Have You Heard of Core Competencies?
What are Core Competencies and how should I use them when selecting a class?
A Core Competency is a knowledge, skill, or ability that contributes to the successful completion of a task on the job. All employees use multiple competencies to perform their job. If you want to develop and/or improve in a particular Core Competency, please review our County Competency Grid to see what classes address the area(s) you are looking to develop and/or improve.
What are the County’s Core Competencies?
Although there are numerous and unique Core Competencies for each of our jobs, the County has identified the following general Core Competencies which are intentionally broad in order to address most, if not all, positions:
- Customer-Focused: Proactively seeks and finds ways to provide the highest standards of service.
- Technically Knowledgeable: Possesses knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to accomplish a specific task, job or function.
- Problem-Solver and Decision-Maker: Demonstrates a broad repertoire of ways to think about, understand and creatively handle complex ideas, problems and situations.
- Planner and Organizer: Proactively develops and ensures the smooth implementation of short and long-range goals and objectives.
- Interpersonally Effective: Creates and sustains positive working relationships.
- Effective Communicator: Demonstrates open, honest and respectful written and verbal communication.
- Team-builder: Unites a group of people and motivates them towards a defined mission, goal and
objective. - Initiator/Change Agent: Is proactive and self-starting by seizing opportunities and originating action to achieve goals.
- Innovator: Generates and recognizes creative solutions in varying work situations.
- Flexible/Adaptable: Maintains effectiveness in varying work environments where circumstances and priorities are changing.
- Accountable: Takes responsibility and ownership for a problem, project or issue.
- Skill and Career Development Coach: Assesses and develops both the strengths and needs of the individual and the team, including developing and preparing staff for promotion.
- Politically Astute: Considers probable support or opposition to ideas or actions based on political interest and constraints.
- Resilient: Maintains high performance and composure under pressure, opposition or criticism.
- Results-Oriented: Productively focuses time and resources on activities to produce quality results.
- Ethical: Maintains and promotes individual and organization integrity and values in conduct of all activities.
- Strategic Thinker: Views events and possibilities from multiple perspectives. Understands the bigger picture and the interdependencies and effects of other systems.