Strategic competency ‐ the learning challenge

Abstract

Proposes that, in the chaotic organizational environments of the 1990s, managers must be able to design winning competitive paradigms and then change these continuously and sometimes discontinuously if their organization is at least to stay crisis‐averse and ideally grow and prosper. Indicates that to achieve this they must understand their environment and the keys to a successful and sustained match ‐ this requires that they stay aware and think strategically. States that awareness and thinking implies learning and sharing information ‐ both inside the organization and with important stakeholders and influencers. To this end, managers must realize just what information is important and how to deal with it. Reports that the important information relates to those specific organizational competences which, unique to the individual organization, are critical for their current and future competitive and strategic success. Driven by the strategic leader organizations must, therefore, first, establish their unique mix of competences. Second, they must ensure attention is focused on these competences ‐ rather than others which are less important for adding value ‐ and that this attention fosters improvement. Third, these improvements must be measured. In addition organizations must, over time, develop (internally) or acquire (by buying in) new competences. Concludes that research indicates that learning and competence development along these lines is not happening widely.

Citation

Thompson, J. and Cole, M. (1997), "Strategic competency ‐ the learning challenge", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp. 153-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665629710169611