People are very complex beings.  I really enjoy working with people.

I have a few keys that help me understand human behaviour.  One of them is the power of the mind, and my responsibility to manage what goes on between my ears.

I have found many people who believe strongly in something, but then behave in the exact opposite way. This is because they have allowed a stronghold to develop in their mind that is different to the conviction in their inner-world.

The strongholds (good and bad) in my mind have been built one brick at a time. I allow thoughts to stack up my mind. I allow a stronghold or mindset to develop, which affects my behaviour despite what I believe.

A stronghold is a mindset, a powerbase, an attitude and a thought habit. A stronghold is:

• A thought commitment to a course of action.
• A thought habit producing instinctive behaviour
• An attitude that dominates your emotions
• A mindset that overrides reason
• Something that has a strong hold on you.

Strongholds (good and bad) may or may not be built on a conviction in your inner world. Strongholds not built on a conviction are simply examples of positive or negative thinking. Convictions determine your believing, while strongholds determine your behaving.

You can change your mind to change your world.

Reflecting today on some writings by Gene Appel as I work with a new batch of clients.

SEVEN UNCHANGEABLE RULES OF CHANGE

Mark them well. In forty thousand years, they have not changed one iota:

1. People do what they perceive is in their best interest, thinking as rationally as circumstances allow them to think.

2. People are not inherently antichange. Most will, in fact, embrace initiatives provided the change has positive meaning for them.

3. People thrive under creative challenge but wilt under negative stress.

4. People are different. No single “elegant solution” will address the entire breadth of these differences.

5. People believe what they see. Actions do speak louder than words, and a history of previous deception octuples present suspicion.

6. The way to make effective long-term change is to first visualize what you want to accomplish and then inhabit this vision until it comes true.

7. Change is an act of the imagination. Until the imagination is engaged, no important change can occur

As I coach people I often conduct a range of assessments to help them identify “where they are at” now and start to map out a journey to strengthen some key areas.

Often a discussion will involve “skills” and “competencies” – there are ways to strengthen both.

So, what is the difference between skills and competencies? 

Let’s look at communication as an example.  A person can become a good presenter through practice, learning from others, and education but in order to be a strong communicator one must rely on a combination of skills PLUS behaviour and knowledge.

A person can learn how to be a good presenter but only a strong communicator has advanced language skills, the knowledge of diverse cultures, and behaves patiently when communicating.

In short, skills are specific learned activities like mopping the floor, using a computer, and stocking merchandise, while competencies are skills + knowledge  + behaviour like problem solving, communication, or professionalism.

Competencies effectively fall in 3 groups:

• Behavioural (or Life Skills) Competencies        Life skills are problem-solving behaviours used appropriately and responsibly in the management of personal affairs.  They are a set of human skills acquired via teaching or direct experience that are used to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.  Examples are: Communication, Analytical Ability, Problem Solving, Initiative, etc.
• Functional (or Technical) Competencies          Functional Competencies relate to functions, processes, and roles within the organisation and include the knowledge of, and skill in the exercise of, practices required for successful accomplishment of a specific job or task.  Examples are: Application Systems Development, Networking and Communication, Database Analysis and Design, etc.
• Professional Competencies                Professional competencies are competencies that allow for success in an organisational context.  They are the accelerators of performance or – if lacking in sufficient strength and quality – are the reason people fail to excel in jobs.  Examples are: Business Environment, Industry and Professional Standards, Negotiation, People Management, etc.