Before taking a break for holidays, I want to post one final blog regarding remote work (I’ll continue to post again in September). A student asked me today for clarity around competencies…a valid question. How do you differentiate basic skill know-how, from a competency? This is important to clarify as we consider those key to remote work. I like this definition from University of Nottingham…
Competencies are abilities or attributes, described in terms of behaviour, key to effective and/or highly effective performance within a particular job.
A competency goes beyond knowing the technical aspect of a task. For example…I may know how to sell a good pair of shoes and what information to provide the customer (i.e. proper fit, potential for stretching, proper care…)…easily learned. 
However, that doesn’t mean I know how to sell a pair of shoes in such a way that a loyalty and ‘relationship’ has been seeded with the customer. Do I discover why the shoe is being purchased? Did I learn anything about the customer and his/her likes and dislikes? Have I created a shoe shopping experience for the customer that they will come back for, AND tell their friends about? We are talking about behaviour here…what kind of behaviour would you be able to observe as I served the customer? Perhaps excellent customer service? Perhaps some level of empathy? Those behaviours are what we call competencies.
In case you’re wondering, I’ve had such experiences in 3 shoe stores…one even served cappuccino, and the other wine! @shoeembassy (Brighton, England) @strut (Kelowna, BC) and @ladifferenciate (Vancouver, BC)
In preparation for further work on this research in the autumn, we will be sending surveys to remote workers, specifically those in the tech industry, to get their feedback on the accuracy of the competencies we’ve identified. (If you’re interested I’d be happy to send you a survey to complete…rsawatzky@okanagan.bc.ca). Knowing that different aspects of tech remote work may place different values on each, we want to end up with a list of 5-7 top core competencies that truly reflect the worker in their respective areas.
Here’s a summary of what we have learned so far, and want to narrow down.
- Self-directed (making your own decisions and organizing your own work)
- Disciplined (showing a controlled form of behavior or way of working)
- High Self-efficacy (high belief in your own capabilities to produce quality outcomes)
- Trustworthy (able to be relied on as honest or truthful)
- Empathetic (showing an ability to share the feelings of another)
- Adaptable (able to adjust to new conditions)
- Curious (eager to know or learn something)
- Flexible (ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances)
- Taking initiative (an act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation; a fresh approach to something.)
- Self-motivated (motivated to do or achieve something because of one’s own enthusiasm or interest, without needing pressure from others.)
- Focus (concentrating attention on the most urgent problems)
I agree that many of these are simply good competencies to possess in any work context, however, I would suggest that the level of proficiency needed for remote workers in each area is higher…their very success depends on it!
Next steps? 1. Survey. 2. Based on results, narrow the competency list. 3. Create specific behavioural questions a manager can ask to determine if the person they want to hire fits the criteria for success as a remote worker. Or…an individual could reflect on if they are considering remote worker.
For now, happy summer…see you in September!
Probe and Ponder…learning from life & travels with Roberta Sawatzky 