The Future of the Future: Future competencies to weather the storm

Knowledge leaders also model the knowledge sharing and collaborative behavior they expect from their employees. They make space for reflection in their leadership team meetings and ask others for help. They also help new ideas from the work force survive and thrive inside and outside the team.

Support: Great knowledge leaders support and recognize the efforts being made by teams and individuals to change. They provide space, resources, expertise, tools and the coaching necessary for successful enterprise knowledge efforts. Knowledge leaders reward exceptional knowledge behaviors and creative risk-taking.

As part of the Enterprise of the Future (EoF), a research initiative within The George Washington University's Institute of Knowledge and Innovation, research is underway to refine and validate the competencies, develop assessment tools and apply those tools within organizations to guide human capital development and knowledge leadership programs.

An assessment instrument has been developed to provide a quantitative measure of a person's competency at his or her particular level. The assessment will be administered to people across a variety of organizations to collect pilot data that will be analyzed to refine the instrument and establish its reliability and validity. Once the key competencies can be measured, organizations using the assessment can establish baseline competency levels, identify targets, establish gaps and implement plans to close the gaps. As the gaps close, improvements in key business metrics (e.g., revenue, profit, growth) should become visible.

In the Enterprise of the Future, starting today, an organization's ability to innovate, adapt and develop new solutions, grow new business, work efficiently and manage costs is dependent on the competencies of its people. Those competencies earn companies "a seat at the table" in the global economy, differentiate them from their competitors and help drive the radical change needed to sustain growth, profitability and relevance in the turbulent marketplace.

WORKING EFFECTIVELY
USING A BALANCE OF BEHAVIORS FROM THE COMPETENCIES TO OPTIMIZE RESULTS

Strategic Thinking 

• Sees and communicates the big picture
• Focuses on achieving goals
• Manages change· Confronts reality of business performance today and tomorrow

Influencing

• Understands needs
• Communicates benefits
• Identifies common ground  

Coaching 

• Observes performance and provides feedback
• Provides expertise and advice
• Establishes trust and gains confidence of others

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