Competency models are useful tools in people management. They provide a common language for professional development, make expectations clearer, and help ensure that important topics are not forgotten during the evaluation and training process.
The problem arises when this language, originally intended to design and evaluate performance, begins to be used as an immediate response for participants as well. The tool that should facilitate analysis ends up limiting the perspective of the person using it.
When a session begins by identifying that the central theme is conflict, influence, or delegation, the manager already knows in advance what to look for. This anticipation prevents the professional from truly looking at the situation before categorizing it.
The article suggests that this pre-categorization can compromise the authenticity of the analysis, as the manager arrives at the situation with a formed expectation, rather than first observing what is actually happening.
