for the appropriate context. How to do this, read the chapter on compiling a competency model (Chapter 2). The learning objectives of individual workers are discussed later in this chapter in the section on evaluating learning and development activities.
Achieved level of competencies
Although the learning event is conducted to meet specific learning objectives, the level of competence of the trainees will help to structure educational material. Material that is too complex or too simple will quickly alienate participants, no matter how well it is presented.
Ways to determine the competence levels of training participants include:
- a preliminary questionnaire for participants and line managers
- performance rating
- skill test
- personal knowledge of the participants.
The competency model will help to establish the competency levels achieved through questionnaires and audits. the main objective preliminary use of the questionnaire - to establish at what level the participant is trained or what level of development he has reached. The questionnaire includes questions about the participant's knowledge and experience. The questionnaire can be built on the basis of the competencies to which the event is dedicated. Table 22 is an example of a questionnaire used prior to the Influence Course, based on the Competency Model from the WORKING WITH PEOPLE: Influence Level 2 application.
The results of this survey can help the participant identify areas they need to focus on during their course of study. The problem may arise with one or two standards of behavior that will be different for different groups of participants in the training.
Table 22
EXAMPLE OF A QUESTIONNAIRE USED BEFORE TRAINING
Listed below are standards of conduct relating to influence. Review each standard of conduct and determine the rating: how often do you feel that your behavior meets the standard shown in the table. Rating determine the proposed scale. |
|||||
1 - always 2 - often 3 - sometimes 4 - rarely 5 - never |
|||||
Presents clear oral and written information, taking into account its impact on the recipient |
|||||
Behaves in a manner appropriate to the situation |
|||||
Has a positive attitude towards the organization, its people and services |
|||||
Presents persuasive and well-founded arguments |
|||||
Persuasively expresses own point of view |
|||||
Adapts and develops arguments to achieve desired results |
|||||
Other information may also be required: previous training in a related field, development activities carried out in the past, etc. But it is very important to remember that long and complex questionnaires give less useful results than short and simple ones.
Another source of information about the employee may be the results of a formal assessment of the level of performance achieved. But the performance rating is only a commentary on the achieved levels of competencies (if competencies were assessed). For example: knowing that an employee has a low sales score will not help the instructor, because sales failure can be due to various reasons. But if an organization does use its competency model to measure performance (see Chapter 4), then a low sales score combined with a low influence score can give the instructor a better understanding of the participant.
Performance ratings may not be an accurate indicator of competency due to their confidential nature and their connection to fees. In addition, the results of the study on ratings depend on how the ratings are obtained and how they are used. And here there is a possibility of incorrect conclusions if there is no other information (other characteristics, except for ratings). For learning and development purposes, it is better to use other bases (for example, the result of the Assessment Center) or to expand the ratings with additional information (if there are no full-fledged performance analysis ratings).
A skills audit is a snapshot of the momentary competencies of a team or an entire organization in a specific area of the business. A review is usually carried out to establish the consistency of existing competencies with competencies that will be required in the future. A competency model can help collect this kind of information.
Depending on the number of people included in the audit, information gathering methods may include:
Examining the training documentation
- questionnaires
- seminars
- interview.
In order to collect the right amount of information, it is important to determine the purpose of the audit before the start of the audit. For example, if a quick check is required to highlight a company's major problem areas, then a skills audit in which every employee is interviewed may not be needed, unless very abbreviated. Questionnaires, seminars and interviews with leading experts in the operational study of the state of the company is preferable to a rigorous audit.
An analysis of materials from a wide variety of training areas can reveal a major skill gap among employees. At the same time, if the training documentation does not include all the activities carried out, then this information must be supplemented with other data. The training documentation, which includes only the most popular courses and core learning material, does not take into account on-the-job training. In addition, the analysis of documentation and training materials will not clarify whether the effect of training has been achieved and whether the need for developing the skills of employees is satisfied.
Questionnaires that provide additional information about the effectiveness of training are similar to the questionnaire in table 22. Such questionnaires can be offered:
To individual employees to describe their own skills and the skills of colleagues
- line managers to answer questions about the skills of their teams.
Since questionnaires focus on perceived "weaknesses", it is important to maintain anonymity. This is necessary even in cases where managers evaluate their team members. It is understandable that managers can be lenient in evaluating their team, especially if they feel that the team is lacking in key skills and if it is the managers who are responsible for training and developing their employees. The purpose of the questionnaire should be clear and maintained throughout the process. The promise that the review process will not be used to assess employees must not be broken, so that people do not feel that the finger of judgment is pointed at them and that the results of the audit will serve to blame employees.
The results of the questionnaire can be further explored in interviews and workshops. Both methods are able to uncover the reasons behind high and low audit scores. Since the purpose of interviews and workshops is to explore the causes that explain results, the results themselves should not be based on assumptions, but on the real experience of the people interviewed or workshop. For example: if at a seminar a manager puts forward the opinion that the reason for a poor result in teamwork skills is a poor course of study, then this opinion should be supported by factual evidence, such as the results of staff skills assessment exercises. If an opinion is not supported by convincing arguments, then there is a danger that any plans based on the results of the seminar or interview may be misdirected.
The personal knowledge of the trainees helps the instructor to prepare the training event. Especially where the instructor (coach) is already part of the team (for example, a line manager). However, even in this case there is a danger: assumptions can replace the analysis of facts. The competency model can again become a guiding framework for research into areas of activity that require learning and development. The structure will help focus learning on key standards of behavior. This problem can be solved by the methods described above. For example: if the whole team will be trained, then the questionnaire method can be used before the start of the course; if one of the employees is being trained, then an informal discussion of the training program based on the competency model can be held.
Situations where learning can be put into practice
The best option for learning and development is a course that refers not only to specific skills, but also to real situations in which the participant has to demonstrate professional skills. How many times has it happened this way: employees have sat in courses, lectures, seminars and thought: “This is all interesting, but what does this have to do with my work?”! It is a very difficult task for the trainee to accurately reproduce the workplace environment, since it is rarely the case that any two situations are exactly the same. However, the closer the connection between learning and "reality", the better.
Now that's chemistry!
Checking job satisfaction of employees of an international oil and gas company chemicals, discovered their concern about how they are managed. There was only one way out: to teach managers how to manage according to some standardized training program. But it was very difficult to take into account the various circumstances in which leadership skills were applied. In addition, it was necessary to determine the different levels of ability of managers who were to attend classes under a single program.
We decided to organize a development workshop that would give supervisors the opportunity to observe managers, and managers to receive "feedback" (opinion about themselves and how they manage people). Five competencies in people management were chosen as benchmarks for the seminar. The workshop activity consisted of simulating situations in which people management competencies are applied within the company itself. For example, briefings and meetings to inform the team of some changes. Actors were even invited to play the roles of team members of inspectors and managers.
The structure of the seminar was such that every problem of the individual manager was identified and discussed in the interests of further development. The program, although common to all managers, was addressed to each manager with his personal problems.
Although before the course some managers and supervisors thought that they would get nothing from "training in people management", everyone who attended the seminar (more than 200 supervisors and managers from all over the world) praised this seminar for being necessary and useful. The most cited reasons for the high score were the realism of the training and the quality of the feedback from the actors and observers.
The competency model helps learning and development with its realism. The more specialized the model, the closer it is to reality. The standards of employee behavior in situations specific to the organization, department, business group, etc., should reflect what is really happening in the organization. Those who organize the course and plan the training and development program using the competency model have a ready-made basis for compiling training exercises. To illustrate this point, we refer to our Appendix. The training workshop, organized to assist managers in setting the goal of training and development of subordinate employees, will be closely related to the competence "ACHIEVING RESULTS: goal setting". From the standards of behavior highlighted in this competency (for example: our goal is to achieve Level 2), it follows that any simulation exercises should ensure that managers receive training in:
- defining and setting clear goals
- establishing criteria for success and performance evaluation
- engaging colleagues to support goal achievement
- analysis and adaptation of goals to changing production requirements.
Level 1 standards of behavior can be included in the exercises:
- definition of goals achievable within the agreed parameters of activity
- discussion of success criteria and evaluation
- Identification of potential barriers to achieving goals.
These requirements for the exercise must be correlated with reality, because these requirements themselves are dictated by reality.
But one cannot rely entirely on the competency model to obtain information about the context of activity. Each team needs to develop its own scenario, its own course of learning and development, which are reinforced by such details as the current situation in the team, upcoming changes in the procedures of activities or in the structure of the organization, etc.
Special mention should be made of the Development Centers. There is an important difference between centers that assess individual competencies against predetermined benchmarks and centers that give the worker the opportunity to practice a technique (example: "That's chemistry!"). The first type of centers is based on a process aimed at specific work in the future. The Evaluation and Development Centers are the same in effect as the Evaluation Centers for the day of selection of personnel, but in the Evaluation and Development Centers for existing employees, a different type of feedback (more meaningful) and a different result: participants are not selected for employment. Evaluation and Development Centers are described in the chapter on Performance Review (Chapter 4).
The second type of center is aimed exclusively at the development of already working personnel. He is engaged in the creation of "real" situations in which the behavior of the participants is observed. The performance by the Development Centers is not assessed.
The event guides employees to realize what they were doing and to compare their standards of behavior with what was expected of them. Action plans and recommendations on what to study, obtained through both types of Centers, were used in the development of personnel necessary for the current job or for the role for which the employee was originally selected.
Both types of Centers are similar in essence, but the goals, results and processes themselves in different Centers are different.
Conclusions of training specialists
Not all trainers are capable of conducting all types of training, not all managers are experienced enough to carry out development activities. Competences set the basis for a system that determines who can do what in the field of personnel training and development. For example: senior management training may require a higher level of “influence” than junior staff training events. And development activities that include a mentoring relationship require a higher level of managerial relationship than mere support.
The distribution of competencies into categories necessary for carrying out specific activities and for the implementation of specific activities can work well in a learning process that links competence with development, promotion. Teaching activities in general or complex activities is a much more difficult task than organizing training in specific competencies.
Selecting an appropriate event or activityfor learning and development
When a need for training or development is identified, a way of learning must be found to meet that need. With regard to training and education, this can be done by organizing formal events; and for the qualitative development of personnel, informal activities are required. There are many ways in which it is not difficult to select training activities for specific competencies (for example, directories of courses and trainings), but choosing the methods of personnel development activities is more difficult.
Competency models can be used to identify appropriate forms of development according to the required level of competencies and even standards of behavior. This information can be brought to each employee of the organization through a special directory. Table 23 is a sample page of a fictitious reference book based on the competency model.
A competency model can help develop such guides, as behavior indicators define exactly what activities are performed and how they are performed.
"Inclusion" in the system
A development plan was drawn up in a life insurance company. This plan became very popular with the sales people, for whom it was drawn up. Other departments also wanted something similar. This led to the creation of several plans - standards. Each plan needed to be reworked when adapted to a specific department or when some kind of modernization.
Many activities in the development plans of different departments were similar. And the core competencies were contained in all standards. Therefore, the company developed a single plan that covered all the work. The overall plan combined all the existing plans and "plugged" them right into a specially designed computer software package. The improvement and adaptation of specific development plans has become much easier. The software package provides more flexibility because it can "include" any new standards in its content. Moreover, the unified development plan is linked to performance evaluation, also based on computer technology.
This enables those who describe the technique of work execution to simplify and speed up the process of collecting a variety of information, evaluating performance and providing feedback. The company has created a basis for development activities and the organization of the activities themselves that meet the needs of development.
Table 23
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Theme and purpose: Learning to plan |
||
Level 1: Daily Work Priorities |
||
Suggested training activities |
||
How to use the diary |
0.5 days at work |
|
Time Management |
2 days away from work |
|
How to prioritize |
Distance learning course (video and seminar) |
Estimated 5 hours |
Priorities, Priorities |
||
Proposed events and activities for development |
||
Note: You may find it helpful to participate in this activity with the consent of your line manager. Make a timeline to follow the learning process. Discuss the results with your line manager and agree on the next course of improvement. |
||
In table 23 there is a reference to the video "What it means to be a team member". At first glance, the video does not appear to be the right material for a Development Planning theme. But one of the standards of conduct in the "Planning, Level 1" section says: "Avoid the negative impact of his actions on other employees." The second section of this video highlights the impact on team members of the absence job planning daily tasks.
Drawing up a training and development plan is a time-saving task. Such a plan-pointer must be comprehensive, it requires constant improvement in order not to lose its creative value. Many companies are now using sophisticated indexing technology, which includes not only training and development, but even communication between employees. All this makes life easier for all those employees who are concerned with training and development.
Which event or activity to choose for learning and development depends on environmental factors and the learner himself.
Evaluation of training events and activitiesand development
In a short time, participants learned the technique (methodology) that they were supposed to learn (i.e., the event achieved its goal)
- within the allotted time, while engaging in activities intended for development, the participants have successfully implemented new technology(methodology) into practice (i.e. the participants realized the learning goal).
After some time, it will become clear: the organization has achieved its development goals or training and development has brought it only a headache.
It is also not easy to assess whether the improvement in the skills of employees is a consequence of training or it was due to circumstances that developed independently of training; it is especially difficult to measure the improvement in the performance of large numbers of people. For example: it is difficult to assess the reason for the increase in profits in recent months - whether it is the result of training of personnel in customer service, or whether it is the effect of an article in a daily newspaper that called the company's products one of the best.
It is important for an organization to know that it is not wasting money on training and development, but financial assessment is not within the scope of this book. However, an assessment of whether the learning objectives have been achieved and what is the value of the learning activities given time and effort can be made using a competency model.
Evaluating the success of an activity in meeting objectives is relatively easy if the training had clear objectives. Traditionally, such an assessment is determined by a questionnaire issued at the end of a course of study. These questionnaires examine various factors of the entire learning event. Questionnaires highlight the following factors:
- used materials
- submission of materials
- opportunity to ask questions
- Q&A quality
- compliance with the real situation
- the pace of the event
- whether the stated objectives have been achieved.
This information may also be verbal, although confidentiality issues arise with oral interviews, especially if the information is collected by the instructor himself. Even the most confident person can have difficulty speaking. negative feedback about the event to the person who hosted the event.
While this type of assessment can provide useful information about the event itself, it is a mistake to attribute assessment to the success (or failure) of the training itself. In other words, getting good feedback on a course does not mean that all trainees have reached expert level. To revisit the driving test analogy, the picture is that a series of excellent driving lessons that the learner enjoys does not mean that the learner will become a skilled driver.
A more complete assessment, while taking into account time and effort, will be the success of the trainees in achieving significant goals. But here, when assessing the quality of training, it is necessary that the objectives of training be discussed in advance and accurately.
Learning objectives
The goals of employee training are basically the same as the goals of doing the job itself: what does the person want to achieve and how is he going to do it? After training, a skills development action plan is also needed, which includes supporting the person in transferring learning outcomes into practical activities. The learning objectives should be discussed between the employee and the line manager before the learning and development course begins. Ideally, no activity should take place until the learning objectives are defined.
A competency model can help define learning objectives. Behavioral indicators will help the employee and line manager identify what needs to change after the learning process is successfully completed. For example: if an employee needs to learn the methodology of creative thinking (competence "BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Generation and substantiation of ideas, Level 2" from Applications), then the learning objectives will include one or more of the standards of conduct from Level 2. Table 24 provides an example of learning objectives and an action plan for this case.
After a certain period of time after training, progress towards the goal should be assessed. Focusing exclusively on standards of behavior may not only focus training on a questionable technique (e.g., did Chris learn three approaches to creative thinking?), but also obscure the question of whether the learned techniques highlight the difference in standards of behavior before and after training (i.e. Has Chris's behavior really changed?).
An important question: who collects the evaluation information? At the line manager level and at the department level, “global” information is lost, and “local” information is lost at the central office. A better system would be one that makes managers accountable for collecting information (after all, managers are in the best position to measure learning progress), and the central office (usually the training department) would be responsible for comparing inputs (up to training) and final (after training) results.
Table 24
EXAMPLE OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLAN
Learning Goals for Chris Smith
- technique for the development of creative thinking.
What
- Learn three different approaches to creative thinking.
- Learn the process of evaluating the feasibility of ideas.
- Learn the procedure adopted in the company for the nomination of fruitful ideas.
How
- Develop new methods and practices for implementing new ideas.
- Evaluate the feasibility of ideas in business.
- Promote the main ideas with energy and enthusiasm.
Action plan
- Attend a workshop on creative thinking techniques.
- Once a week attend a seminar "New Ideas" in the marketing department.
- Put forward at least three new ideas at the workshop at the end of the month.
- Ensure that at least one idea is accepted by the workshop.
- Meet once every two weeks with the line manager to get support and discuss further development.
In this way, not only can managers keep track of the time and effort spent by their team members, but the company as a whole can be sure that learning and development activities are reaching the level required by the firm's strategy.
It must be understood that low learning and development results do not mean that the training event was weak - it can only mean that the staff needs to be trained in something else or that the training did not adhere to the action plan. With well-defined goals and well-defined standards of behavior to learn (such as, for example, in Table 24), it is not difficult to answer questions about the value of attempting a learning event (i.e. did Chris achieve her intended goals?) and about why something is not achieved.
Checking learning outcomes provides useful information about how well a particular business group is pursuing its strategic plans. For example: a company introduces a program for changes in culture, especially in the work of individual teams. The company looks forward to learning and development activities built around the "teamwork" competencies. The company expects to get the desired effect. Exploring the reasons for non-performance can highlight areas that require active support and further learning and development.
Setting standards for progress
There are three main forms of employee learning and development management:
- in the workplace (e.g. mentoring)
- within the structure of the organization (e.g. management training program)
- in the structure of the profession (for example, mastering various levels accounting business).
Development is traditionally tested by how an employee performs regular duties and how they pass various exams and tests. These are quite simple criteria that determine, first of all, the special knowledge of the employee, but this system of development assessment lacks the assessment of standards of conduct. This is where competencies can help.
Moving towards a goal in the workplace
This type of control evaluates the ability to move towards a specific goal, if the goal is to understand the achievement of the level of competence required for the successful performance of the work. This goal is usually expected to be achieved within a certain time frame. Progress towards the goal is often encouraged (for example, by increasing salaries for achieving certain levels of competencies), but this kind of progress, as a rule, concerns a specific job.
Classes within classes
The collateral company introduced a competency-based training and development program for multifunctional office staff. Let's call this class of employees grade "C". It took about two years to go from a beginner (C1) to a fully competent office worker (C3). The training and development program included three key modules. The first module is an introductory course that had to be completed first. The next two modules could be taken in any order.
After successful completion introductory course and one of the two more complex modules, the worker moved from C1 to C2 and received a pay increase. After the successful completion of the third module, the worker moved to the NW, again with a pay increase. This promotion and pay increase not only motivated employees, but also distinguished between different grades within a whole class of jobs and different levels of achievement.
The acquisition of new skills includes learning the necessary work techniques and conducting special events for the types of activities. This process is based on a combination various methods and takes some time. This path of development is universal and does not depend on the initial qualifications of the employee: that is, the trainees go through the same program as an experienced employee mastering new competencies. Competences can help in designing a training program as they clearly indicate the objectives of the training (which has already been discussed in the section on learning and development activities). But, in addition, competencies build the structure of development that takes place in the workplace.
It is also important to use standards of conduct when creating a development program, but first you need to decide which competencies will be assessed in the process of developing and promoting an employee. And these are the competencies that are recognized as decisive in the successful completion of the work. If competencies are listed and disclosed in job descriptions and profiles, then it makes sense to use the competencies in development planning, since the work to define the required competencies has already been done.
If role profiles are not established, one way to identify critical competencies or competency levels may be to use a process similar to that used to identify critical competencies for recruitment. For example:
- List the most important tasks that meet the objectives of the work.
- List the competencies (or competency levels) that are required to complete these tasks.
- Arrange the competencies (competency levels) in order of their importance for the fulfillment of the whole range of work tasks.
Another approach that can be very effective is called "pairwise comparison". This approach provides a more accurate assessment of the importance of competencies. In this approach, competencies are scored according to their need for each key task or activity. The “paired comparison” technique: each competency is compared in turn with each of all other competencies and it is determined which of the competencies compared in each pair is more important for performing a specific task or the entire activity as a whole. In this way, you can determine points for the importance of each competency for each task. This is not the place for a full description of this method (“pair comparison”), but a brief example is given in Appendix 2. In addition, many books on developmental problem solving techniques describe this technique in detail.
The method itself can be developed in detail with employees and their managers, because these people have the most realistic view of the work being done. In many cases, the competencies required for the job are determined during the process of compiling the competency model, or later if the selection of personnel for vacant jobs was carried out using competencies.
It is useful and easy to use indicators of behavior that correspond to the work for which the employee is being trained and developed. This makes it easier not only to understand the importance of training activities, but also to understand the goals of the program by the person who develops programs and evaluates the results of worker development activities. If a general model is used, then the behavior indicators should be related to the structure and content of this model. Guidance on how to do this is given in the chapter on compiling a competency model (Chapter 2).
When using behavior indicators to evaluate the process of improving personnel, additional useful information can be obtained. This information can be obtained in the process of customization (i.e., adapting the general model to individual requirements] or as an addition to the process of adapting the general model to individual competencies. This work includes the following components:
The context in which the standards of conduct should be exhibited (for example: define the term "organization" precisely in the standard of conduct "Forms own opinion about the organization, its models and its services")
- the limits that the standards of conduct are not expected to violate (for example: what decisions would not be included in the standard of conduct "Receives and uses the necessary information to make decisions"?)
- the necessary basic knowledge (for example: what does an employee need to know before he can develop the skills that are manifested in the “Gathers and replenishes information” competence?)
Once the competency profile is agreed upon, the learning and development program should provide trainees with the necessary techniques and the opportunity to demonstrate the required standards of behavior in the development process. This means that developmental activities should allow the practice of the studied methods in a variety of work situations. Therefore, developmental activities should include a range of methods such as on-the-job training and special training. Factors to consider when deciding how to evaluate an employee's development process include a series of specific questions:
What will be evaluated? Will it be an assessment of knowledge, behaviour, skills or a combination of some of them?
- How will skills, knowledge and behavior be assessed? For example: skills and standards of behavior can only be manifested when performing a task or in the course of an activity.
How will objectivity be ensured?
- When will the employee be “evaluated”? Will this happen at a fixed time or when it is clear that the worker has reached a certain level of skill?
Who will evaluate performance? Will it be a line manager or someone not from “their” team, or even someone not from “their” company?
How will the consistency of the assessment be ensured?
What result after the completion of each stage will be considered successful? Will academic success be followed by an increase in pay or class of work?
What result of the stage completion will be considered unsuccessful? Will there be additional, repeated training? How many times will it be possible to retake a particular stage of training? How long can the trainee master the full course of the training program and
development?
The competency model helps in many ways, especially in building those factors that influence the assessment process (they are described in the first three points of the above list of guiding questions).
Once the competencies that are included in the training and development program are established, the evaluation of learning outcomes should be consistent with the learning objectives of the employee. Setting learning objectives was described earlier in this chapter. However, it is necessary to clarify the scheme for assessing the achievement of the goal of training in improvement programs in order to ensure the consistency of this work.
This scheme may cover the following issues:
- what parameters are suitable for assessment (for example: copies of written works, random control of telephone conversations with clients)
- how many times an employee must demonstrate the specified standards of behavior to ensure that the employee has mastered a particular competency
- what evidence of successful learning should be recorded in cases where the manifestation of a specific standard of behavior by the work itself is infrequently required.
These instructions should be available to both trainees and observers. The employee needs to know for what and how he is evaluated. Even with the introduction of surprise control tactics, employees must be informed that surprise inspections will be carried out at some interval. Without such openness, there is a danger of treating training programs and trainings as "spy" activities, and it is almost inevitable that fantasies about the real purpose of the assessment will emerge.
The success of the learning and development program should be a key goal for everyone involved in the program, and everyone should know what will happen if they fail. For example: if the continuation of the trainee's work depends on the successful completion of the program, then this should be clearly explained to him at the very beginning of the training.
Evaluation of individual progress in studies (especially for programs that affect salary increases) must be objective and fair. This is necessary not only to confirm that the organization is properly directing its efforts, but also in order to avoid accusations of unfair treatment - from the team in which the people work, or from the managers who work for the employees being assessed. Using the reference model of competencies, which evaluates the progress of an employee in training, - effective method achieving objectivity.
NVQ/SVQ is based on competency assessment. Companies can use this type of model to monitor employee progress at work. If the competency model is developed within the organization, care must be taken to ensure that the competencies in-house do not diverge too much from the NVQ/SVQ reference competencies. The key question is: how to evaluate the behavior of an employee in terms of the “goal achievement” competency, measured by specific results?
Progress within the organization
This type of control usually focuses on the promotion of the employee to the next level in the structure of the organization, and not in a specific profession. This situation is worked out in management training, when in the final part of the exercise the employee is asked to perform work that is unknown to him at the beginning of the training program. As a result of such a professional development program, a difficult situation arises: the skills of employees develop, but the employees themselves do not always know how and in which department the new skills can be applied. In the improvement of an employee's skills, carried out according to the company's plan, the time frame for practical "success" is not clear enough, if at all, so the learning objectives take on a sense of shared value.
The assessment of progress in management training is often superimposed on progress in a particular job. For example: if the development program includes a short-term internship in various departments of the company, then the intern can "automatically" go through a management training program. It is important that the trainee has complete clarity about what specific goals he/she is to achieve, who is conducting and who is evaluating the results of the training. Without such clarity, there is likely to be a danger that a management student will become a wandering team player, that is, a person who does odd jobs that no one else wants to do. Such training will teach you little, except how to make coffee and how to use a photocopier! The assessment of development according to the employee's career planning program varies depending on how the awareness of the need for the employee to acquire new competencies arose and what type of training should be carried out in the development process. For example: if the need for development was identified through the Assessment and Development Centers, then the assessment should be linked to the training goals of employees who passed the corresponding Center. If the need for development is due to information that the organization does not have enough specialists with the required qualifications (for example, as a result of internal recruitment), then the assessment can be based on the results of training and practical development, on the quality of work performance and on plans for future recruitment. However, the programs that most successfully solve the problems of increasing the competencies of employees are distinguished by the clarity of goals and a precise approach to solving personnel problems. Hoping that people will improve without a clear development goal is an overly optimistic approach to the problem.
The factors mentioned in the previous section, which considered the evaluation of the development of an individual employee in his profession, are applicable to development in the structure of the entire company. This is where competencies can help in the same way. But there are some features in the process of corporate training. In the company, the learning objectives are more general, that is, they concentrate mainly on managerial competencies. Corporate training is characterized, first of all, by something common to the entire business (at a certain level), but not by the competencies necessary to perform a specific role. If the competency model is built for the entire organization (and not for just one part of it), then the behavior indicators will also be characterized by a common form. Therefore, general indicators of behavior can serve as standards to be achieved and which determine the success of corporate development. For example: a management training program for a trainee may include management competencies that are applicable to any position, in any position, to any fragment of the general standards program.
Special work needs to be done to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the assessment of the required standards of conduct.
The basic requirements mentioned in the description of performance assessment against given learning objectives apply here as well. In this case, it should be determined whether there has been a change in levels within the competence. For example: during the training of trainees in the Management program, trainees in some competencies can advance from Level 1 to Level 2 (or beyond). If so, how to evaluate this progress?
Skills development planning and employee training in “management” have dual goals. There are targets for improving the quality of work currently being done, and there are targets for a new level that the employee is striving for. When organizing development activities, care must be taken to ensure that the standards of conduct necessary for future competencies are being practiced. The competency model reveals only the goal of development, but other factors play an important role in achieving optimal results of training programs for improving the profession and training in management - the desire of the employee, the support of the manager, etc.
Progress within the profession
Most often, the assessment of an employee's progress in their profession is carried out and monitored by external experts. Progress in the profession is measured against a model that is established by the professional structure and then applied throughout the country. This means that the improvement of an employee is usually measured by the results of professional examinations and tests. In this state of affairs, competency models may well play the role of criteria, following which promises success. But usually in professional development, the emphasis is on knowledge rather than patterns of behavior.
If an employee has a profession (this includes interaction with colleagues), then it is natural that he is expected to behave in a way that is characteristic of this profession. These expectations are often articulated in professional codes. In some professions, you can be struck off the list of recognized professionals if you do not follow the code of the profession. An organization may establish corporate success criteria that an employee must adhere to in order to advance professionally in the internal hierarchy. For example: obtaining a corporate membership of the Institute of Personnel and Development may be a requirement that must be met in order to advance to a certain level, but such membership alone is not enough for automatic promotion. If an organization, wishing to meet internal needs, is going to add its own special requirements for advancement in the profession, then it is necessary that corporate and common goals trainings were coordinated with each other. If learning objectives are not coordinated, this can lead to conflicts between what the organization requires and what the professional community requires. If an organization follows a general professional program, then it must resolve all conflicts before the trainee has problems. This is especially important in the set of competencies that are imposed on the development program. Often culture specific company requires the employee to behave differently from that established by the professional community to which the employee belongs. For example: HR managers may be pressured by the organization to choose recruitment methods that are contrary to the practice proposed by the Institute for Personnel and Development.
Professionals have to deal with such situations, so it is necessary to provide for conflicts of this type. What will be a development program that contains learning objectives based on standards of conduct if these standards conflict professional code behavior?
This controversial issue, setting learning goals and evaluating the progress of an employee in accordance with the set goals - all these problems are similar to those described in the first part, in the section on assessing the progress of an individual within their work.
conclusions
The two key objectives of training and development are to ensure that the competencies of the staff are sufficient to meet the current and future needs of the company. Many factors affect both training and development programs and how successful real-world training is. The organization's strategic plans and policies will influence learning and development programs. environmental factors (especially corporate culture] and the personal qualities of the employee (learning style, motivation, abilities) will affect what and to what extent the person learns.
Training is learning techniques. Development is the purposeful introduction of the mastered methods into practice. As a result of training, new skills and special knowledge are acquired. The ways to achieve the desired learning outcomes are many and varied, but all parts of the personnel improvement equation must be correct to ensure success. If learning (training) activities are not followed by activities to develop (put into practice) skills, then the theoretically learned methodology will soon be forgotten. But also developmental activities (practical exercises), ignoring the methods that determine success, will inevitably lead to errors. Both of these damages will lead to employee frustration and the company to no progress on long-term plans.
Competency models help at all key stages of training and development - from determining the need and developing development programs to assessing the success of training and subsequent professional growth of an employee. But competencies alone will not lead to success at any of these steps. The use of competency models helps to clearly build each step, but without experienced people to plan, implement and deliver development activities, competency-based learning and development is no better than any other poorly designed process.
Popular
- Summary of the lesson on familiarization with the surrounding children of the group preparatory to school “Who hatched from the egg?
- Summary of the lesson for the preparatory group “Who hatched from the egg?
- Turukhtan (Philomachus pugnax)
- Pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata)Eng
- The concept and features of corporate clients
- Why Phoenix. The symbol of the phoenix among the Slavs. Legends about the Phoenix in different religions
- How to make soap at home with your own hands
- We make fragrant soap with our own hands
- Composition and properties of laundry soap, household use Laundry soap household use
- How to use laundry soap in everyday life Household soap in medicine