Job and Competency profiles > Creating job descriptions/competency profiles with TMA Method

Creating job and competency profiles are very important in order to learn how to speak and think in the same language, to use the same definitions and to have a mutual understanding. In doing so, you know exactly what behavior to expect, which tasks need to be performed and what results can be expected.

Step 1: Determining key result areas for a position
To begin, decide which key result areas are important to fill the position.

Step 2a: Determining tasks for a position
You can choose several tasks per key result area the employee needs to perform within the position.

Step 2b (optional): Determining key performance indicators for a position
If you want, you can indicate at what level every task within a key result area needs to be performed so you can assess the candidate’s performance exactly.

Step 3: Determining specific competencies for a position
Decide which specific competencies a candidate should have in order to fill the position. We advice to choose between 3 and 7 competencies for a position. To support your choice of competencies, you can look at the tasks (step 2a) you have chosen for the position and see which facilitating competencies are mentioned there. These are the competencies necessary to perform those tasks.

Step 4: Determining required behavior for a position
Finally, you decide the specific behavior that is required within the selected competencies. You can choose key behavioral indicators at various levels. We advice to choose about 5 key behavioral indicators for every Competency. With these four simple steps you have created a complete job and Competency profile for a position.

In the TMA Method you will find 23 common key result areas. Generally speaking, this selection will suffice to define key result areas for most possible positions. It is possible, however, that for a very specific position an alternative key result area needs to be defined including tasks and key performance indicators (KPIs).

A key result area contains a number of closely related tasks that need to be performed in order to obtain a certain result.

Tasks describe work that needs to be performed within a key result area. Tasks as shown here are examples rather than exhaustive descriptions. Four key performance indicators are shown with every key result area.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) describe the criteria for assessment and are defined according to the SMART principle. All you need to do in the given examples is establish the exact norm you require and possibly adjust the period.

Key performance indicators are SMART:

• Specific: results have to be univocal;
• Measurable: it must be possible to measure or observe the conditions under which results have been achieved;
• Acceptable: the target group or management will have to accept the results;
• Realistic: results have to be feasible;
• Timely: a period of time needs to be fixed when results have to be attained.

These common key result areas are available in the TMA Method:

• Account management
• Administration and accounting
• Coaching
• Consulting
• Development and innovation
• Governance and management
• Human resource management
• Logistics and Fac. Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Planning and organizing
• Policy development
• Process management
• Production and services
• Project management
• Public relations
• Purchasing management
• Quality management
• Research
• Sales and acquisition
• Security
• Service and support
• Training and education

Maintaining customer contacts
Facilitating competencies:

• Commercial power
• Initiative
• Customer orientation
• Cooperation
• Sensitivity
• Sociability

Advising existing customers on one’s services (Supplying added value)
Facilitating competencies:

• Initiative
• Customer orientation
• Verbal expression
• Persuasiveness
• Written expression

Selling products and services to existing customers

Facilitating competencies:

• Ambition
• Commercial power
• Creativity
• Stress management

Negotiating with customers

Facilitating competencies:

• Assertiveness
• Commercial power
• Courage
• Sensitivity
• Sociability

Administering customer contacts

Facilitating competencies:

• Attention to detail
• Written expression
• Controlling progress

Transferring specific customer needs to producers and/or suppliers

Facilitating competencies:

• Attention to detail
• Verbal expression

Drafting financial forecasts

Facilitating competencies:

• Commercial power
• Listening

Surveying customer needs and demands

Facilitating competencies:

• Listening
• Problem analysis

Examples of key performance indicators:

• Visited at least x number of customers over the last year.
• Yielded x extra returns over the last year from customers.
• Wrote down every customer contact over the last year in the CRM system.
• Attained at least x (e.g. satisfactory) in a manager’s assessment with regards to transferring specific customer needs to producers and/or suppliers.