Smiths Behavioural Competencies
Driving Results
The ability to persistently pursue and achieve results. To look for improvements and embrace change in order to drive the business forward. Actively monitors and reviews plans in order to hit or exceed targets.
Positive Indicators
- Consistently drives and encourages change
- Energised by creating better ways of doing things; looks for continuous improvement
- Identifies and seizes new opportunities
- Agrees challenging but realistic goals, actions, performance indicators and deadlines to ensure effective execution
- Monitors, reviews and adapts plans to ensure delivery
Development Indicators
- Takes an overly safe and cautious approach
- Struggles with change or unable to adapt plans to changing environments
- Happy to accept the status quo or tends to follow past practices
- Works without plans, performance indicators timelines or specific actions and may miss deadlines
- Does not actively take responsibility for achieving results
Strategic Decision Making
The ability to make good judgements in an increasingly complex global market by effectively sourcing and analysing critical information and making effective, timely decisions. Demonstrates an understanding of the implications their decisions have for other areas of the business or in the longer term.
Positive Indicators
- Makes timely decisions and takes action based only on critical information
- Works well with ambiguity and uncertainty
- Generates a wide range of solutions
- Considers the consequences of actions on other areas of the business
- Adapts short term plans in line with business priorities
- Sees beyond the task to the 'bigger picture'
Development Indicators
- Has difficulty identifying root causes of issues
- Struggles to interpret complex information
- Over deliberates when making decisions
- When under pressure may find it difficult to make rational judgements
- Does not consider the effect of decisions on other areas of the business
- Focuses on the short term at the expense of the longer term
Influencing
The art of effective persuasion; winning hearts and minds. The ability to inspire others to take action toward a common objective. The willingness to challenge others whilst considering their viewpoint and adapting their style to truly bring people with them.
Positive Indicators
- Respectfully expresses unpopular opinions
- Expresses views openly and shows personal conviction
- Asks lots of questions to clarify others' positions and indentifies the benefits
- Effectively communicates using the appropriate medium whether written or verbal
- Values and accepts diverse perspectives
- Demonstrates understanding of how people feel even across different cultures and overcomes barriers
- Anticipates the reactions of others and adapts style accordingly
Development Indicators
- Tends to go with the majority, unlikely to raise controversial issues
- Seeks consensus to avoid conflict
- Does not adapt their style to the audience or uses one style to fit all
- Does not tend to ask for input or feedback
- Focuses predominantly on the message rather than adapting its delivery
- Shows limited respect for others' views
- Gets aggressive or upset under pressure
- Does not tend to notice emotional reactions and does not respond to others' body language
Leading People
The ability to clearly articulate an inspiring vision for people to follow and effectively lead and manage the performance of their people. An effective leader is a role model to others, monitors progress on objectives and behaviours and coaches others for success.
Positive Indicators
- Inspires people to follow their role model and communicates a clear motivational vision
- Adapts leadership style to suit the situation and culture
- Ensures a pipeline of talent is developed for the current and future needs of the organisation
- Agrees specific, measurable objectives with people and monitors progress
- Coaches people to improve performance
- Gives honest, timely and balanced feedback. Always completes Performance Reviews on time
- Delegates work in an empowering and developmental way
Development Indicators
- Does not consistently lead by example
- Tends not to communicate a strategy to the team or stakeholders
- Does not openly demonstrate passion for the business
- Overly task focused at the expense of the people focus
- Sets unclear or unrealistic objectives
- Does not consistently monitor people's progress. Does not take Performance Reviews seriously
- Struggles to give constructive feedback
- When delegating tends to tell people what to do and how to do it
Stakeholder Impact
The ability to build an effective network of relationships both internally and externally. An important skill for Smiths' leaders is to understand key stakeholders and their needs and to proactively manage important internal or external relationships.
Positive Indicators
- Understands who the key stakeholders are for their role
- Identifies the future needs of stakeholders
- Takes time to consider the stakeholders' key drivers and motivators
- Consistently delivers or exceeds stakeholder expectations
- Looks for customer feedback and acts on it. Demonstrates self awareness
- Actively works cooperatively across Smiths and across cultures
- Looks for ?win:win' situations in relationships
- Takes the time to Invests in relationships
Development Indicators
- Considers a narrow range of stakeholders
- Does not consult with stakeholders to understand their motivators
- Limited focus on improving standards for internal and external customers
- Has a limited network or tends to work in isolation
- Engages in inappropriate conflict situations with some stakeholders, takes disagreements personally
- Acts competitively with internal stakeholders
Commercial Orientation
The understanding and application of commercial management. Identifying market opportunity and the effective implementation of strategies for improved financial performance for the short and long term are key skills for Smiths' leaders.
Positive Indicators
- Talks knowledgeably about how their role contributes to the commercial success of the business
- Proactively identifies and acts upon market opportunities
- Drives and encourages commercial behaviour in the business
- Implements a Business Planning strategy
- Uses effective metrics to track business performance
- Identifies and acts upon opportunities to improve the top and bottom line
- Uses financial information to drive key decisions
Development Indicators
- Struggles to explain how their work contributes to the success of the business
- Plans in isolation and without reference to the external market
- Lacks awareness of competitor activities
- Misses opportunities to reduce costs or generate profit
- Makes decisions in absence of financial data or lacks understanding of the longer term business impact
- Tends not to use business performance measures
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