Rediscover the Skill Chart
Skill charts were once a mainstay in organizations. As a way to measure performance progress, organizations identified the core skills required to do any job or role. They then produced a visual chart outlining the features of every skill and the proficiency levels of each team member.
By demonstrating prowess with sub-components of the skill, team members moved along a performance ladder from beginner to intermediate, and from advanced to master.
The Skill Chart would be prominently displayed in a central area so everyone on the team would see it almost every day, reminding them of what skills they needed to work on and what proficiency they had attained to date.
In many organizations, team members would receive bonuses or rewards for attaining higher levels of proficiency. The team would celebrate those awards at regular gatherings where performance was discussed and self-improvement was emphasized.
Skill Charts apply peer or social pressure, as everyone on the team can observe who is making continual progress and who is not. The idea of reaching Mastery in every core skill is given a special status, and those who hold the most advanced skills are highly esteemed by both the team and the organization.
Skill Charts also help leaders identify gaps in skill development, determine where to invest in training and development, and how to discuss career development with team members. In short, a Skill Chart is a powerful motivator and tool once used by many organizations across a variety of industries.
As many organizations moved toward more white-collar work, Skill Charts fell out of favor and largely disappeared. It is now rare to find them in any but the oldest and most labor-intensive organizations today, although some contemporary technical and engineering enterprises have rediscovered them.
Leaders and teams in almost any arena would be wise to reacquaint themselves with the many benefits of a Skill Chart.
The process of discerning the core skills or competencies in every role and making them explicit and specific is too often overlooked or assumed in many organizations.
The real power, however, is in the visualization of team member progress on the Skill Chart. Peer pressure is an underutilized asset in motivating team members to work on their deficiencies. When team members know their peers can see their lack of progress, they find a new gear to correct matters.
No one wants their colleagues to think they aren’t advancing. In the eyes of their colleagues, good team members prefer to stand out — not down.
Sadly in too many organizations it seems it is more important to not “embarrass or call out”poor performance than it is to encourage great competence and subsequent success. This starts with the leadership. Great leaders are: caring , competent and have a strong character. An overt system is not easy on those who choose to underperform but it is an excellent motivator to those who want to improve and be recognized for doing well.
Public and social sharing of individual growth and progress is an old idea that absolutely deserves a revisit. The upside is huge—'keeping up' with peers can fuel a culture of up-skilling, opening doors for internal growth, advancement, and business success. Engaged, strong contributors and value creators for the business will likely welcome this approach, which will boost retention—your best people won’t want to leave. It’s a cultural element that has to be baked in, and yes, some companies may need a hard reset to make this work. Sure, there will be pushback from those who feel that transparency equals pressure or bullying, but that's not a reason to avoid it. Thanks for shedding light on this—so many old practices deserve a second look in today’s world.