Competency frameworks and competency models are an important way to organize the skills needed to perform work and achieve goals. They frame the relationships between all the different things used to describe jobs and roles and connect them to performance. Competency models can seed the development of a skill graph and can also be used as a lens to look into a large skill graph.

Ibbaka collects competency frameworks of all sorts for reference. We want to see if we can represent them properly in our skill management system and see if they contain skills we should add to our skill graph. GreenComp: The European Sustainable Competence Framework is a set of twelve competencies developed by the European Union to support the development of sustainable societies and organizations.

Work on IEEE 1484.40.2 Defining Competencies is nearing completion. Eric Shepherd has shared an excellent presentation The Value of Competency Definitions and Frameworks. We share a few slides here and connect it to Ibbaka’s work in this area.

Improving how we match people to roles is central to how the Ibbaka Talent platform is used. David Botta describes some of our recent experiments and suggests some directions for research in 2022.

Most organizations will have thousands of different skills. How do we focus on the ones that really matter? We often have to answer this question at Ibbaka. Here are some initial thoughts on our approach. The skills that matter most are the skills used to solve problems.

One often wants to compare the skills of people, the skills required for roles, the skills of different teams and so on. One important approach comparison is between two companies. This skill differences can give important hints on each company’s strategy and differentiation. Focusing in on key skills can bring differentiation into focus.

Ibbaka has partnered with Learning Agents to create GoFrameworks. GoFrameworks is a place where Canadian businesses, government agencies and educational institutions can find skill and competency frameworks (or models) that can be aligned with badges and microcredentials.

Ibbaka is conducting design research into the design of competency models or frameworks. In this post we summarize the approach of Jeff Griffiths. Jeff began his career in the military. He has thought deeply about how transversal (general) and vertical skills combine to create frameworks.

The second post summarizing a series of interviews Ibbaka has conducted with experiences competency model designers. This one is the the person leading the skill curation team at a major technology company. She applied design thinking to organizing the skill curation process, and found two quite different approaches in her organization: The Chunkers and the Slicers and Dicers!

Ibbaka is conducting design research into the design of competency models or frameworks. This is the first of a series of posts that summarize our interviews with leading practitioners. Learn about the diversity of approaches people are taking to competency model design. Competency models connect organizational goals to individual skills.

Skill and competency models are designed. As with anything that is designed, there are different ways to approach this. Ibbaka is committed to supporting the diversity of approaches to designing and applying skill and competency models.

The IEEE is using user stories to inform the proposed IEEE P1484.20.2 Competency Model Definitions work. These user stories are using a format from Behavior Driven Development (BDD). If you have suggestions for user stories, or even the different actors, in skill and competency management, please share your ideas and we will bring them to the working group.

What form should IEEE guidance on competency model definitions take? Share your thoughts as the IEEE embarks on this important work. Ibbaka managing partner Steven Forth has joined this effort as the Vice Chair of IEEE 1484.20.2 Recommended Practice for Defining Competencies.

Competency models are the critical lens to see if the skills of your workforce align with your current and future needs. Ibbaka is committed to making it easy for you to build and apply competency. models. Here are two tools you can use, a simple one for your basic needs and one that you can use to design a full competency model. These are offered to you for free under a Creative Commons license.

How neuroscience helps us to understand the connections between skills and behaviors. Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman has explained how changing behaviors is key to changing mood and even beliefs. Behaving in certain ways, like active listening, grows the skills needed to support the behavior. This is why behaviors can be such an important part of skill and competency models.

On Wednesday, November 27 we will be having a co-creation session for open competency models for Customer Success and Pricing Expertise. Join us if you can.

On the importance of context in building competency models. When building and evolving competency models it is important to work at different scales.

What is the difference between Hearing and Listening and why Listening is a foundation skill?

Why it is important to see a bird-eye view of a Competency Model.

Reporting on the results of a short survey asking if values should be part of a competency model. We also asked if and how one should assess values.