Build Competencies., Skills.,Talent.,Innovation.,Efficiency.,Collaboration.,Potential.,Engagement.,Performance.

We know the power of questions when developing and shaping changes in behavior. It sparks curiosity, reduces bias, and deepens learning. It's just one of the reasons we put our FAQs at the top of every page - to help you determine if we are the right fit to change your team's behavior.

• How would you explain Uncommon Competencies to me if I was 5 years old?

  Imagine your company is a big soccer team, and each player has special moves or skills they need to do well in a match.

  This tool helps you understand what those moves or skills are, how well each player can do them, and how to make them better at them. It also shows how they should play to make your team special and win more games.

  As a leader, this makes it easier to understand and improve everyone's role and performance in the team.

• How is Uncommon Competencies any better than writing more detailed job descriptions?

  Writing better job descriptions is like having a basic rulebook for each player.

  Uncommon Competencies^TM is more like a personal coach for each player, showing them how to improve their game, how to play well with others, and how to help the team win.

  It offers more personalized and effective development for each team member, in ways that make it easier for leaders to contribute to that development.

• How does Uncommon Competencies help with cultural shifts due to rapid growth?

  If your vision, mission and values offer the map for your growth, Uncommon Competencies are the GPS that tells people where they are and what’s needed to get to the next level.

  As a leader, this lets you zoom out and see where everyone is on that map - how your culture is changing and the shifts needed to guide it in the direction you want.

  In short, it provides a clearer understanding of cultural changes and how to navigate them in real time.

• How can Uncommon Competencies help me add and develop new leaders?

  Think of it as a guidebook for any new leader and the team they are joining.

  It shows them how to blend in with your team's unique style and helps them avoid common pitfalls that can hurt their performance.

  It enhances the onboarding and success of new leaders by clearly defining everyone’s lane, and how to leverage each other to keep ‘traffic’ flowing.

• I thought ‘culture’ was all about core values. How do ‘competencies’ help us with culture?

  Culture is ‘how things are done around here’. But you still need to know exactly ‘what’ to do and what ‘done’ looks like.

  Our model acts like your team's detailed playbook. It defines the unique moves that make your team special and shows everyone how to stick to them.

  It is through the expression of these competencies that your culture truly forms. Which is why out Uncommon Competencies product was designed to work hand-in-glove with our Uncommon Norms that define the unwritten rules of how everyone should behave.

• How can Uncommon Competencies help reduce trust issues and unnecessary conflict?

  Not all conflict is bad. In fact Task Conflict - disagreements about the content of the work relative to the team’s goal - are essential to drive performance.

  It’s a myth that conflict creates trust issues. A lack of Task Conflict leads many teammates to not trust others will execute.

  By defining exactly what is needed in each role, and the development path everyone is on, this tool turns conflict into the constructive tool it’s supposed to be in high-performing teams.

• How can Uncommon Competencies help reduce the turnover we’ve been experiencing?

  Disengaged employees stay for what they get. Engaged employees stay for what they GIVE.

  Growth is an essential human psychological need. By defining exactly what growth entails, this tool has been proven to extend people’s tenure in their role, by showing them the growth that lies ahead.

  Raises and promotions are technically elements of job dissatisfaction - when people are dissatisfied these are the ‘simplest’ things to worry about.

  Job satisfaction comes from one’s connection to their work. We define that connection, reducing people’s feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction.

• You often link leadership with parenting. How can developing the competencies in my job really affect this?

  Being a leader and being a parent are both roles. Role identity is an essential element of our personality.

  To put it plainly, if you are struggling in one role, it’s easy to have those negative emotions extend to all others.

  By defining what “success” looks like as a leader, we offer you perspective that élimantes the feeling, “my job sucks”.

  As with all of our tools, this was first built to help our CEO with these very issues. To be able to determine his development gaps as a leader - before the became emotional gaps as a parent.

• How specifically does Uncommon Competencies help my people grow within their roles?

  It's like a personal trainer for each employee.

  Muscles do not grow, unless they are trained to failure. The brain works the same way.

  This tool defines what “training to failure” looks like, and prescribes the exact ‘practice reps’ required for growth to occur.

  As an aside, this is why we feel it is essential to trust your skills training to someone who is also an expert in emotional intelligence and psychological safety. So that the attitudes around failure are appropriately set.

  Without this - you may be asking people to lift beyond their means, while also denying them a spotter.

• We realize there is a war for talent right now. How can Uncommon Competencies give us an edge and make us more competitive?

  This is where we feel the tool actually shines brightest.

  Most companies fight the war for talent on the front lines of their recruiting efforts. Which is why most are destined to fail - either missing out on the top people, or overpaying to get them.

  By identifying the skills needed, and demystifying the steps required for people to develop in them, we dramatically deepen your talent pool.

  Not only that - ‘development’ now gets to be a perk you offer, reducing the need to overpay. As we say to top talent all the time - is this company paying above market because they can…or because they must?

Maximizing Potential:

Uncommon Competencies^TM is more than a way to measure skills. Initially developed as part of our core services in emotional intelligence, culture-building, and hiring, its value has only grown over time. As a result, leaders like you use it to resolve a variety of leadership challenges, including:

• Optimizing Employee On-Boarding:

  • Companies in the throes of rapid expansion face the constant challenge of integrating new hires into the culture and processes.
    
    
  • Without the Uncommon Competencies tool, this process may lack structure, leading to inconsistent knowledge transfer, potential culture misfit, and eventual high turnover.
    
    
  • The struggle can start right from the first interaction with a new employee. Uncommon Competencies makes onboarding a transformative process, by comprehensively building required skills, fostering understanding of company norms, and promoting effective communication.
    
    
  • The instrument at the heart of this capability is the depth of competency scale, which helps to structure, guide, and evaluate the development of each employee, based on their adherence to company and societal norms.
    
    
  • The outcome? A robust onboarding process that significantly reduces turnover and ensures every new hire fits seamlessly into your team.

• Improving Performance Reviews:

  • Regular performance reviews shape the organization's culture, boost morale, and drive productivity. Without the Uncommon Competencies tool, this process could feel generic and lack actionable insights, leading to missed growth opportunities.
    
    
  • The struggle can become apparent during feedback sessions that fail to identify unique individual strengths and weaknesses.
    
    
  • With our tool, performance reviews transform into a growth-oriented, personalized journey, aligning individual skills with company norms.
    
    
  • The depth of competency scale plays a crucial role here, allowing leaders to identify skill gaps, recognize adherence or divergence from company norms, and offer constructive feedback for improvement.
    
    
  • The result? Performance reviews that truly resonate, leading to motivated employees and an invigorated organizational culture.

• Better Managing Remote & Hybrid Teams:

  • The advent of remote and hybrid working models adds an extra layer of complexity to team management. In the absence of Uncommon Competencies, leaders may struggle with trust issues, communication hurdles, and the risk of remote workers feeling isolated or disconnected.
    
    
  • This struggle often becomes evident during virtual collaborations. Our tool empowers leaders to navigate this new landscape effectively by guiding team interactions based on individual skills and adherence to company norms.
    
    
  • The depth of competency scale is instrumental in this process, helping leaders to cultivate trust, inclusivity, and productivity in a remote setting by rewarding the outputs that lead to team wins.
    
    
  • The outcome? A cohesive team, irrespective of geographical boundaries, where everyone feels valued and included.

• Mastering Succession Planning:

  • Succession planning ensures business continuity and is critical, especially in rapidly growing organizations. In the absence of Uncommon Competencies, this process can be hit-or-miss, potentially leading to leadership gaps and disruption.
    
    
  • This challenge becomes crucial when leaders need to identify and groom potential successors.
    
    
  • Our tool aids leaders in this endeavor by providing a clear pathway for competency development and readiness assessment.
    
    
  • It leverages the depth of competency scale and norm adherence behaviours to identify and nurture potential successors, ensuring they're in sync with the company's culture.
    
    
  • The result? A smooth succession planning process that aligns leadership development with the company's unique norms and culture, ensuring business continuity and growth.