6. Basic competencies in work disruption

Introduction

The notion of basic competencies' early development and relative stability is based on folk wisdom (...early on he showed competitive spirit...) but above all on the extensive longitudinal studies of personality initiated in 2000. Broad longitudinal samples were used in showing significant, equal to intelligence quotient level stability for personality, i.e., individual ways of behavior, thinking and emotions (APA, 2000), ranging from early childhood to old age (Roberts & DelVecchio, 2000). The samples collected after 2005 extending to almost quarter of a million subjects were used in a meta-analysis which confirms the main results of the earlier longitudinal studies (Bleidorn et. al, 2022). It is fair to note that the stability is only of moderate magnitude and that the meta-analysis also identified changes deriving from external events, interventions and maturation (eg., lowering of neuroticism).

Current knowledge doesn't have a clear answer to the question whether basic work competencies or their beginnings develop already in early childhood or only in early adulthood. The most important thing is that basic competencies driven by personality factors have been shown to possess significant, moderate level temporal stability in contrast to the currently disrupting educational, occupational and job competencies.

Basic competencies driven by personality factors are also age old in evolutionary sense. It may be stated that the competence drivers of hunters, gatherers and shamans already in the stone age were the same motivations, ways of thinking and attitudes. The same experts in work could be found: Quality vs. Results seekers, Advisors, Idea generators, etc. The challenge now is to track suitable educational, occupational and job competencies for today's experts in work. AI, artificial intelligence is disrupting learning, occupations and jobs in ways that no one so far has any accurate knowledge on. The earlier developing, relatively stable basic competencies can offer a compass in navigating this disruption.

Competency pyramid

As a whole, competence at work constitutes three elements arranged in a pyramid-like form. At the peak are JOB SPECIFIC competencies developing from work experience. They are built on EDUCATIONAL and OCCUPATIONAL competencies which derive from formal education. At the base are BASIC competencies i.e., individuals' characteristic ways of behaving, handling information and viewing the world. They develop earlier and are more stable in time and give direction to all educational, occupational and job specific competence regardless of the person's age, education, work experience or employment status.

The three competency elements are arranged in learning order beginning with the development of basic competencies which direct toward educational and occupational competencies which finally direct toward job specific competence. Beside giving direction basic competencies continue to shape action in education, occupations and jobs: a quality seeking individual performs best in all the domains when enabled to seek quality and precision. See the pyramid figure below.



The platform feature of basic competencies becomes more important as the disruption of competency requirements at work gains in speed. Occupations and jobs change and the pyramid's upper parts have to be renovated or rebuilt from time to time. However, basic competencies and their drivers, motivations ways thinking and attitudes change more slowly and serve as a compass in navigating toward new competencies. By virtue of their greater stability they constitute a platform for lifelong learning. Derived from personal motivations, ways of thinking and attitudes, basic competencies create a sense of ownership necessary for initiating self-directed planning of one's career.

Basic competencies are fourteen competent ways of performing in independent action, leadership, collaboration, planning and problem solving and viewing the world and oneself, see figure below. People are described as twenty relatable "experts in work" for example, as a Quality seeker. Catchy personified characters simplify communication, see in career guidance utilized Experts in work app. In addition, basic competencies enable describing job requirements. The job can be appraised e.g., whether its goal is attaining high quality or sizeable results or with what balance. Recruitment can then seek primarily for Quality vs. Results seekers, etc.

Teams and occupational groups

In addition to individuals and jobs, basic competencies are also used in describing occupational groups and teams. We have collected "prototypical" competency profiles of different occupational groups from used car sales to classical ballet dancers. Teams in turn can be examined as collective competence units by calculating averages of the team members' competencies. Teams are described by broad competencies such as quality vs. results seeking units or with emphasis on existing processes vs. creation of new processes. Teams can be described with more detailed, narrower competencies such as poor-strong communication or service provision.

Drivers of basic competencies

Motivations - drivers of action

Achievement, leadership and interaction motivations are the drivers of independent action, leadership and collaboration at work. The picture of the individual becomes more focused with attention to the underlying single motives. Motivation tells us whether the person wants to excel in independent activities via high quality vs. sizeable results (achievement motivation). Whether the person wants to lead the behavior vs. thoughts of other people (leadership motivation) and whether the individual wants to collaborate with others by communicating, advising or listening primarily to oneself vs. other people (interaction motivation).

Ways of thinking - drivers of planning and problem solving

Ways of thinking in turn function as drivers of handling information ie., planning and problem solving. The process makes use of either existing, proven processes or creates new processes. Both represent competence, depending on the targeted job. Planning and problem solving is carried out along four consecutive steps from approaching the plan or problem and ending to implementation of solutions. Each step marks a single basic competency - a "expert in work" character.

Attitudes - drivers of viewing

Attitudes serve as drivers of viewing things. Most important is the person's attitude toward environmental ambiguity and change. This indicates whether the person feels more at home in orderly, stable and consistency providing work environments or in variety and novelty providing, mobile work environments. Individuals' different success expectations are driven by optimism and vary in their competence value. Reflection upon one's own ethical conduct has however less influence on competent behavior at work, nor does it serve as a source to form any separate expert characters.

Ownership of competence

Basic work competencies as such but particularly describing people as experts in work creates an understandable and cathchy vocabulary also for description of for example team members, partners or clients. It is much easier to relate to personified characters than to abstract dimensions or psychological traits removed from work. Perhaps most important is that identifying basic competencies expressed as "experts in work" creates a sense of ownership necessary for initiating self-directed competence development. More on the theoretical background of basic competencies in the document WOPI Technical Manual (WOPI, 2010).