Competency (or Competence) Defined

Absence of Agreed Formal Definition

An agreed formal definition of competency or competence is yet not available.

Therefore, we will put forth the sense of various definitions of competency and then tell you which one we will be using for the purpose here.

We often hear people saying that for anyone to carry out a task or a job properly; one needs ‘competency’. People say this so very often that it has rather become some sort of cliché. Therefore it is necessary to re-visit the real meaning of the term ‘competency’ before we proceed further on this topic.

Some define competency as ‘ability’.

Others define it as ‘skill’. Some others define it as ‘allied skill sets’.

Some see it as the quality of being adequately or well qualified intellectually and physically.

Comprehensive Understanding of ‘Competency’

A more comprehensive way of looking at it is that competency is an integrated whole of commitments, related abilities, knowledge and skills and the resultant behavior enabling an entity (a human being or an organization) to perform effectively in a job or situation leading to fulfillment of certain objectives.

Competence indicates sufficiency of knowledge and skills that enable someone to act in a wide variety of situations.

Because each level of responsibility has its own requirements, competence and its acquisition and enhancement can occur in any period of a person's life or at any stage of his career.

Looking into the history or even lately many people who were earlier thought to be highly competent people (and we had the misfortune of many of them misruling many parts of the world in some capacity or other) have now been found wanting or lacking in ethics in severe ways. This situation has created havoc in global and local business systems, economy, social setup and political arena causing tremendous difficulties to the humanity as a whole. Particularly the people who can influence the humanity because of their social, political, corporate and religious status cannot be tolerated as being incompetent and indulging in unethical practices. Its continuance can be devastating.

Therefore, we, as management thought leaders, authors and management practitioners, believe that ethical way of doing things should form an essential and integral part of any competency. Achieving even the grandeur by hook or by crook does not make the so-called achiever a competent person.

Essential Elements of ‘Competency’

Keeping in mind the aforesaid discussions, therefore, in this book when we use the term competency it envelops all the elements as given below:

•       Commitment

•       Ability

•       Knowledge

•       Skills

•       Ethics

•       Sufficiency of all of above-mentioned elements at any point of time for given situations.

•       Behavior (performance or action in accordance with the above-mentioned elements towards achieving objectives)

Any person or an entity can accomplish a task or activity or a project (consisting of various tasks and activities) as desired provided the person or the entity has the required competency. Conversely the task or activity or project will not be completed to a desired satisfaction level if the required competency in that person or entity is lacking or totally absent.

Related Book

"Competency Management (Competency Matrix and Competencies)": You may like to order online your copies of the book from Amazon.

Books Authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar and Dr Kalpana Bhatawdekar (eBooks and printed books available online from  Amazon)

Management, Business, Self-help & Personality Development Books

1. HSoftware (Human Software) (The Only Key to Higher Effectiveness)

2. Sensitive Stories of Corporate World (Management Case Studies)

3. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

4. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)

5. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

6. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

7. Stress? No Way!! (Handbook on Stress Management)

8. HSoftware (Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Effectiveness Model)

9. Competency Management (Competency Matrix and Competencies)

10. Soft Skills You Can’t Do Without (Goal Setting, Time Management, Assertiveness and Anger Management)

11. Essentials of Work Study (Method Study and Work Measurement)

12. Essentials of Time Management (Taking Control of Your Life)

13. Essentials of 5S Housekeeping

14. Essentials of Quality Circles

15. Essentials of Goal Setting

16. Essentials of Anger Management

17. Essentials of Assertive Behavior

18. Essentials of Performance Management & Performance Appraisal

19. Health Essentials (Health Is Wealth)

20. The Romance of Intimacy (How to Enhance Intimacy in a Relationship?)

Novels, Stories, Biographies and Travelogues

21. The Peace Crusaders (Novel: how the peace crusaders established permanent peace on a war strewn planet?)

22. Love Knows No Bounds (Novel: a refreshingly different love story. Also available with the title “Good People”)

23. Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories

24. Stories Children Will Love (Volume 1: Bhanu-Shanu-Kaju-Biju and Dholu Ram Gadbad Singh)

25. My Father (Biography)

26. Travelogue: Scandinavia, Russia