{"id":18741,"date":"2024-10-15T18:30:03","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T18:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearpathlearninggroup.com\/?page_id=18741"},"modified":"2025-07-14T21:11:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T21:11:53","slug":"article-competencies-and-capabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/15\/article-competencies-and-capabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Competencies and Capabilities: A Symbiotic Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Competencies and Capabilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Symbiotic Relationship<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By Clearpath Learning Group<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word on the street says it may be time for a new L&D Glossary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last decade, as the \u201ctraining\u201d landscape has shifted to performance-based \u201clearning,\u201d there has also been a shift from simply defining general job competencies to understanding the corresponding capabilities. Competencies guide job selection and definition. A capabilities view describes how and to what levels the skills and knowledge encapsuled in the competency must be displayed (by individuals and by teams) in order to prove and produce proficiency and performance.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these words \u2013 all of them: competency, capability, skills \u2013 are almost always used interchangeably and often incorrectly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a somewhat dangerous and confusing space for those of us who are responsible for clearly defining roles and responsibilities and setting our organizations up for success.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s clear this up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Definition of competency: possession of sufficient set of knowledge or skill to contribute to a job or set of responsibilities<\/em>. (The HCM Handbook further defines the professional use of competencies: \u201cCompetency is a term frequently used in the world of work, education, and personal development. It is an essential aspect of understanding one\u2019s capabilities and potential for growth\u201d). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A general set of \u201ccompetencies\u201d is good and absolutely necessary for defining roles and responsibilities of your job families, writing proper job descriptions, and recruiting your talent. But then what? How do you ensure that every next step taken from onboarding into job performance, through performance management, and ultimately into career-pathing remains aligned to drive the business outcomes you were expected to meet by defining those roles in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Definition of capability: this one is pretty simple \u2013 it\u2019s merely the ability to do something<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, let\u2019s back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the definition of competency is the word \u201ccapability.\u201d It\u2019s just a quick mention and easy to miss, but it really is key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

In order to properly define a clear set of capabilities, we must look at the complexity of the competencies.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The big question: why has the industry at large not been defining capabilities and using this work actively to prove and sustain performance? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The actionable question: how is it done? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Clearpath, over the last two decades we have navigated the shifts and shores of human and organizational performance \u2013 and we have instinctively developed methods that both clarify and activate the proper relationship between competencies and capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of such methodologies measures and proves that an individual in your organization (who came with a set of competencies) is able to do the job you have defined at a specific level of proficiency in the environment and with the tools and methods established for the job within your company. This all must be defined.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A performer may come with a strong set of competencies in Sales, for example, but\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • How does that competency translate to your organization\u2019s sales models, job levels, environments, client types, and product or service offerings, and the career path available to this performer? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • What does the role look like and how is it performed at defined levels of proficiency? Where does the role land on the scale from novice to master? How does one identify where they are and then move along the continuum?  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which specific\/observable skills, inherent abilities, and tools is the performer using (or expected to use). How will they use them and to what extent?  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • What are the outcomes or KPIs you are measuring and how does the performer know where they stand at any given time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    When you define the competencies to this level of detail for the roles in your specific organization, then you truly understand the capabilities that you can then develop, grow, measure, scale, and reward.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    As with all work worth doing well, creating your Capabilities Framework should be a focused effort with a solid method for capturing and distilling the detail and proper mapping and alignment across your organization. Though this may sound daunting, we can help. It\u2019s what we do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Clearpath is an award-winning learning strategy and design company specializing in world-class training solutions that connect the dots between individual capability and organizational performance. Known for its discovery-driven approach, Clearpath uncovers authentic business goals, performance needs, and contextual nuances to create learning that aligns with strategic intent. In a field where human potential is the most valuable asset, that\u2019s where Clearpath begins\u2014with solutions shaped by insight, guided by purpose, and designed to sustain meaning and momentum across the organization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Competencies and Capabilities A Symbiotic Relationship By Clearpath Learning Group Word on the street says it may be time for a new L&D Glossary. Over the last decade, as the \u201ctraining\u201d landscape has shifted to performance-based \u201clearning,\u201d there has also been a shift from simply defining general job competencies to understanding the corresponding capabilities. Competencies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18741"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19091,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18741\/revisions\/19091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.clearpathlearninggroup.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}