new thinking at work DESCRIBING OUR COMPETENCIES

DESCRIBING OUR COMPETENCIES

new thinking at work

2

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS Dealing with the situations we face – in the best, and most appropriate way

• Influencing

• Communicating

• Self-development

• Decision-making

Getting other people to commit to doing something that we feel is right.

Communicating in the best way, so that other people understand us.

Wanting to improve ourselves, and looking for different ways to learn.

Taking the right action, based on what we know, and being responsible for what happens.

PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE Giving the best service we can to our customers and colleagues – exceeding their expectations

• Customer orientation

• Collaboration

• Forward thinking

Finding out what our customers need and expect, and matching it with our best service.

Working together with colleagues and partners, within and outside the Council, to give our customers exceptional service.

Anticipating customers’ needs, and the consequences of situations; taking appropriate actions, and being prepared forcontingencies.

MANAGING CHANGE Doing everything we can to help the Council change for the better – giving our full commitment

• Attitude

• Planning and delivering change

• Communicating change

Responding positively to change, and being flexible and open to new ways of working.

Looking for different ways to improve the service we provide.

Helping other people to react to change in the best way, by providing accurate information and consistent messages about the change.

LEADERSHIP Playing a leading role in the business – ensuring the Council’s future success

• Taking initiative

• Displaying awareness

• Providing support

Always looking for ways to improve performance.

Knowing and understanding the wider Council agenda, and making sure that our own, and our Service’s objectives,support it.

Willingly helping colleagues and managers to achieve the Council’s objectives.

DELIVERING RESULTS Working with people, to get the best results - meeting our targets, objectives and priorities

• Motivation

• Planning

Staying focused and driven, to deliver the things that we’re expected to achieve.

Using all available resources to deliver the best results, in the best way.

OUR COMPETENCIES - AT A GLANCE

PERSONALEFFECTIVENESS

LEVEL 2(Plus Level 1)

LEVEL 3(Plus Levels 1 and 2)

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS(All Levels)

. . . AND WHAT YOU SHOULDN’TWHAT YOU SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATING

LEVEL 1

4

• You’re confident and assertive whenyou put your views across to otherpeople.

• You back-up any suggestions youmake, with facts.

• You’re prepared to stand by your views,even if others challenge you.

• You’re able to explain your views indifferent ways, if people disagree withyou.

• You win people over by explaining whyyour way is the best way.

• You get others to agree, and committo, an action or viewpoint.

• You use facts, good reasons and yourown strong feelings, to get people toagree with you.

• You adapt the way you talk to people tomake sure they understand you.

• You’re too apologetic or aggressivewhen presenting your views.

• You don’t use facts to get people toagree with you.

• You don’t explain the benefits properly.• You back down too easily if others

challenge you.• You keep using the same reasons for

your views, when challenged.• You don’t seem to care what other

people think.• You don’t seem to realise that other

people may think differently to you.• You don’t think about the things that

could happen as a result of youractions.

• You push people too hard to agree. • Generally, any attitude or behaviour

that demonstrates the opposite of thestatements shown in Levels 1 to 3.

• You know how people work, and howto get them interested.

• You pick up on people’s reactions, andchange your style to achieve results.

• You adapt your approach, based onyour knowledge of the Council’s cultureand structure.

• You use experts or third parties toinfluence other people.

• You get other people to make adecision, without them feelingpressured into it.

• You give people responsibility for theirown job(s).

• You use good arguments and reasonto negotiate successfully with otherpeople.

• You involve people in the things thatyou know they’ll agree on.

• You think about the impact of actionson other people.

• You anticipate problems and plan, inadvance, how to deal with them.

• You get other people to makedecisions with you, and gain theiragreement.

Dealing with the different situations we face – in the best, and most appropriate, way

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS

IINNFFLLUUEENNCCIINNGG Getting other people to commit to do something that we feel is right





LEVEL 1

5

• You get on well with people, byexplaining your ideas clearly, so thatthey understand you.

• You speak clearly and calmly, andyou’re tactful.

• You’re a good listener.• You answer questions in the right way -

promptly and accurately.• You make sure that people have

understood you, and they know to passthe message on to others.

• You write clearly, when needed, and ina way that people can understand.

• You sort out information appropriately,and write, or input, it correctly.

• You talk too quietly, or can appearnervous and uncertain in somesituations.

• You tend to go into too much detail, orappear vague, and can be easilymisunderstood.

• You sometimes don’t notice howpeople react, or whether they’veunderstood you.

• You somtimes, ignore, interrupt, or talkover people.

• You tend to avoid talking to people. • You can take a long time to get to the

point.• You use unsuitable language or jargon

at times.• You tend to avoid eye contact, or use

‘closed’ body language.• Your writing can lack structure at times.• Your spelling, punctuation and

grammar skills can be poor.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You give consistent messages to otherpeople, to focus them on importantCouncil and Service targets.

• You explain difficult issues in a way thatdifferent people, at different levels,understand.

• You set-up different ways to encouragepeople to share information and views.

• You explain the Council’s vision and‘bigger picture’, and help people to seehow they, and their role, fit in it.

• You pull together a variety of ideas intoeasily understood documents,highlighting key points and messages.

• You share relevant and importantinformation on time, with your team.

• You’re happy to say what needs to besaid, and you’re tactful when you needto be.

• You choose the best way ofcommunicating (such as writing orface-to-face), and use the right wordsfor your audience and situation.

• You speak confidently, and holdpeople’s attention.

• You explain why decisions have beenmade and use examples to supportthem.

• You keep yourself and your teamfocused on the most important things,but let other people express their views.

• You ask people questions to check their understanding.

• You give a good impression of the Council when dealing withnon-employees.

• You produce clear, concise and easilyunderstood written communications.



CCOOMMMMUUNNIICCAATTIINNGG Communicating in the best way, so that other people understand us





LEVEL 1

6

• You know and understand the differentaspects of your job.

• You know what results you need toachieve, and how to achieve them.

• You keep up-to-date with any changesin the skills and knowledge you need.

• You come up with new or differentideas and ways of learning.

• You’re aware of your own strengths,but also where you need to develop.

• You join in with any training you needto do.

• You try to develop your career.

• You have a limited knowledge aboutyour own area of expertise.

• You’re not interested in updating orincreasing your specialist knowledge.

• You don’t understand enough aboutthe Council’s Services.

• You react negatively, or becomedefensive, if someone gives youfeedback to help you improve.

• Generally, any attitude or behaviourthat demonstrates the opposite of thestatements shown in Levels 1 to 3.

• You ask people for feedback; andrecognise, yourself, where you need todevelop - to improve your efficiencyand effectiveness.

• You earn respect from others, andcredibility, by sharing your considerableknowledge.

• You influence other people, because ofyour specialist knowledge orexperience.

• You actively influence the Council’sstrategy to create developmentopportunities.

• You ask people for feedback; anddevelop where you need to, based onwhat they say.

• If you make a mistake, you learn fromit, and put things right.

• You keep up-to-date with the latestissues, trends and advances.

• You try new things to help you learnand develop – in your current job, andto progress your career.

• You ask your manager for chances tolearn.

• You use what you’ve learned, to helpthe Council meet its aims.

• You give other people advice, based onwhat you know.



SSEELLFF--DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTT Wanting to improve ourselves, and looking for different ways to learn





LEVEL 1

7

• You find out what information youneed, and then get it, to make the rightdecisions in the time you’ve got.

• You base your decisions on what youunderstand and assume about theinformation you have.

• You ask other people for their opinions.• You know when to refer to your

manager.• You know what else could happen if

you don’t do something on time.

• You don’t use all the informationavailable to you.

• You don’t talk to others who may haveextra information.

• You ask your manager for help, whenyou should be making decisionsyourself.

• You act on your ‘gut feeling’ only,making assumptions.

• You’re happy to sit back and waitbefore doing something, even in acrisis.

• You let other people solve problems,and act as if it’s not part of your job.

• You don’t understand the informationavailable to you.

• You don’t commit to an appropriatecourse of action, to resolve an issue.

• You’re not happy to identify, or dealwith, problems.

• You get stuck in the detail of complexsituations, and can’t see the mainissues.


• You sort and prioritise the things thatyou need, to make sure your decision issensible.

• You use information from pastperformance to guide future practice.

• You consider the Council’s longer-termstrategy.

• You think about the views and motivesof everyone involved when coming toconclusions.

• You balance objectivity and sensitivity.• You’re prepared to make tough

decisions, considering political andoperational elements.

• You make sensible decisions aftergetting all the information you need,and thinking about alternative options.

• You use your own knowledge andexperience, and assess any risks.

• You involve your team in helping tomake decisions or plans, and valuepeople’s contributions.

• You’re sensitive to other people’sconcerns, and talk to them whendecisions affect them.

• You know when to ask your managerfor help, but you also suggest theaction(s) you could take.

• You’re focused on what you need toachieve, and not distracted by lessimportant things.

• You’re responsible for your owndecisions.



DDEECCIISSIIOONN--MMAAKKIINNGG Taking the right action, based on what we know, and being responsible for what happens

PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE





LEVEL 1

9

• You treat customers fairly andconsistently.

• You provide a professional, polite andhigh quality service.

• You sort out enquiries and problemspromptly.

• You understand how customers feel,and show this in the way that you dealwith them.

• You spot mistakes or problems andapologise for them.

• You keep customers up-to-date, bygiving them as much suitable andcorrect information as you can.

• You don’t see things from a customer’spoint of view.

• You have a short-term view of how tomeet customer needs.

• You think you know what customerswant, but make the wrong assumptions.

• You don’t keep customers informedand tell them what’s happening.

• You come across as unprofessional.• You’re slow to respond to customers’

requests.• You don’t check to see if problems and

issues have been resolved.• You’re not really interested in

customers or their needs.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You evaluate customer satisfactiondata, and change Council processesand strategy, where necessary.

• You develop and change services tomeet the long-term needs ofcustomers.

• Your relationship with customers isbased on a complex understanding oftheir needs.

• You put processes in place to sort outissues with Council and externalpartners.

• You realise when more than a standardresponse is needed, and takeappropriate action.

• You follow-up customer requests, tomake sure actions are taken and issuesresolved.

• You measure customer satisfaction tofind out what needs to be improved.

• You explain to customers, how and whywe can’t meet their needs, and offeralternatives.

• You change the way you do things, tomeet the needs of each customer.

• You spot problems and take action, assoon as possible, to stop them gettingworse.

• You deliver more than you promised,and try to exceed expectations.

• You make sure that there is continuityof service, as far as possible.

Giving the best service we can to our customers and colleagues – exceeding their expectations


CCUUSSTTOOMMEERR OORRIIEENNTTAATTIIOONN Finding out what our customers need and expect, and matching it with our best service





LEVEL 1

10

• You’re open about your own needs,and listen sensitively to other people’s.

• You work with other people to findways of solving problems.

• You work flexibly and you’re happy tohelp other employees.

• You back-up team decisions andsupport the aims of the team.

• You understand that your own job, andhow you do it, helps to meet the team’sgoals.

• You recognise and understand howpeople are different.

• You prefer to work alone, than gettingto know people.

• You’re negative about employees, orthe team itself.

• You think about people as ‘us andthem’.

• You rarely offer to help colleagues, anddon’t seem to care about other people.

• You don’t try to understand people’spriorities/motives.

• You take all the credit for getting thingsright.

• You focus on tasks rather than people.• You don’t try to sort out conflicts or

arguments, and may even cause them.• You criticise or put down other

people’s contributions. • You don’t understand how and why

personal issues can affect businessissues.

• You don’t support people’s differencesat work.


• You share knowledge, expertise andbest practice with others – within, andoutside of, the Council.

• You contact internal and externalpartners first, to make them aware ofany issues.

• You promote the value of team workingand communication across the Council,and resolve conflicts.

• You understand, and show concern for,the work that other people have to do.

• You recognise where you can worktogether with other people, for mutualbenefit.

• You ‘network’ with the right people, forthe right reasons, including internal andexternal contacts, and stakeholders.

• You decide carefully whichrelationships you want to invest yourtime and effort in, by taking a focusedand long-term approach.

• You’re respected by all of yourcolleagues, partners and customers.

• You encourage people to shareinformation, so that they achieve theright outcome.

• You ask for help from colleagues orexperts outside of the Council.

• You try to improve your team’sperformance, as well as meeting yourown personal goals.

• You try to get everyone to worktogether, and help to create a sense ofteam spirit.

• You take steps to manage the way thatpeople think about you, and discuss thequality of your working relationshipswith others.

• You make time to meet people anddevelop a shared understanding.

• You build strong relationships withcolleagues and customers, beyond justworking together on shared tasks.



CCOOLLLLAABBOORRAATTIIOONN Working together with colleagues and partners, within and outside the Council, to give our customers exceptional service





LEVEL 1

11

• You find out what other people need byasking questions that can’t beanswered with just a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.

• You act on your own initiative and sortout difficult situations or problems,without having to be asked.

• You look at a number of differentoptions when trying to sort out aproblem.

• You like to hear about different ideas;you’re keen to do well; and you ‘go theextra mile’ for people.

• You need to be told what to do andwhen to do it.

• You see problems, but don’t try to sortthem out or stop them from happeningagain.

• You’re happy to sit back and waitbefore doing something, even in acrisis.

• You ask other people to take decisionsfor you.

• You frequently need help to do yourjob.


• You spot when a policy needs to bechanged or developed, and make sureit happens.

• You look for ways to improve customerservice, and change processes whereappropriate.

• You identify future customer needs,and take the right actions to meet them.

• You learn how to improve service in theCouncil, by keeping up-to-date withother approaches in the public andprivate sector.

• You recognise and reward people forbeing proactive.

• You look for ways to help other peoplesolve problems and get results.

• You’re happy to look into a problem,when other people don’t know theanswer to it.

• You spot the problems that otherpeople may miss, and take action tostop a situation or crisis fromhappening.

• You think ahead to find new ways ofgiving customers excellent service.

• You form contingency plans, so thatpeople can cope if things go wrong.



FFOORRWWAARRDD TTHHIINNKKIINNGG Anticipating customers’ needs and the consequences of situations; taking appropriate actions, and being prepared for contingencies

MANAGING CHANGE





LEVEL 1

13

• You’re happy to be told about newideas and ways of working.

• You try to see the good things thatchange can bring.

• You’re aware of your own concernswhen faced with change, andunderstand how other people feelabout it too.

• You try hard to do things the new way,when things change.

• You’re able to cope with change andhandle situations that seem unclear.

• You don’t mind being interrupted in themiddle of a task.

• You can’t see the need for change.• You can’t see things from another

person’s point of view.• You’re unwilling to deal with risk or

uncertainty.• You’re only comfortable with routines

and tried and tested ways of working.• You find it difficult to cope with change

or you resist it.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You think strategically, see new ways ofdoing things, and look for ways toimprove services.

• You praise and reward people, whenthey do things in new ways that make adifference.

• You let people experiment and try newways of working.

• You encourage people to be flexibleand to think of completely newapproaches or solutions to problems.

• You get people to see the need forchange, and you help them adapt to it.

• You understand the process of change– why it happens, how it works, andwhat the impacts can be.

• You proactively explain to people whatchange means, and support themthrough the full change process.

• You actively involve other people inchange initiatives.

• You ask people to suggest ways toimprove or move forward, and thenbuild on their suggestions.

• You understand how other people feel,when faced with change, and help tobuild their confidence in the changes.

• You try to get others to see the goodthings that change can bring.

Doing everything we can to help the Council change for the better – giving our full commitment

MANAGING CHANGE

AATTTTIITTUUDDEE Responding positively to change, and being flexible and open to new ways of thinking





LEVEL 1

14

• You suggest ways to improve service inthe work that you do.

• You try to improve the way people dothings, so that the quality of work ishigher.

• You question why people do things in acertain way, because you want toimprove the way they’re done.

• You point out where a system orprocess could work better.

• You use what you’ve learned from yourown, and other people’s experiences.

• You look for ways to work moreefficiently, rather than having to workharder.

• You tell your manager about problemsthat keep happening, as well as anywaste or inefficiency that you see.

• You have a fixed approach, and don’tthink about alternatives whencircumstances change.

• You complain about aspects of yourwork, but don’t suggest ways to makethem better.

• You try to put changes in place withoutusing proper plans.

• You don’t produce detailed and realisticplans to deliver improvements inservice.

• You’re satisfied with the way things areand prefer more traditional ways ofworking, even if they don’t produce thebest results.

• You don’t produce many different orinnovative ideas.


• You identify future service and Councilneeds, proactively.

• You write proposals and businesscases to improve services, and to meetthe Council’s strategic aims.

• You take the lead role whenimplementing change successfully.

• You develop accurate and realisticplans for change projects, and usemilestones and performance measuresto monitor overall success.

• You obtain the resources you need toimplement change, and use themefficiently, keeping within budget andtimescales.

• You focus your own, and otherpeople’s, energies, on the things thatwill give the greatest return.

• You find imaginative and creative waysof solving problems.

• You initiate changes to improve theCouncil’s culture.

• You always review performance andrecommend ways to improve efficiencyand quality, making sure that problemsdon’t happen again.

• You use the skills of people who youknow can take change forward, andmake it happen.

• You include some flexibility in yourchange plans, to allow for anyunforeseen circumstances.

• You regularly check project progressagainst planned milestones, and knowwhen, and why, you may have tochange those milestones.

• You negotiate with the right people toget the resources you need to deliverchange.

• You actively make changes to the waypeople work, to improve performanceagainst the Council’s indicators.


MANAGING CHANGE

PPLLAANNNNIINNGG AANNDD DDEELLIIVVEERRIINNGG CCHHAANNGGEE Looking for different ways to improve the service we provide





LEVEL 1

15

• You ask people questions to make sureyou understand Council changes, anddifferent ways of working.

• You correctly share what you knowabout change with the people you workwith.

• You tell the right people what you thinkabout change.

• You talk openly, and in a helpful way,about how you, and other people, feelabout change.

• You don’t consider other people’sperspectives.

• You don’t listen to others.• You’re quick to say that change isn’t

working.• You don’t explain the benefits of

change to employees.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You take responsibility for explainingclearly to people, how the future willlook following change, and how this willimpact on individuals, groups andServices.

• You make sure that people know aboutthe benefits of change and developplans to encourage employees tobuy-in to it, rather than resist it.

• You make sure that you communicatethe progress and results of changeprojects to all employees.

• You analyse the reasons for successand failure, and communicate anylessons learned along the way.

• You manage the conflicting views ofyour stakeholders, by explaining theimpact of decisions.

• You introduce ways to let employeescommunicate their ideas about change.

• You make sure that everyoneunderstands what the main reasonsand issues for change are.

• You listen to other people, when theyexplain how they feel about change,and you answer them sensitively.

• You build confidence in other peopleabout the changes being introduced, bytaking things one-step at a time.

• You explain the good things thatchange can bring, and sort out anyproblems or resistance, openly andsensitively.

• You let other people know if there areany changes to plans or servicedelivery.

• You encourage everybody, (especiallyemployees who deal directly withcustomers), to find new ways to deliverand develop services.


MANAGING CHANGE

CCOOMMMMUUNNIICCAATTIINNGG CCHHAANNGGEE Helping other people to react to change in the best way, by providing accurate information and consistent messages about the change

LEADERSHIP





LEVEL 1

17

• You try to meet your targets withoutanyone reminding or pushing you to doso.

• You’re happy to take responsibility forthings, and to be held to account byother people.

• You try hard to make things better.• You’re able to do things on your own,

especially when there’s no manageraround.

• You work in the best way, acting as arole model, so that other people cansee how they should do things.

• You show little pride, or concern withquality.

• You rely on others to check details foryou.

• You don’t know the standards andservice levels you need to meet.

• Your work suffers when you’re underpressure.

• You rarely exceed targets.• You agree to do something, without

thinking of the knock-on effects. • You don’t like to sort out difficult

problems yourself.• You prefer to let other people take the

lead.• You prefer not to take on new

responsibilities.• You set easy targets and personal

objectives.• You ignore how hard people work

around you, or the quality of their work.• You don’t like it when people use their

own ideas.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You take ownership when you have todeliver business objectives.

• You communicate and implement theresults of corporate decisions, withenergy and commitment.

• You allow other people to use theirown initiative, and give them the powerand authority they need to work moreeffectively.

• You use your initiative to solveproblems.

• You get other people to share theirideas and get them to take personalresponsibility for their results.

• You proactively try to make a differenceand make things happen.

• You encourage everyone in the team tojoin in fully, improving teamwork as aresult.

Playing a leading role in the business – ensuring the Council’s future success

LEADERSHIP

TTAAKKIINNGG IINNIITTIIAATTIIVVEE Always looking for ways to improve performance





LEVEL 1

18

• You understand how your ownpersonal, team and Service targets linktogether, and how they support theCouncil’s overall targets.

• You ask people to explain things whenyou need to.

• You try hard to spread your knowledgeto help other people.

• You understand and follow the properways of doing things.

• You’re unaware of the goals orstandards that you need to meet.

• You produce poor quality work, leaveout detail, or make mistakes.

• You’re confused about objectives, andconfuse others.

• You don’t make goals and objectivesclear to others.

• You lose sight of the ‘big picture’.• Generally, any attitude or behaviour


• You understand strategic objectivesand ‘translate’ them into specificbusiness actions.

• You know, in-depth, what the strengthsand weaknesses of your Service are.

• You’re able to analyse a currentposition and develop a long-termstrategy.

• You focus on the key issues thatsupport the Council’s strategy and willachieve success.

• You manage your resources effectively,and delegate work in a way thatchallenges and develops other people.

• You create, and promote, a clear visionfor your area, which directly supportsthe Council’s goals.

• You set appropriate short andlong-term objectives to achieve thevision and goals.

• You’re aware of external and internalpolitics, and any changes to workingpractices.

• You explain the purpose and targets ofyour team and Service, to other people.

• You make sure that you and yourcolleagues have clearly definedpersonal objectives and duties.

• You keep yourself, and other people,focused through discussion andactions.

• You’re interested in longer-term aims,and think about these issues when youhave to respond urgently.

• You know when to be a ‘hands-on’manager, and when to delegateresponsibility to other people.

• You delegate responsibilities to theappropriate people who work for you.

• You’re aware of any external factorsthat can have knock-on effects on thebusiness.

• You take account of relevant Councilstrategies and policies when you planwork.


LEADERSHIP

DDIISSPPLLAAYYIINNGG AAWWAARREENNEESSSS Knowing and understanding the wider Council agenda, and making sure that our own, and our Service’s, objectives, support it





LEVEL 1

19

• You ask people to give you feedback,and to explain your targets and the bestways that you can meet them.

• You give regular and helpful feedbackto other people.

• You make sure that you spend the rightamount of time on the different aspectsof your job, to meet all aims.

• You only work with the most capablepeople, and ignore the rest.

• You don’t make time for other peopleto discuss their development.

• You only give people feedback abouttheir performance, when they makemistakes.

• You avoid giving people bad news.• You give the team total freedom, but no

guidance.• You delegate tasks to people, but not

the responsibility and control they needto do them.

• You don’t delegate the right tasks tothe right people.

• You don’t delegate challenging orinteresting work.


• You develop ways to measure otherpeople’s achievements fairly andobjectively.

• You actively give people theopportunity to gain experience for theirown development.

• You act as a coach and mentor toother people.

• You create a ‘climate’ of support andaccountability, rather than blame.

• You’re good at using managementinformation, to find out how your teamis performing, and to take the rightactions to improve performancefurther.

• You hold regular, structured meetingswith your employees, to help them withtheir personal development.

• You talk to your employees about theirfeelings and motives, as well as thetasks they have to do.

• You can spot potential in other people,and you support their development inother Services across the Council.

• You recognise when other people needsupport, and you offer to help them.

• You support other people with theirideas and proposals.

• You advise and direct other people, sothat they clearly understand what youexpect from their performance.

• You recognise and congratulate peoplewhen their performance improves.

• You encourage, and help to set-up,training and other developmentactivities.

• You look at people’s different abilities,workloads and needs when allocatingwork.

• You deal with poor performance orunsuitable behaviour, in the mosteffective and appropriate way.

• You check, and actively manage, howyour people are performing againstperformance indicators.

• You make time to support employees,by being open and visible to them.


LEADERSHIP

PPRROOVVIIDDIINNGG SSUUPPPPOORRTT Willing helping colleagues and managers to achieve the Council’s objectives

DELIVERING RESULTS





LEVEL 1

21

• You know what you’re good at, andwhat role you prefer to play within ateam.

• You’re keen to do things, and to dothem well.

• You work steadily to meet your targets.• You set new targets for yourself, once

you’ve reached the old ones.• You enjoy a challenge.• You work well, even when time is short

or things are difficult.• You don’t mind being told when you’ve

done something wrong.

• You’re not as keen as other people toreach targets.

• You prefer simple tasks, to challenges.• You give up when you’re disappointed,

or find things difficult.• You’re uncomfortable when you have

to meet deadlines or feel underpressure to complete something.

• You get overly upset when you’re toldthat you could improve yourperformance.

• You get easily side-tracked when youneed to achieve important goals.

• You don’t appreciate that people aremotivated by different things.

• You only think about getting the jobdone, and not what’s going on aroundyou.

• You ‘punish’ people more than youshould, when they make mistakes.


• You get outstanding results, and oftenbeat your targets.

• You’re not put off achieving your goals,even when you’re faced with significantproblems or disappointments.

• You consistently push to improveperformance and achieve excellence.

• You get to know people and what theywant out of life.

• You check how people are feeling, andhow motivated they are – individuallyand collectively.

• You know how you affect and influenceother people.

• You create a good team spirit andmotivate other people.

• You don’t give up easily when you’vegot a job to do, or a difficult problem tosolve.

• You keep problems in perspective.• You deal with both the difficult and

boring aspects of your job, and don’tput off doing things.

Working with people, to get the best results - meeting our targets, objectives and priorities

DELIVERING RESULTS

MMOOTTIIVVAATTIIOONN Staying focused and driven, to deliver the things that we’re expected to achieve





LEVEL 1

22

• You organise your work by thinkingabout deadlines, promises, and howimportant the different tasks are.

• You prepare in good time, for anyfuture work you need to do.

• You’re realistic about the time you needto do a job, and will tell other peopleimmediately if you can’t do something.

• You ask for help when you need to.• You only miss deadlines because of

circumstances beyond your owncontrol.

• You don’t meet deadlines.• You make promises that can’t be

delivered.• You concentrate on detail or everyday

issues, instead of the wider picture.• You don’t foresee problems in meeting

project objectives.• You give work out to the wrong people,

who don’t have the right skills to do it.• You don’t see how ideas, people,

activities and functions are allconnected.

• You don’t see how other people’sactions or decisions could damageyour area(s) of the Council.


• You use the right skills to manageprojects successfully and get the rightresults.

• You identify and prioritise importantactivities and milestones in a project,and know how urgently they need to bedone.

• You think about the resources andexpertise you need to achieve yourgoals.

• You make sure that your own actionplans support the Council’s overallobjectives.

• You check and review your plans tomake sure they’re still effective andprogressing well against agreedtimescales.

• You check how much you’ve spentagainst your budget and take anynecessary actions.

• You think in advance about future andlonger-term demands, and put effectiveplans in place to meet these.

• You work with other people to create,review, and change plans wherenecessary.

• You organise and plan events, activitiesand resources, to make sure thatprojects or goals are met within agreedtimescales and budgets.

• You prioritise your own, and otherpeople’s work, based on businessneeds.

• You produce complete, detailed andrealistic project plans.

• You organise people and work in thebest way, to achieve results.

• You give out work, and delegate, toother people, based on their strengthsand how much time they have.

• You balance any conflicting prioritieswhen you need to.

Working with people, to get the best results - meeting our targets, objectives and priorities

DELIVERING RESULTS

PPLLAANNNNIINNGG Using all available resources to deliver the best results, in the best way

new thinking at work DESCRIBING OUR COMPETENCIES

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