Assessing/Mapping Employee Attitude during Competency Mapping (Assessment)

[John Broomfield]

Thanks to all of you.!!

So, I reached to a conclusion as per your comments that- attitude cannot be mapped. And even if we do, won't add any value.

One more question:
Can we map & assess behavioral competencies of people? If yes, how ?



Thanks,
Amit

Amit,

Any process can be "mapped".

Behavior is part of competence and competence in an individual is a result of their "wiring" (the way they are), upbringing, education, experience, training, coaching, mentoring etc...

Many of these processes are beyond your control but the result, competence, is not a process. Competence is a product that may be demonstrated and assessed but not mapped.

Organizations may have procedures (documented and undocumented) to result in competent employees. These include recruiting, assessing learning needs, training, coaching and mentoring. Of these, recruiting and training may be specified by documented procedures and assessing learning needs should be part of training. The management system should, of course, include records of verifications of competence for all workers whose work affects product quality.

Instead of attempting to map competence, analyze and capture the processes that result in competence. If you map or capture these processes in a deployment flowchart you may end up with the documented procedures for these processes.

"Competent workers enjoying their work" may be the objective of the training process (that depends on an effective recruiting process) that ends with competent supervisors verifying the ability of their workers to do their jobs well.

Analyze and capture (map) your processes that result in competence and evidence of competence.

John

 

[Wes Bucey]

Competence is merely the ability to repeatedly and CONSISTENTLY perform a task correctly. Computers and robots are usually "competent." We can assess competence of people by observing whether they perform the task as directed. We measure the consistency by charting the results of those actions.

Behavior mapping, in my mind, hints at something more sinister than mere competency - more akin to "thought police" spying on people off the job. The point then become what off-the-job behavior affects the job and what off-the-job behavior affects the sensibilities of the bosses who want it mapped? (Drinking? politics? sex partners? religious observance? hobbies? etc.) When does the pursuit of mapping a person's behavior become an effort to control his thoughts and take away his individuality?

 

[AgnieszkaSz]

I don't understand exactly what you mean by "mapping the attitudes". Attitude can be assessed in individual appraisals with direct superior and such record is sensitive data. Do you mean that you want to create a kind of a matrix of attitudes for particular divisions? If so, this is a sinister idea. It can easily end up as excuse for underperformance - "we managers are so ethusiastic about excellence, but what can we do with such people?" You can imagine following actions and pressures. Ugh.

 

[kgott]

Hi!

I've searched on the forum, but couldn't locate "how to assess attitude (willingness to do) of people". Hence starting a new thread.
Thanks in advance,
Amit

I've not read the other contributions made so far so at risk of repeating what has already been said, I for one, stay well away from the word attitude.

Attitude is not something that can be observed it can only be inferred and therefore is less reliable. It's implying you can read someone else's mind. Taking action on the basis of attitude is frought with danger in work place in relation to legal action because you cannot prove attitude.

You can only act on what your oberve because what you observe is fact, and is evidence. This is why you have not come accross anything to do with "how to assess attitude.'

 

[Wilderness Woody]

I want to assess competence of people & also attititude of people, but not sure how to assess attitude.

I would suggest that you stay away from trying to assess attitude. It has little bearing on whether an employee is capable of doing a particular job.

The emotional and psychological state can vary greatly in terms of effect and timing as well as duration for many reasons and therefore is not a good indicator for job competency.

If a particular person is not performing or interferes with the performance of others' work, then the supervisor, manager and HR can step in to evaluate and resolve.

Now, aptitude is a different situation... There are some tools for assessing strengths and weaknesses in order to guide individuals to jobs and careers that they would be more inclined to excel at and not get bored or frustrated with quickly. Check with career counseling and experienced HR staffing for recommendations.

 

[Wes Bucey]

I would suggest that you stay away from trying to assess attitude. It has little bearing on whether an employee is capable of doing a particular job.

The emotional and psychological state can vary greatly in terms of effect and timing as well as duration for many reasons and therefore is not a good indicator for job competency.

If a particular person is not performing or interferes with the performance of others' work, then the supervisor, manager and HR can step in to evaluate and resolve.

Now, aptitude is a different situation... There are some tools for assessing strengths and weaknesses in order to guide individuals to jobs and careers that they would be more inclined to excel at and not get bored or frustrated with quickly. Check with career counseling and experienced HR staffing for recommendations.

At the risk of opening a real can of worms, I suggest that "aptitude test" can be as chilling to the soul as "attitude test." In many cases, and even as public policy in some countries, aptitude tests are used to pigeon hole people into certain careers, with little or no opportunity to escape from a pre-determined fate. In a way, it's almost like slavery in that once identified through the "aptitude test," the "unit" [no longer a person with a soul, merely a "unit"] is assigned to a career path with no chance of escape. How much different is that from being a slave just because your skin color is different?