Ask These Two Questions to Identify Your Nonprofit's Core Competencies
Role clarity, career development, and accountability - are just a few of the most common reasons a nonprofit reaches out to me about creating a custom competency model.
Here's the thing, a competency model can do all of those things if it's created with your organization in mind and implemented correctly. It has to be specific to your nonprofit. That's why today, we are focused on two questions you can ask to identify your nonprofits core competencies
Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓
Key Points:
02:10 Tailoring your competency model to your organization
04:00 Determining the knowledge, skills, and behaviors staff need
04:55 Aligning competencies with your nonprofit's strategies
Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts. While you're there, subscribe to be the first to know about new episodes!
Ask These Two Questions to Identify Your Nonprofit's Core Competencies
Role clarity, career development, accountability - these are just a few of the most common reasons a nonprofit reaches out to me about creating a custom competency model.
Here's the thing, a competency model can do all of those things if it's created with your organization in mind and implemented correctly. It has to be specific to your nonprofit.
That's why today I’ve focused on two questions you can ask to identify your nonprofit's core competencies.
In episode 18 of the Learning for Good Podcast, I explained the four reasons your competency model might not work. In that episode, I shared how your competency model needs to be tailored to your organization.
I can't stress this enough. There are off-the-shelf models available and they have merit to them, but they aren't you.
So if you're ready to tailor a competency model to your nonprofit, you'll have to engage in a process to identify what your nonprofit needs. I use a process that involves two key phases of research:
1. The first phase is an internal and external landscape analysis.
The landscape analysis helps us as we learn about what's going on in the world and what might change or disrupt the way that you work as a nonprofit.
It might help identify what it is that your nonprofit specifically is trying to achieve and what skills might help you achieve those things.
So for this phase, we might look at external competency models, HR or talent management research, and key documents inside of your nonprofit, like your strategic plan, your DEI commitment, your organizational values, and even sample job descriptions.
Throughout this research phase, we'll start to identify themes around potential skills that might be needed in your nonprofit.
2. The second phase is conversation.
Conversations allow you to understand your staff and your leadership’s perceptions and needs.
Ask These Two Questions to Identify Your Nonprofit's Core Competencies
Conversations are a key part of understanding your staff and your leadership’s perceptions and needs and identifying your nonprofit’s core competencies. And it is what we’re going to focus on today.
So I wanted to share two of the questions that I use as conversation starters. Ready?
Let’s take a closer look at each of those questions.
1) What knowledge, skills, and behaviors are needed for staff to fulfill your nonprofit's strategies?
This prompts staff and leadership to make a list.
What do they think is important, urgent, or needed?
Some of the skills they list may be more functional in nature, but you will undoubtedly get some good insight into what they see as organization-wide competencies.
I typically ask this question in a group setting and then just let them talk. They'll start generating ideas, they'll bounce ideas off of each other, and I can ask follow-up questions.
They end up with a strong list of potential competencies at the end of the conversation.
The next question is a little bit different.
2) What does it look like to act or contribute to your nonprofit in a way that aligns with its mission, vision, strategies, and values?
This question prompts staff and leadership to paint a picture of how a person should use those skills they just listed.
It's the deeper question. It might make them pause. They’ll have to stop and reflect. They can't just start listing out answers.
But eventually, they'll start talking again. And they'll share some really valuable insight.
I ask these two questions, typically in a group setting. And then once I have the thoughts of your staff and your leadership team, I can combine what I've learned in those conversations with what I learned in the landscape analysis to determine what skills will actually be needed in your nonprofit.
And what we ended up with is something that's specific to your nonprofit and to your needs. Something that is forward-looking and aspirational, while also being grounded in reality. And it allows us to prioritize the right competencies for your nonprofit.
So that's why those are two of my go-to questions when identifying your nonprofit's core competencies.
To hear the full conversation on the Learning for Good Podcast, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 39.
And for more information around creating a competency model that works for your organization, check the episodes below:
The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective
Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders?
I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information.
That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space.
When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs.
So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective.
