Competency Library - Level 2 Proficiency (Individual Contributor)

Flexibility/Adaptability

Definition

Adjusts thinking and behaviour to resiliently face change and uses experience to fuel growth. Embraces failure as a learning opportunity for themselves and others. Enables the process of change and transition while helping others deal with the effects of change. Adapts approach as the requirements of a situation changes.

Behaviours

• Shares constructive coping strategies with team members.
• Acknowledges uncertainty and accepts that change is constant.
• Identifies and brings forward obstacles to change.
• Follows, implements, and communicates change management strategies and plans.
• Leverages change management best practices.

Emotional Intelligence

Definition

Demonstrates self-awareness in identifying their emotions and regulating their behaviour. Seeks to understand and empathize with others’ emotions, needs, and perspectives to guide their interactions.  Aligns actions with CGS' values and expectations.

Behaviours

• Reflects on their own emotions and behaviour to identify tendencies and causes.
• Actively listens and seeks to understand others’ emotions.
• Attempts to regulate behaviour to suit the specific context or situation.
• Displays professionalism in interactions with others, seeking guidance in managing emotionally challenging interactions or situations.
• Behaves in a way that is consistent with the organization's values.

Planning, Coordination and Execution

Definition

Demonstrates the personal drive to achieve results through upfront planning and coordinates work such that they achieve results by priority setting, contingency planning, and problem solving to remove barriers. Effectively assesses and manages risk and measures results. 

Behaviours

• Contributes to setting priorities and direction, supporting the team in achieving goals and objectives.
• Recommends additional resources and helps others access resources to support goal achievement.
• Recognizes and rewards good performance and addresses poor performance in a timely manner.
• Evaluates risks using past experience and best practices to identify issues and potential problems.
• Creates contingency plans, where required, for risk factors that could interfere with productivity and operational continuity.

Business Acumen

Definition

The ability to understand the business implications of opportunities and decisions, and to contribute to the improvement of functional performance within a team.  It requires an ability to see the larger picture beyond a single business function by having an awareness of business issues, processes and outcomes, and the impact they have on the community and CGS’s strategic direction.

Behaviours

• Understands tactical business fundamentals and incorporates them into decision making and setting and measuring outcomes against critical performance indicators (e.g., financial, productivity, etc.).
• Builds the business case for services, programs and initiatives, demonstrating how they support broader business objectives.
• Keeps abreast of trends in the external environment that have an impact on the organization.
• Demonstrates how business unit services, solutions and initiatives help the organization respond to the impact of changing economic conditions or community pressures.
• Brings in other areas of expertise that can help to position the organization for continued growth.

Customer/Resident Focus

Definition

Prioritizes and acts upon the needs of both internal and external customers. It is the ability and willingness to understand and address their needs and continually provide high levels of service by keeping customer needs at the forefront of activities.

Behaviours

• Applies knowledge about the customer to inform decision making and problem solving.
• Strives to provide additional value to the customer experience.
• Actively solicits internal and external customer feedback in order to improve business relationships.
• Identifies and implements best practices and solutions to improve customer service.
• Collaborates with colleagues to deliver high-quality service.

Organizational Awareness

Definition

Contributes to the organization by understanding the key relationships and power bases within one’s own and other organizations with which one interacts, and to use that understanding to lead CGS services more effectively.

Behaviours

• Makes decisions and acts in a manner that is congruent with the organization's mission, vision, and values; supports peer decisions that are internally consistent.
• Understands the competitive value of the organization's core products and services.
• Understands the organization's core functions and capabilities.
• Understands how their job contributes to organizational goals and key performance indicators.
• Models and champions organizational policies and regulations.

Judgment and Decision Making

Definition

Uses critical thinking in decision making to gather information and understand causes and risks to identify best possible solutions. It involves being unbiased and objective, and aware of the short- and long-term impacts of decisions on various individuals or groups both within the CGS and externally.

Behaviours

• Seeks information and input to fully understand the cause of problems.
• Makes effective decisions about work task prioritization.
• Effectively navigates through ambiguity, using multiple data points to analyze issues and identify trends.
• Draws logical conclusions and provides opinions and recommendations with confidence.
• Takes ownership over decisions and their consequences.

Commitment to Continuous Learning and Digital Literacy

Definition

Continuously develops and enhance one’s own and others’ personal and professional skills, knowledge and abilities. This implies a deep willingness and desire to learn new things. Champions and uses current and new technologies to support efficient and effective service delivery.

Behaviours

• Actively seeks opportunities for the development of their own, and others', skills and knowledge.
• Offers feedback and constructive criticism in a respectful way.
• Actively solicits feedback on their own performance from others.
• Shares new knowledge and findings with others.
• Actively seeks to learn and adopt required technology.

Innovation

Definition

The willingness and ability to take a creative approach to problems or issues, to “think outside the box”. Thinks beyond the confines of traditional models to recognize opportunities and find new and better ways of doing things. Encourages experimentation and accepts failure as a driver of innovation. 

Behaviours

• Identifies changes in the internal and external environment that may impact the organization.
• Questions common practice and contributes to improvement of processes and outputs, with the goal of achieving process simplification or efficiencies.
• Proposes novel ideas.
• Researches current thinking and shares ideas.
• Seeks to learn from both successes and failures.

Building Collaborative Relationships

Definition

Develops internal and external trusting, professional relationships by being capable of working well with others both on the team and cross-functionally to achieve individual goals, team and/or organizational goals.  Purposefully develops networks to build value through collaboration. Values diverse perspectives and working with others to achieve the best output possible.

Behaviours

• Fosters team camaraderie, collaboration, and cohesion.
• Understands the impact of one's actions on the ability of team members to do their jobs.
• Respects the differences other team members bring to the table by openly seeking others' opinions.
• Approaches challenging team situations with optimism and an open mind, focusing on coming to a respectful conclusion.
• Values working in a diverse team and understands the importance of differing perspectives to develop unique solutions or ideas.

Impact and Influence

Definition

The ability to persuade or gain the commitment of others.  Positively impacts others' thinking, decisions, or behaviour through inclusive practices, relationship building, and a thorough understanding of the environment in which CGS operates. Drives action through influence, often without authority.

Behaviours

• Practices active listening while demonstrating positivity and openness.
• Customizes discussion and presentations to include "what's in it for me" for the audience.
• Presents compelling information to emphasize the value of an idea.
• Involves others in refining ideas or making decisions in order to drive buy-in and action.
• Knows how to appropriately use influence to achieve outcomes when lacking formal authority.

Inclusion

Definition

Effectively and appropriately interacts with others to build relationships, and actively listen to others. It includes the ability to reflect on verbal and non-verbal behaviour and communicate effectively and in a manner that contributes to an environment in which all employees feel a sense of belonging, valued for their differences, and empowered to participate and contribute freely.

Behaviours

• Values the differences that individuals bring to the team.
• Openly seeks diverse opinions and ensures everyone is heard.
• Makes it safe to propose new ideas.
• Shares credit for success.
• Gives team members decision-making authority.