By Rebecca Canan

Across the past six months, I’ve been focusing on the thing that you’ve been meaning to get around to, but just haven’t had enough time for: Talent Development.

Regardless of what function or line of work you’re in (maybe with the exception of L&D), it’s hard to make time for your professional development. I think this is especially true in the world of Communications where professional growth gets put off in exchange for more pressing demands like media deadlines, crises, executive requests, or urgent announcements. However, we all know that talent development is important and, for most of us, we haven’t taken a step back to ask ourselves:

“How am I doing? What does the next level look like? Do I have the skills necessary to be successful at another company? How’s my business acumen? What about social media? Where am I going? Who am I?”

(Maybe that last question is going too far)

As I’ve referenced in past blog posts, I have spent LOTS of time on these questions so that you don’t have to. I’ve collaborated with and received feedback from ~50 companies, including the smart thinkers at Johnson & Johnson and ConAgra Foods. I’ve asked for samples of their competency models, probed for what skills are important, and tested all these findings against previous CEC research. Based on all these inputs, I’ve created CEC’s Competency Framework, which I share with you below.

Click to enlarge.

Behind this framework are dozens of iterations and edits suggested by thought leaders in the space.  I’d like to highlight a few important elements of the model:

- Core Communication Skills: Notice it’s at the bottom of the framework – i.e., these core skills are the basic requirements for entry into the field of Communications. They are the minimum. And within the skills, notice the nuances in writing (i.e., “purposeful writing,” not just grammar-perfect writing), the importance of a deep audience understanding, and the heavy emphasis on communication enablement vs. just communication creation (e.g., see Communication Teaching & Coaching, as well as Communication Sourcing and Co-Creation).

- Business Partnership: These skills are at the top — the things necessary to have a lasting impact in our profession. The emphasis here is on having great business acumen, being assertive, being a critical thinker, and really digging for the value that we can add as a communications professionals. Aspirational? Yes. Crucial? Yes.

- Project Management: Although perhaps overly relied upon in the past, project management IS important today. With channels, stakeholders, and messages having more overlap than ever before, we need to be organized, stay on budget, and be proficient at tasking a team to manage this complexity.

- Global Perspective: Nothing is actually local or contained anymore; thus, at minimum, we need to have a sensitivity – in words &  in visual images – of how our content will be perceived by those in other cultures.

So, I’ve received a LOT of questions + comments about this model and would love to hear yours. What’s missing? (note: there are a few things that are deliberately not here…and a few more that are implicit in less obviously here) What do you like about the model?  What’s the hardest skill for you to develop in yourself?

CEC members (and prospective members): Behind each of these 16 competencies, the CEC has created a Skill Development Grid to outline what various levels look like for each. We’ve also developed an Online Skills Assessment you can roll out on your team to begin understanding where your skill gaps are, what you can do to close them, and take control of your team’s (and your own!).  See here for more information.  Not a member? Contact us to learn more.

Related CEC Resources:

• The Modern Communicator’s Skill Set: Here you’ll find the Skill Development Grid and more information about the Online Skills Assessment
• The Modern Communicator’s Skill Set (Webinar Replay): Listen in to this webinar for more information on the CEC’s competency resources + advice and practical implementation tips from thought leaders Craig Rothenberg, VP Corporate Communications at Johnson & Johnson, and Teresa Paulsen, VP, Communication & External Relations at ConAgra Foods
• Johnson & Johnson’s Global Career Kit and Competency Model

Related CEC Insider Blog Posts:

• The Modern Communicator’s Skill Set
• Could You Interview for Your Own Job?
• The “Challenger” Model for Comms Business Partnership