Competencies and development tips: Conceptual ability

Conceptual ability covers competencies related to ‘thinking’ and is closely linked to intelligence. Each competency has a description. You can use these for a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Also read about the other Competencies and Development tips: Influencing ability, Communication skills, Organisation orientation, Organisational ability, Personal orientation & Relational ability.

Creativity

Competency

Being able to generate alternatives and to think outside existing frameworks.

Developability

This competency is difficult to develop because creativity depends on personality traits, upbringing and underlying norms. These are not easy to change. Some people simply have more ideas or a richer imagination than others. There are also people who are creative, but whose creativity does not come through because of limiting thoughts such as: ‘my idea has to be good straight away’ or ‘I have no ideas’. In that case, it is ‘only’ a matter of removing those thoughts.

Goal

Define your goal: In which area do you want to become more creative, and what do you want to have achieved, for example within a year? How will you measure your development on this competency? For example by counting the number of ideas you generate, or by regularly asking others what they think of your development in this area.

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on creativity in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. A few examples:

Books

Thinking Big: a creative approach to solutions by John O’Keeffe
A Whack on the Side of the Head: how you can be more creative by Roger von Oech
The Blacksmith’s Secret by Arie Maat
Use Your Brain by Jan-Willem van den Brandhof

Internet

http://www.leokrans.nl/psychologie/creativiteit-uitgebreid.htm

Courses/WorkshopsWorkshops on ‘creative thinking’, ‘innovation’, ‘inspiration’ or ‘brainstorming techniques’.

Learning through imitation

Ask others what they do to increase their creativity. Take time to listen to other people’s views and opinions so you can generate ideas yourself. Let yourself be inspired, especially by people who think differently from you. Observe how the creative process works for others.

Learning through experimentation

Experiment with this competency. Take time to think of several alternative solutions before you make a decision. For example, organise brainstorming sessions with others, and give yourself time to let your imagination run free. It is important not to impose limitations on yourself (the idea does not have to be perfect or practically feasible right away). In your free time, you could for example take part in a survival weekend, or deliberately not prepare perfectly for an outing so you end up in unexpected situations and are effectively forced to come up with innovative solutions.

Learning through insight

Try to find out why you are not very creative, or why you feel you need to develop in this area. Which limitations do you impose on yourself that prevent creative ideas from coming through? Also ask others for feedback on this point. Furthermore, to increase your creativity it is important that you are open to new things that may seem strange to you. Be curious!

Statements

Translates customer questions into new original approaches or concepts.
Finds innovative ways to achieve results.
Initiates new developments.
Develops original creative solutions to concrete issues.
Develops new services and products.
Responds to market opportunities through product development.
Immediately has many ideas ready when faced with a question.
Steps outside existing frameworks; does not cling to fixed ideas.
Gets others enthusiastic about new ideas.
Uses creativity to stand out from competitors.
When developing new products, does not initially allow themselves to be distracted by practical considerations.
Comes up with surprising angles.
Contributes new ideas during a brainstorming session.
Combines different insights into a new idea.
Turns loose ideas from others into a coherent new picture.
Works ideas out into a finished product.
Uses stimulating insights to encourage others to think along.

Learning ability

Competency

Being able to process new information and apply it effectively.

Developability

Learning ability is a competency that is difficult to develop, because the capacity to learn is strongly related to intelligence level. Intelligence itself is not developable. However, someone can improve their way of learning, which can still increase learning ability. Procrastination or weaker ‘study discipline’ can also have a negative effect on the extent to which someone learns. These points can be worked on. That does not immediately increase actual learning ability, but it can still help someone process information better and apply it more effectively.

Goal

What do you want to be able to learn faster and better, and in which situations do you want to process and apply information more quickly? Try to clearly define for yourself when you want to show more learning ability, and also how you can make that measurable.

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on learning ability in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. A few examples:

Books
There are many books on study planning and on ways to learn effectively. Non-students can also find useful tips in these books that can help with learning. A few examples:

Study Planning by H.C. Schouwenburg, J.T. Groenewoud
Study Methods by B. van Hout Woltgers, P. Jongepier, A. Pilot
I Study in My Own Way by Joke Oosterhuis-Geers

Internet

http://www.psychfysio.nl/Nieuws/2_15_3.html

Learning through imitation

Ask people who have strong learning ability whether they have a particular ‘learning strategy’, or a particular approach to processing information. In this way you can sometimes pick up useful tips you would not have thought of yourself, but which may still be applicable for you. Then practise applying these tips yourself and see what does and does not work for you.

Learning through experimentation

It can sometimes be easier to learn by doing than by taking it from a book or something similar. Experiment by doing things without fully understanding the explanation or instructions. You can also learn by doing (as the saying goes).

In addition, you can of course experiment with the tips you get from others or take from books.

Learning through insight

Above all, use your experience to learn. So also take time, after you have done something, to ask yourself what you have learned from it for next time. Look at what can help you process information more smoothly next time. The more you have done, the more often you can link new information to something you already know. That makes learning easier.

Statements

Is critical of their own performance.
Applies newly acquired knowledge and insights in daily practice.
Learns as a result of experimenting with behaviour and their own experiences.
Reflects on their own performance and enters into an open conversation about it.
Learns from mistakes and applies what has been learned.
Uses feedback received to function better.
Allows themselves to be convinced by realistic arguments.
Actively seeks information to learn from.
Can absorb new information quickly; learns quickly.
Has a broad frame of reference and can use it to remember and interpret things.
Can change their own behaviour on the basis of learning experiences.

Judgement

Competency

Being able to form a well-considered and sound judgement on the basis of information.

Developability

Judgement is a competency that is difficult to develop. It involves being able to think and reason clearly and with nuance using relevant criteria. There is a link with abstract thinking ability and intellectual capacity. The tendency to think from one’s own normative framework is a limiting factor.

Goal

Define the situations in which you want to arrive at a sound and well-thought-out judgement; what is needed to separate main points from side issues? How do you do justice to the actual situation and arrive at a realistic assessment? Do you sufficiently distinguish between facts and assumptions?

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on judgement in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. An example is:

Learning through imitation

Consider who in your immediate environment knows how to arrive at a sound assessment of situations. These may be people who are regularly asked what they think of something. Seek those people out and, in a work meeting or client visit, look at which conclusions they draw on the basis of the available information. Which steps has your colleague taken, and are the conclusions realistic? Afterwards, discuss how someone arrives at that judgement and which thoughts and arguments underpin it.

Learning through experimentation

Take a case or situation in which, in your view, you did not arrive at a sound or complete judgement. Draw up one list with the facts and another with the assumptions or perhaps prejudices you had. On paper, separate main points from side issues for yourself. Go through everything again and critically check whether the judgement you have is based solely on the facts. Do not hesitate to go through the process of forming a judgement again; look at which information sources you use and which conclusions you now reach.

Learning through insight

It can be useful to ask a colleague for tips. They can ask you which arguments you use to arrive at a judgement. You can also check in this way whether you always judge from the same perspective and whether you reason logically and correctly. Ask someone with an opposing view for their judgement and ask what their underlying reasons are. Weighing information and reasoning are different steps in the process of forming a judgement. That is why it can be useful to evaluate where your improvement points lie.

Statements

Bases judgements and decisions on facts and not on assumptions.
Weighs costs and benefits when taking decisions.
Takes multiple perspectives into account when taking decisions.
Takes feasibility into account when taking decisions.
Indicates strengths and weaknesses on the basis of observations.
Quickly and alertly recognises opportunities and threats and responds to them.
Picks up signals and assesses risks.
Develops an independent judgement on possible approaches.
Uses employees’ capabilities by valuing them appropriately.
When there are many alternatives, weighs pros and cons against each other before forming a judgement.
Does not allow themselves to be influenced; is critical of information.
Sets priorities on the basis of information.
Even under time pressure, does not take hasty decisions, but is guided by priorities.
Recognises all possible consequences of a decision and takes them into account.

Problem analysis

Competency

Being able to analyse complex issues or difficult situations and recognise cause and effect.

Developability

Problem analysis is a difficult competency to develop, because it is mainly related to intelligence. Intelligence itself is not developable. It is possible, however, to gain more experience and, based on knowledge of certain types of problems, still arrive at a good problem analysis. This does mean that development takes a lot of time. It is also possible to learn a more reflective, analytical thinking attitude.

Goal

In which situations do you notice limitations in yourself in the area of problem analysis? In other words, in which situations do you want to increase your problem-analytical ability? Be realistic in this and do not demand more of yourself than is logical given your education and experience. Once you have identified these situations, make concrete for yourself what you want to do differently. For example, do you want to arrive at a problem analysis more quickly, or do you want to arrive at a better analysis? This can differ per situation.

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on problem analysis in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. A few examples:

Books

Step by Step Problem Solving by Richard Chang, Keith Kelly

Internet

http://www.managersonline.nl/

Learning through imitation

Look at a problem you encounter together with someone you know has strong problem-analytical ability. Ask this person to think out loud while they explore the problem. Which thinking steps does this person take when analysing the situation? Together with this person, look at whether a clear system can be identified in their way of thinking. You may then be able to follow that system yourself. This can help you bring more structure into your own thinking process. It is also possible that this person names thinking steps that you usually skip, but that turn out to be essential.

Learning through experimentation

Try to apply the ideas you have gained through imitation yourself. See whether this has the desired effect — that is, whether you arrive at an analysis more quickly, or whether you arrive at a better analysis.

Learning through insight

As mentioned, by gaining more experience you can increase your ability to analyse problems. It is therefore important to pause at your learning experience. Each time you have analysed and solved a problem well, it is useful to consider what you have learned from it and what you can use again with the next problem.

Statements

Quickly gets to the heart of a problem.
Sees connections in complex problems.
Looks at a problem from multiple perspectives.
When there is a lot of information, distinguishes main points from side issues in a problem.
Responds quickly and alertly to problems.
Identifies bottlenecks and names them.
Systematically searches for the causes of problems.
Actively seeks information and background on problems by asking questions.
Checks analysis for reliability and completeness.
Gives advice based on well-substantiated analyses.
Analyses a problem by splitting it into sub-questions.
When faced with a large number of small problems, looks at them as a whole and recognises the common cause.
Digs deeper into matters; is critical of information.
When analysing a problem, first checks whether these problems have occurred before.

Problem-solving ability

Competency

Being able to develop practical solutions to concrete issues.

Developability

This competency is not easy to develop because finding solutions in practice is related to several factors. It is linked among other things to intellectual capacity, pragmatism and creativity, and a positive attitude towards problems. This means that gaining insight is essential, as is awareness of alternatives in problem solving. It requires a flexible way of thinking, associative ability, and the ability to think and reason logically.

Goal

Consider for yourself in which area you want to be able to solve problems. What kind of issues are involved? Do you want to arrive at a practical solution to a problem, or do you want to be able to approach the problem from multiple angles?

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on problem-solving ability in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. A few examples:

Books

Solving Problems with Creative Techniques by Ineke Walravens, Lemma.

Learning through imitation

Ask colleagues to think along on a difficult problem. Discuss which solutions they see; which obvious solutions are there, and what are the alternatives? Also talk to a colleague who tends to think in solutions rather than problems, or someone who enjoys solving puzzles. What motivates that person to see a problem as a challenge? Which connections do they make that you have not yet seen?

Learning through experimentation

Start for yourself by choosing a problem that occurs repeatedly and for which the question is concrete. Challenge yourself to come up with at least 5 solutions and evaluate these against a number of criteria. How practical is the feasibility of the solution? What are the short-term and long-term advantages? Can you combine data to arrive at an optimal solution?

Learning through insight

Consider how you initially looked at the issue: did you see it as a problem, or did you think in terms of solutions? How difficult was it to come up with multiple solutions; are the alternatives equally practical? Look at which data you use and which information you leave aside. Do you easily make connections between ideas, or does that take more effort? When choosing a solution, it is important to check whether your solution ultimately also leads to a more efficient way of working.

Statements

Is solution-oriented.
Enjoys solving problems.
Thinks of alternative plans and solutions to problems.
Does not think in problems, but in terms of solutions.
Thinks of solutions for problems that occur repeatedly.
Combines data in order to come up with solutions.
Thinks logically and structures the work so that the work becomes easier.
Finds multiple solutions to problems.
Evaluates solutions on short-term and long-term advantages.
Takes the practical feasibility of their own solution into account.
Chooses a solution on the basis of available factual information.
Thinks of ways to work more efficiently and effectively.
Focuses on what is truly important and urgent.

Strategy and vision

Competency

Being able to see the bigger picture, anticipate developments and trends, and identify and use opportunities in them.

Developability

This competency is difficult to develop because it also depends on intellectual capacity. Way of thinking also plays a role: the extent to which someone tends to look to the future and see things in a broader context, and engages with trends, developments and future perspective. For people who think in a future-oriented way, this competency is easier to develop.

Goal

Define your goal on the basis of situations in which you want to have more strategy and vision. You can best measure your development on this competency by regularly sparring with people who have this competency and asking them for feedback.

Development actions

Which concrete actions will you take, and when, broken down into the four ways of learning?

Learning through knowledge

There is a lot of information available on strategy and vision in books, on the internet or through courses. There is almost always something that appeals in both tone and content. A few examples:

Books

Strategic Thinking: in search of new heroes by René ten Bos
Towards a Learning Organisation by J. Swieringa, A.F.M. Wierdsma
Books or articles in the field in which you work.

Courses/WorkshopsMeetings of industry organisations, professional associations, debating clubs, workshop ‘Strategic HRM’ (ORGA).

Learning through imitation

Ask others what vision they have, how they see the future and how they think one should anticipate it. A good opportunity for this is often the drinks after a training or workshop you have attended. Also ask people you admire about their vision and how they have developed and refined it. Where possible, you can also work with people who have developed this competency well and learn from them. It is also instructive to organise brainstorming sessions on the topic of strategy or future vision — with direct colleagues, or precisely with people who have completely different interests from you.

Learning through experimentation

Where possible, take action to anticipate future developments and experience what the consequences are. Start with actions that involve little risk, or discuss your plans with your manager, for example. You can also experiment with this competency by working on business cases.

Learning through insight

Take time to think about the future, trends and market developments. How could you anticipate them? Try to step back from day-to-day practice, think outside existing frameworks and rules, and think in terms of possibilities rather than limitations. Discuss your ideas and vision with others and ask for their opinion to gain insight into your own thinking. Also reflect on what you have read and heard in workshops or brainstorming sessions.

Statements

Is aware of external developments and aligns long-term plans with them.
Has an overview of the organisation’s activities and influences them in the desired direction.
Formulates strategies that take changing needs and priorities into account.
Develops effective sales strategies for the target group.
Uses present and past trends when setting long-term goals.
Bases long-term goals on the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses.
Takes downside risk into account when developing a strategy.
Takes both the long term and the short term into account when developing a strategy.
Makes choices, taking into account what is good for the organisation.
Can distinguish main points from side issues when determining a strategy.
Ensures that the organisation is distinctive in its vision.
Creates clarity for the organisation and external relations.
Communicates an inspiring vision of the work and the future of the organisation.
Undertakes activities to inform the organisation’s employees about the organisation.
Formulates well-considered and balanced strategies.