Business skills - self assessment of behavioural factors

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Generic Attribute: Business Skills

Describes the level of business skills and positive behaviours operating effectively with the required impact in the workforce.

Communication

When communication occurs, it typically happens in one of three ways: verbal, nonverbal and visual. Communicators constantly exchange information, meaning people always seem to be either receiving or giving information.

Communication skills are essential for engaging others, sharing ideas and building understanding both inside organisations and externally with stakeholders, customers and clients.

Oral: Effectively communicates with both clients and co-workers in a way that conforms to organizational norms and results in positive outcomes.

Written: Clear expression of ideas in writing and in correct grammatical form.

Presentation: Commands attention and interest when presenting information. Succeeds in providing clarity in the transfer of information.

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

The audience being addressed, this is dependent on the needs of your role and subsequently the stakeholders you interact with. For E.g., Immediate Colleagues, internal users/customers, suppliers and partners, and externally to industry and government.
The level of communication skills required for the role. For e.g., Sufficient, effective, fluently (level 1-4), and impactful, authoritatively and persuasive at higher levels of responsibility (level 5-7)
The typical subject or purpose of the communication. For e.g. For engagement with colleagues, engaging on issues, presenting complex information, articulating business objectives.

Question:
- How wide is your communication remit across the organisation and even externally e.g. with suppliers and partners?
- How much communication do you need to do to be successful in your role?
- What is the purpose, subject or objective related to this communication?

SFIA Level	Statement
1	Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with immediate colleagues.
2	Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with colleagues and internal users/customers.
3	Demonstrates effective oral and written communication skills when engaging on issues with colleagues, users/customers, suppliers and partners.
4	Communicates fluently, orally and in writing, and can present complex information to both technical and nontechnical audiences when engaging with colleagues, users/customers, suppliers and partners.
5	Clearly demonstrates impactful communication skills (oral, written and presentation) in both formal and informal settings, articulating complex ideas to broad audiences.
6	Communicates authoritatively at all levels across the organisation to both technical and nontechnical audiences articulating business objectives.
7	Communicates persuasively and convincingly across own organisation, industry and government to audiences at all levels.

Leadership

A practical skill encompasses the ability of an individual to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. A leader is someone with a vision and the path to realizing it, who ensures their team has support and tools to achieve their goals.

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

Leadership

The scope and impact of accountability for proposals i.e. Contributing specialist expertise or balancing the requirements of proposals with the broader needs of the organisation and ensuring proposals align with the strategic

The remit of leadership responsibility and scope e.g. operational management or organisational management or strategic management.
The assessment and communication of emerging technology and practices to the organisation.

Knowledge sharing

The scope and activities associated with the sharing of knowledge and organisational impact. E.g. own specialism or area of accountability or throughout the organisation.

Best Practice

The scope and impact of security, privacy and ethics in describing the level responsibility e.g. individual responsibility to organisational impact.

Question:
What is the organisational scope of your leadership responsibility (if your position includes leadership responsibilities)?
In your role, what is the organisational breadth of impact associated with knowledge sharing?
In your role, what is the organisational breadth of impact associated with security, privacy and ethics?

SFIA Level	Statement
4	Contributes specialist expertise to requirements definition in support of proposals. Shares knowledge and experience in own specialism to help others.
5	Demonstrates leadership in operational management. Analyses requirements and advises on scope and options for continuous operational improvement. * Assesses and evaluates risk. Takes all requirements into account when making proposals. Shares own knowledge and experience and encourages learning and growth. Security, privacy and ethics – proactively contributes to the implementation of appropriate working practices and culture.
6	Demonstrates leadership in organisational management. Understands and communicates industry developments, and the role and impact of technology. Manages and mitigates organisational risk. Balances the requirements of proposals with the broader needs of the organisation. Promotes a learning and growth culture in their area of accountability. Security, privacy and ethics – takes a leading role in promoting and ensuring appropriate working practices and culture throughout own area of accountability and collectively in the organisation.
7	Has a full range of strategic management and leadership skills. Communicates the potential impact of emerging practices and technologies on organisations and individuals and assesses the risks of using or not using such practices and technologies. Establishes governance to address business risk. Ensures proposals align with the strategic direction of the organisation. Fosters a learning and growth culture across the organisation. Security, privacy and ethics – provides clear direction and strategic leadership for the implementation of working practices and culture throughout the organisation.

Execution Performance

The Execution performance process converts objectives into results - i.e. getting the job done. In Business skills this behavioural factor focusses on systems and tools and digital skills and organisational best practice (Security, privacy and ethics).

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

The responsibility for using systems and tools e.g. using, selecting, advising, defining and leading.
The responsibility for using digital skills required in your role for e.g. Understanding, selecting, evaluates the organisational impact, Identifies and endorses opportunities, Advances the exploitation.
The Security, privacy and ethics focuses on L1-4 and compliance with standards and the scope and impact of these practices.

Question: What systems and tools and digital skills do you use and your role in their application and impact in your area of responsibility?
What is your level of understanding of standards in Security privacy and ethics

SFIA Level	Statement
1	Uses basic systems and tools, applications and processes. Has basic digital skills to learn and use applications and tools for their role. Security, privacy and ethics – understands and complies with organisational standards.
2	Understands and uses appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes. Has sufficient digital skills for their role. Security, privacy and ethics – is fully aware of organisational standards and uses appropriate working practices in own work.
3	Understands and effectively applies appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes. Effectively applies digital skills and explores these capabilities for their role. Security, privacy and ethics – demonstrates appropriate working practices and knowledge in non-routine work. Appreciates how own role and others support appropriate working practices.
4	Selects appropriately from, and assesses the impact of change to applicable standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to own specialism. Maximises the capabilities of applications for their role and evaluates and supports the use of new technologies and digital tools. Security, privacy and ethics – fully understands the importance and application to own work and the operation of the organisation. Engages or works with specialists as necessary.
5	Advises on the available standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to group specialism(s) and can make appropriate choices from alternatives. Understands and evaluates the organisational impact of new technologies and digital services.
6	Leads on compliance with relevant legislation and the need for services, products and working practices to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities. Identifies and endorses opportunities to adopt new technologies and digital services.
7	Assesses the impact of legislation and actively promotes compliance and inclusivity. Advances the knowledge and/or exploitation of technology within one or more organisations.

Creativity

The ability to think new and imaginative ideas in approaching a task or solving a problem; to develop creative thinking concepts to solve complex problems or find interesting ways to approach tasks to produce solutions.

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

The level of innovation e.g., innovative thinking and design practices, a wide range of innovative and/or management principles to champions creativity and innovation.

The type of activities that the innovation is being applied to e.g. identifying solutions, realise business benefits or driving strategy.
The scope of impact e.g. customer/stakeholder, organisational strategy and enabling business opportunities.

Question:
What level of innovation and design led thinking practices do apply in your role?
Who are your stakeholders and what is the impact of this creativity across the organisation?

SFIA Level	Statement
5	Creatively applies innovative thinking and design practices in identifying solutions that will deliver value for the benefit of the customer/stakeholder.
6	Creatively applies a wide range of innovative and/or management principles to realise business benefits aligned to the organisational strategy.
7	Champions creativity and innovation in driving strategy development to enable business opportunities.

Planning

The ability to manage self and/or others, and resources including time and surrounding circumstances with foresight and capacity to think ahead to reach a specific goal.

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

The level of competency in planning work e.g. organised, rational, judgement and a systematic and analytical approach.

Question:
What is your role in planning and what approach do you take to your planning activities?

SFIA Level	Statement
1	Demonstrates an organised approach to work.
2	Demonstrates a rational and organised approach to work.
3	Demonstrates judgement and a systematic approach to work.
4	Demonstrates an awareness of risk and takes an analytical approach to work.

Learning and Professional Development

Professional development includes formal learning: to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees, industry accreditations to formal coursework, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. Both can be intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative stage.

This behavioural factor describes and quantifies:

The scope of contribution to others development (L4-7) e.g. supporting, managing, leading and ensuring.
The role the individual takes in their development planning e.g. contributing, identifying, developing, driving and advancing.

Question:
What is your role in identifying the learning activities you undertake?
Does your role contribute to others learning and professional development?

SFIA Level	Statement
1	Learning and professional development — contributes to identifying own development opportunities.
2	Learning and professional development — identifies and negotiates own development opportunities.
3	Learning and professional development — takes the initiative to develop own knowledge and skills by identifying and negotiating appropriate development opportunities.
4	Learning and professional development — maintains an awareness of developing practices and their application and takes responsibility for driving own development. Takes the initiative in identifying and negotiating their own and supporting team members' appropriate development opportunities. Contributes to the development of others.
5	Learning and professional development — takes initiative to advance own skills and identify and manage development opportunities in area of responsibility.
6	Learning and professional development — takes the initiative to advance own skills and leads the development of skills required in their area of accountability.
7	Learning and professional development — ensures that the organisation develops and mobilises the full range of required skills and capabilities.