How to convince leaders to use competency models to create a culture of learning

To convince leaders to use competency models to create a culture of learning, you need them to tell the story of skill gaps and engagement.  Today, it would be hard for a leader not to recognize that both are challenges they face.  Competency models can fix them both. 

Skill gaps

Ask leaders, “How do you know if people have the skills they need to do their jobs?  You know we have skill gaps.  How do you know where they are?”

In order to know what skill gaps exist and to be able to measure improvement, you need a baseline.  A competency assessment with a role-based competency model will give that to you.

Engagement

Research from Deloitte shows there is a social contract between employees and employers which you can summarize like this: 

• You agree to develop me and help me grow

• I agree to be engaged while I’m here, and put my mastery toward achieving your goals

 Don’t do the first, and I won’t do the second.

To successfully develop them and help them grow at scale, you need people to own their own development and career planning.  Competency models tied to personalized learning enable organizations to shift from training to learning.

• Training is an event, something you do to people.

• Learning is a continuous process, something people do for themselves.

 Similar to getting a skill gap baseline, you also need an engagement baseline in the form of engagement survey metrics, attrition rates, and exit interview results.

Next, you’ll need to identify the costs associated with not closing skill gaps, and not fixing the engagement problem.  What you want to do is show them that the cost of doing nothing, (e.g., the cost of replacing people, the impact on creativity and innovation, and what turnover does to competitive advantage), far outweighs the costs of trying something different.  This is the business case you’ll use to influence them.

Want to learn more about how to create a business case for influencing leaders to embrace a culture of learning?  Watch the free webinar.