Compete-And-See Mapping

Dr S V Narayanan and Bhavani Mohan discuss the concept and the manner in which true competency mapping is to be used

Competency means capability, that is ‘what one is presently able to do’. For an individual, it could be the sum of ‘knowledge’, ‘skill’, ‘attitude’, or the driving ‘values’ evaluated against a set of requirements. Competency also means requirement, that is: what are the demands of various positions and roles for successful fulfillment.

It is the sum of technical, conceptual and human factors required for the accomplishment. Thus, attempts to do competency mapping would be myopic if it evaluates human capability done without integrating it with role or task requirement. It is, therefore, a person-task interface.

The purpose of a map is to establish the characteristics of a place, its boundaries and its paths. Likewise, mapping of competency for a person-task interface should indicate the features, the extent and limitations as well as the suitable routes to be taken. Thus, attempts to do mapping would be myopic if it does not evaluate all of these three dimensions.

Competency mapping, thus, is ‘strength’ and ‘weakness’ analysis of persons in order to optimise their capabilities in situations of ‘threats’ and ‘opportunities’ - a kind of SWOT analysis. Else competency mapping would be no more than an interesting but unuseful exercise.

So, why is competency mapping necessary for the hospitality industry? Services industry being extremely customer sensitive, personalised and not highly technology dependent must have the right person in the right place at the right time. For example, if a crisis occurs in the restaurant who should be able to tackle it? Obviously one cannot start by constituting a committee, having discussions therein, finalising and appointing an appropriate person when time is of essence.

If the mapping had been done, the appointing would have been automatic, off-the-shelf as it were. Similarly in the case of sudden resignation, death or incapacitation of an individual at a sensitive post. (For details about such crises related matters, refer to our article, ‘Crises Management System For Hotels, in the May 23, 2005 issue of Express Hotelier & Caterer)

So how can one put in place an effective Competency Mapping System? It is a 10-step process:

1. Define the mission and goals of the organisation.

2. List the present and proposed activities for fulfilling them.

3. Identify the performable tasks for fulfilling the activities.

4. Identify the conceptual, technical and human competencies required to accomplish the tasks well (task-competencies).

5. Evaluate the knowledge-Skill-attitude-value competencies of the existing staff (people-competencies).

6. Determine the extent of match between the task-competencies and the people-competencies

7. Assign the staff to the tasks based on the greatest matching between the two competencies. (In case a suitable match is not available, either obtain such a person from elsewhere or train the nearest-suitable existing person, depending on the seriousness of the situation as well as the available resources).

8. Provide physical and administrative support to sustain the competencies.

9. Evaluate the performance vis-a-vis the tasks, the activities and the goals.

10. Take corrective action for improvement on (i) the person, (ii)the support system, (iii) the task and activities and (iv) the tactics towards the goals and (v) perhaps the goal itself.

Competency mapping could be decried as a new fad because, at the micro level, it may mislead. For instance, a person-task competency may be extremely good but may not mesh with the totality of the organisational goals. It would then be wasteful, even a counterproductive exercise causing resentment! Hence, competency mapping must also be with reference to the macro-level aspects of the organisation.

It is important for individuals and the human resource (HR) persons to realise that competencies are not static which suggests that every individual has scope for improvement, to improve on ones present level of competency. All individuals should try, therefore, to compete against themselves and see how they could better themselves.

Competency mapping must be proactive: it should motivate people to develop in them the desire to compete-and-see. Organisations must work towards this: compete-and-see mapping to develop the compete-and-see attitude. Competency mapping evaluates; compete-and-see mapping elevates!

(Dr S V Narayanan is director-general and Bhavani Mohan is faculty of National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Gachibowli, Hyderabad)