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McLagan Study Identifies
35 HRD Competencies National ASTD has conducted several
studies to try to identify the required competencies of
successful trainers. In 1989, as a follow-up to an earlier
study, a committee of 24 training experts participated in the
McLagan Study. These experts identified 35 HRD competencies in
four basic areas: technical, business, interpersonal, and
intellectual. Following is a brief look at thirteen of the 35
competencies classified by ASTD as core or essential
competencies that every successful trainer needs.
Technical Core Competencies
Competencies related to the technical aspects of training.
- Adult Learning Understanding — Knowing how adults
acquire and use knowledge, skills, attitudes; understanding
individual differences in learning. Examples: determining
whether individuals are visual, auditory, or kinesthetic
learners; the four learning stages; understanding our role
in assuring effective application of learning objectives.
- Competency Identification Skill — Identifying the
knowledge and skill requirements of jobs, tasks, and roles.
Examples: job analysis and profiling.
- Objectives Preparation Skill — Preparing clear
statements which describe desired outputs. One way to
determine whether we have successfully accomplished this may
be to measure the participant’s ability to apply training to
his or her job.
Business Core Competencies
Competencies related to our understanding of general
business concepts/issues.
- Business Understanding — Knowing how the functions of a
business work and relate to each other; knowing the economic
impact of business decisions. Example: What is the economic
impact of a decision to conduct training?
- Organization Behavior Understanding — Seeing
organizations as dynamic, political, economic, and social
systems which have multiple goals; using this larger
perspective as a framework for understanding and influencing
events and change. Example: How do corporate political
issues and hidden agendas impact training development and
implementation?
Interpersonal Core Competencies
Competencies related to how we interact and communicate
with others.
- Feedback Skill — Communicating information, opinions,
observations, and conclusions so that they are understood
and can be acted upon. Example: Being able to explain not
only the how, but also the when, where, and why to gain
program support from upper management.
- Presentation Skill — Presenting information orally so
that an intended purpose is achieved. Example:
Instructor-led training. This is the skill on which most of
us have been formally assessed. One question to ask
yourself: What am I doing to ensure that the message I’m
giving is understood?
- Questioning Skill — Gathering information from
stimulating questionnaires and other probing methods.
Example: Using open- and close-ended questions to ensure
that transfer of information has taken place. How many of us
have a list of specific questions to ask to ensure the
learning objectives have been achieved for every training
program we conduct?
- Relationship-Building Skill — Establishing relationships
and networks across a broad range of people and groups.
Example: Volunteering to serve on committees and attend
corporate functions outside the training department. Get to
know your “customers” and build support.
- Writing Skill — Preparing written material that follows
generally accepted rules of style and form, is appropriate
for the audience, is creative, and accomplishes its intended
purpose. Example: Curriculum design.
Intellectual Core Competencies
Competencies related to thinking and the processing of
information.
- Information Search Skill — Gathering information from
printed and other recorded sources; identifying and using
information specialists and reference services and aids.
Example: How can we effectively use SMEs? This competency is
critical to developing case studies and examples, and in
curriculum development.
- Intellectual Versatility — Recognizing, exploring, and
using a broad range of ideas and practices; thinking
logically and creatively without undue influence from
personal biases. Example: Reading a book or magazine article
on a new training technique or technology. How up-to-date
are you on new ideas and theories such as performance
consulting accelerated learning, self-directed learning, and
developing a learning organization?
- Observing Skill — Recognizing objectively what is
happening in or across situations. (Being objective is the
hard part.) Example: Realizing that the fidgeting of
classroom participants during an exercise may indicate that
a concept is not understood and more explanation is needed.
Personal
Values
Reprinted by permission of the
American Society for Training and Development |
