Personal capabilities

The ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self-starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job (flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).

Personal development planning - Maintains an up-to-date personal development plan and takes action to ensure personal development takes place.

Indicators:

• Regularly reviews career and development plans.
• Maintains an up-to-date learning log.
• Maintains an up-to-date achievement portfolio.
• Puts time aside to further own skills and competencies.
• Initiates development reviews with appropriate others.
• Actively seeks feedback from colleagues and customers.
• Uses his/her network to gain feedback on performance.
• Develops the skills and competencies of peers/colleagues through learning and development activities related to achieving common goals.
• Provides a good role model for others to follow.
• Regularly reviews objectives, improvement plans and career development.
• Gives and requests regular feedback on performance, leading to a wide range of learning and development actions.
• Ensures that opportunities are found to reinforce new and developing skills.
• Learns and applies new information effectively.
• Keeps up-to-date in his/her area(s) of speciality.

Creativity - Generates and/or recognises how best practice and imaginative ideas can be applied to different situations.

Indicators:

• Tends to see the 'whole' of situations.
• Breaks deadlocks with original thought.
• Looks for new or better ways of doing things.
• Produces unusual or lateral ideas.
• Recognises innovative solutions to work/study issues and develops them.
• Encourages others to think laterally and to generate ideas.
• Takes a broad and receptive view of situations and courses of action.
• Builds on other peoples' ideas.

Decisiveness - Makes decisions and takes action.

Indicators:

• Takes action without being prompted by others.
• Takes the first step to start a new idea.
• Makes decisions.
• Commits self and others.
• Assesses situations and alternatives quickly.
• Makes decisions that may result in criticism.
• Makes decisions based on incomplete information.

Initiative - Identifies opportunities and is pro-active in putting forward ideas and potential solutions.

Indicators:

• Tackles problems/issues without being asked.
• Often the first to speak/take action.
• Makes suggestions to solve problems and improve work processes/methods without being asked.
• Identifies a problem and recommends a solution.
• Does a job for which he/she is not responsible because it will help colleagues/the department/the company.
• Takes on tasks outside his/her normal role.
• Seeks new opportunities.
• Gets involved.
• Offers support to others.
• Sets challenging goals and standards of performance for self and others.
• Does more than the minimum.
• Expresses dissatisfaction with the average.
• Doesn't like 'making do'.
• Does a good job for the sake of it.
• Assigns tasks, actions and dates.
• Uses control systems, statistics, regular reports, bring ups etc. as appropriate.
• Monitors and checks plans and follow-up actions to ensure completion of tasks.
• Assigns tasks, actions and dates.

Adaptability / flexibility - Maintains effectiveness in a changing environment.

Indicators:

• Changes or modifies approach/style in order to reach the desired goals.
• Responds positively to external changes: eg changes in industry / profession, environment/political changes.
• Responds quickly to new information.
• Responds quickly to changes in objectives/direction.
• Recognises when current approaches will not work.
• Modifies behaviour to obtain results.
• Changes direction/tackles new tasks and returns to original task with no loss of effect.
• Handles several activities simultaneously with no loss of control.
• Adjusts schedules and activities to take account of changing requirements and priorities.
• Handles a variety of inputs and acts on the priorities.
• Quickly focuses on new topics.

Achievement orientation - Maintains and inspires a results-driven approach, focuses on results and critical performance indicators.

Indicators:

• Translates ideas into objectives/goals and actions.
• Seeks responsibility and challenge.
• Takes prompt action to get things done.
• Accepts tight deadlines.
• Acts to minimise risks.
• Pursues issues until results are achieved.
• Identifies business opportunities.
• Keeps trying to achieve goals despite obstacles or failure.
• Overcomes setbacks in order to drive forward a plan of action.
• Effectively attempts to seek answers to questions/information.

Tolerance for stress - Maintains performance under pressure and / or opposition.

Indicators:

• Works well under time pressure.
• Relaxes before and/or during key events.
• Maintains calm appearance under pressure/when busy or opposed.
• Responds positively when conflict arises.

Leadership - Takes responsibility for the directions and actions of a team.

Indicators:

• Gains the confidence and respect of both peers and academic staff.
• Motivates others to achieve objectives even when these seem difficult to achieve.
• Provides a positive work environment (resources, attitude etc).
• Delegates tasks and responsibility without losing control.
• Allocates work and responsibilities.
• Clarifies what needs to be done and sets team objectives.
• Displays flexibility of style according to group and/or tasks.
• Addresses issues of weakness and conflict and takes appropriate decisions.
• Develops/encourages a sense of purpose and unity in the team.
• Sets up processes/plans to make the team more effective.
• Keeps the objectives of the task in the mind of self and others.
• Makes unpopular decisions to get the task done when necessary.
• Looked to by others for advice and guidance.
• Reviews progress against plans.
• Recognises potential conflict and acts to defuse it.