Skills gap ? How do your skills
by Linda Brown ,
measure up ? National Director , IoD Northern Ireland
rexit is a pressing issue for most business leaders . Even if you don ’ t
Btrade outside Northern Ireland , the UK ’ s leaving of the European Union will have an impact on all businesses .
One area that is already flagged as a concern is the availability of the skills that local companies need from their workforce . Controls on immigration will affect many firms , especially in the agrifood and hospitality sectors but also in sectors right across our economy .
At the Institute of Directors , our particular concern is not just about the workforce as a whole but with the leaders in the private , social enterprise and public sectors .
Are we investing sufficiently in ensuring that the directors and leaders of all organisations have the competencies to deal with whatever Brexit brings our way ?
Director competency Business First readers will be aware that the IoD provides a wide range of training and professional development opportunities both locally in Northern Ireland and through our portfolio of courses and programmes designed and delivered by our Professional Development team in London and elsewhere in the UK .
These offerings are designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to lead their organisations effectively . But how do you know what areas of competence you need to address ?
To help you decide , the Institute has created The IoD Director Competency Framework . The only framework of this kind
for directors , the Framework is designed to promote and champion the highest standards of professional competence amongst the leaders of all organisations . The IoD Director Competency Framework View the Framework at www . iod . com / training / iodapproach / iodcompetencyframework
Three dimensions
Based on consultation with highperforming directors and boards , alongside research and best practice distilled from the IoD ’ s extensive experience of working with senior leaders around the world for more than 110 years , The Director Competency Framework is built around three dimensions that a director needs to perform effectively as a board member . 1 . Knowledge – the director ’ s understanding and appropriate application of essential practical and theoretical information .
2 . Skills – the expertise that a director brings to their role 3 . Mindset – the attitude and disposition that shapes a director ’ s responses and behaviour Within each of the three dimensions , you ’ ll discover a set of core competencies and actionable standards enabling you to assess your strengths , identify areas for performance improvement and plan your professional development .
For example , within the Skills dimension , you might want to assess your Strategic Thinking .
By clicking on this segment of the Framework , you will be presented with a number of subsections and the standard expected of each .
COMPETENCY : Strategic thinking STANDARDS : The director should be able to : S1.1 Identify opportunities and threats to the organisation , taking account of the internal and external business environment S1.2 Offer a broad view beyond the immediate problem and own area of expertise , including short , medium and longterm perspectives S1.3 Propose alternative options and present creative solutions and innovations S1.4 Identify the potential impact of decisions and offer contingency plans and risk mitigation Competencies may be achieved through a combination of experience and informal learning , as well as through formal training and IoD qualifications .
Although experience is an important route to gaining professional competence , the IoD ' s experience shows that high performing directors take support , guidance and training at various stages of their career . How you can apply the Framework Whether you are an aspiring or practising director , an organisational leader , a member of the board or are responsible for HR and Learning Development within your organisation , the Director Competency Framework may be applied in a number of ways to add value and enhance performance :
• Selfassessment to identify areas of strength and define areas for improvement , continuing professional development ( CPD ) and ongoing learning
• Career planning and professional development .
• Board evaluation to determine performance and balance of competencies
• Selection and succession planning for boards seeking new board members .
• Performance measurement and 360 ° assessment .
To find out more about the IoD ’ s professional development opportunities go to www . iod . com / training or www . iod . com / ni
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