Work study #4 - Competency Framework Development and Launch
Read below to find out how Philip Davies further developed and embedded a leadership competency (behavioural) framework to change culture and support the launch of three new organisational values…………
Background
Philip Davies was engaged by Southern Water, a water and wastewater company operating in Sussex, to support the organization's new three values: Succeeding together, always improving, and doing the right thing. Philip was tasked with re-writing and re-launching a behavioural competency framework to embed an ethical culture through enhanced behavioural performance at each hierarchical level of the organisation (individual contributor, manager and leader).
Objectives
The primary objective of the project was to embed an ethical culture by further developing and implementing a new behavioural competency framework and integrating it with other people processes such as talent management inc a 360 degree feedback process. Philip developed communication and engagement activities to embed the new behaviours, reviewed existing people processes and behaviours, designed and delivered training and development modules, gained buy-in from leadership teams, and worked with HR partners to embed the new behaviours through a new approach to recruitment and selection.
Project timelines
The project began in 2019 and continued until 2021. Philip started by conducting extensive research into the organization's culture, values, and vision. This was followed by an analysis of the existing competencies, behaviours, and processes. Philip then developed recommendations for a refreshed behavioural framework and set of competency indicators.
The next step was to design the new framework, which was aligned with the organization's three values. Philip worked closely with the leadership team and other key stakeholders to develop the new framework. Once the new framework was approved, Philip coordinated the implementation of this framework across the organization.
Philip also partnered with the internal communications team to develop communication and engagement activities to embed the new behaviours and reviewed existing people processes and behaviours to integrate the framework horizontally as well as vertically. Philip provided hybrid (online and face to face) training and development on the new behaviours and gained buy-in from the leadership teams. Philip also implemented a new approach to recruitment and selection, which was aligned with the new behavioural framework.
Key results
The project was a resounding success, with Philip achieving all the objectives set out at the beginning of the project. Philip developed a new behavioural framework with indicators set at three levels: individual contributor, manager, and leader. The communication and engagement activities helped to embed the new behaviours across the organization.
The review of existing people processes and behaviours led to the identification of areas for improvement, and the training and development on the new behaviours helped to address these areas. The buy-in from the leadership teams was gained, and the new approach to recruitment and selection was implemented.
Overall, the project resulted in an improvement in the ethical culture of the organization. The new leadership behavioural competency framework helped to embed the three values, and the new behaviours were embedded across the organization. The organization became more focused on succeeding together, always improving, and doing the right thing.
Conclusions
Philip Davies' work with Southern Water is an excellent example of how a well-executed project can lead to significant improvements in an organization's ethical culture. By researching, scoping, designing, and embedding a refreshed behavioural competency framework, providing training and development on behaviours, reviewing existing people processes and behaviours, and gaining buy-in from the leadership teams, Philip helped Southern Water achieve its objective of embedding an ethical culture through enhanced behavioural performance at all levels of the organisation. The new approach to recruitment and selection, as well as the communication and engagement activities, helped to ensure the new behaviours were embedded across the organization and also with new starters.
To discover how Max Talent can help you to with learning and development projects to change culture through competency development and embedment why not book a virtual coffee with me or email me at philip@maxtalent.co.uk?
