| Competency Self-Assessment |
| In this exercise, rank your skill or competency at different types of business activities. The goal is to see where you feel you have strengths and on which competencies you need to work. For each skill, think of a person or a company that does a really good job at that activity. Then compare your own performance to it using one of four levels of competency: needs development means that you still have to learn the skill; needs refinement means that you have the rudiments of the skill, but still need to practice it and carefully check your performance; competent means you can perform the activity consistently and without mistakes; excellent means you perform the activity as well as your role model, or nearly so. The categories of competencies are built from those listed in the text. |
| |
| | | Level of Competency |
| Skill | Role Model | Needs
Development | Needs
Refinement | Competent | Excellent |
Basic Business
Functions |
| Sales | | | | | |
Operations
(production)
| | | | | |
Accounting
| | | | | |
Finance
| | | | | |
Human
resources
| | | | | |
Industry Specific
Knowledge |
Industry expertise
| | | | | |
Industry skill
| | | | | |
Market knowledge
| | | | | |
Ability to diagnose
| | | | | |
Ability to see
opportunities
| | | | | |
Resource
Competencies |
Business
information
| | | | | |
Business financing
| | | | | |
Space for the
business
| | | | | |
Raw materials
| | | | | |
Support people
| | | | | |
Determination
Competencies |
Business as
primary focus
| | | | | |
Willingness to act
| | | | | |
Opportunity
Competencies |
Found profitable
idea | | | | | |
Idea is
distinctive
| | | | | |
Idea is hard
to copy | | | | | |
Entrepreneurs often find it useful to copy this list and ask people who know them well to fill it in with them in mind. Good examples can include business consultants or bankers, people who have worked with you, or even family members. Comparing what others see to what you see in yourself can help you put in perspective which skills need further development or better demonstration to others. In big business, such an approach is called "360 degree feedback," but it can also be applied in small businesses. |
