Lominger Competencies – Enhancing the Performance of Your Teams
Lominger Competencies, developed by Michael M. Lombardo and Robert W. Eichinger, are a set of leadership and professional competencies designed to assess and develop key skills and behaviors in individuals within an organizational context. These competencies were introduced through the Lominger International company, which later became part of Korn Ferry.
The Lominger Competencies framework includes a comprehensive set of factors that organizations can use to evaluate and enhance the performance of their employees. These competencies cover a wide range of skills, behaviors, and attributes that are critical for success in various roles, particularly in leadership positions.
Some common Lominger Competencies include:
- Action-Oriented: Being proactive and taking initiative to achieve goals.
- Collaboration: Working effectively with others to achieve common goals.
- Customer Focus: Understanding and meeting the needs of internal or external customers.
- Decision Quality: Making sound decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.
- Interpersonal Savvy: Building and maintaining positive relationships with others.
- Learning on the Fly: Quickly mastering new skills and information.
- Strategic Agility: Anticipating future trends and consequences to create competitive strategies.
- Drive for Results: Consistently achieving results even under challenging circumstances.
- Integrity and Trust: Maintaining a high level of ethical behavior and trustworthiness.
- Managing Vision and Purpose: Communicating a compelling vision and setting strategic direction.
These competencies are often used for performance management, talent development, and succession planning within organizations. Individuals can use them to identify areas for improvement and set goals for their professional development. Organizations may also use the competencies to align their leadership development programs with the skills and attributes needed for success in their specific industry and context.
Lominger Competencies‘ 67 personal and professional skills and qualities provide a framework for assessing and developing individuals’ abilities and potential in the workplace. The competencies can be divided into three categories: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Organization. By focusing on these competencies, individuals can enhance their effectiveness, growth, and career prospects.
ACTION ORIENTED
- Enjoys working hard, energetic, and takes on challenges.
- Takes action without excessive planning and seizes opportunities.
DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY
- Adapts well to change and can make decisions even without complete information.
- Comfortable with uncertainty and can handle risk.
APPROACHABILITY
- Easy to approach and talk to, makes others feel at ease.
- Good listener and builds rapport with others.
BOSS RELATIONSHIPS
- Relates well to bosses and is open to learning from them.
- Responds positively to coaching and is receptive to feedback.
BUSINESS ACUMEN
- Understands how businesses work and knowledgeable about industry trends.
- Aware of competition and market strategies.
CAREER AMBITION
- Driven in pursuing career goals and takes initiative.
- Proactively creates opportunities and doesn’t rely on others.
CARING ABOUT DIRECT REPORTS
- Shows genuine interest in the well-being and concerns of direct reports.
- Supports and appreciates their efforts.
COMFORT AROUND HIGHER MANAGEMENT
- Can interact comfortably with senior managers.
- Understands their perspective and communicates effectively.
COMMAND SKILLS
- Takes on leadership roles and can make tough decisions.
- Faces challenges head-on and acts as a calming influence in a crisis.
COMPASSION
- Shows genuine care and concern for others.
- Displays empathy and understanding.
COMPOSURE
- Remains calm under pressure and handles stress well.
- Can adapt to unexpected situations without becoming frustrated.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
- Takes opportunities for resolving conflicts constructively.
- Listens actively and finds solutions that promote cooperation.
CONFRONTING DIRECT REPORTS
- Deals promptly and firmly with problematic direct reports.
- Regularly reviews performance and addresses issues.
CREATIVITY
- Generates new and unique ideas.
- Makes connections between unrelated concepts.
CUSTOMER FOCUS
- Dedicated to meeting customer expectations.
- Builds and maintains relationships with customers.
TIMELY DECISION MAKING
- Makes decisions promptly, even under pressure or with limited information.
- Can act quickly to resolve situations.
DECISION QUALITY
- Makes sound decisions based on analysis, experience, and judgment.
- Trusted for providing accurate advice and solutions.
DELEGATION
- Effectively delegates tasks and responsibilities.
- Trusts others to complete their work.
DEVELOPING DIRECT REPORTS AND OTHERS
- Provides challenging assignments and development opportunities.
- Supports the career goals of direct reports and encourages growth.
DIRECTING OTHERS
- Provides clear directions and objectives.
- Brings out the best in others and maintains open communication.
MANAGING DIVERSITY
- Treats everyone equitably and promotes diversity and inclusion.
- Supports fair treatment and equal opportunities for all.
ETHICS AND VALUES
- Demonstrates strong adherence to appropriate values.
- Acts in line with their values and rewards others who do the same.
FAIRNESS TO DIRECT REPORTS
- Treats direct reports fairly and without favoritism.
- Engages in candid and transparent discussions.
FUNCTIONAL OR TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their role.
HIRING AND STAFFING
- Has a keen eye for talent and selects the best candidates.
- Assembles high-performing teams.
HUMOR
- Has a positive sense of humor.
- Uses humor appropriately to ease tension.
INFORMING
- Provides relevant and timely information to others.
- Ensures individuals have the necessary information to make informed decisions.
INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
- Facilitates and supports the creative ideas of others.
- Manages the creative process effectively.
INTEGRITY AND TRUST
- Widely trusted and seen as truthful.
- Acts with integrity and keeps confidences.
INTELLECTUAL HORSEPOWER
- Intelligent and capable of dealing with complex concepts.
- Agile in thinking and problem-solving.
INTERPERSONAL SAVVY
- Relates well to others at all levels.
- Builds effective relationships and uses diplomacy and tact.
LEARNING ON THE FLY
- Quick learner and adaptable.
- Embraces change and continuously seeks improvement.
LISTENING
- Practices active and attentive listening.
- Patiently hears others’ opinions, even when disagreeing.
MANAGERIAL COURAGE
- Courageous and provides both positive and corrective feedback.
- Addresses people problems directly and quickly.
MANAGING AND MEASURING WORK
- Clearly defines responsibilities and objectives.
- Monitors progress and results and provides feedback.
MOTIVATING OTHERS
- Creates a motivating environment and inspires others.
- Understands individuals’ motivators and empowers them.
NEGOTIATING
- Skilled in negotiating and reaching win-win solutions.
- Balances assertiveness with diplomacy.
ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY
- Understands how organizations function.
- Knowledgeable about policies, practices, and procedures.
ORGANIZING
- Efficiently marshals resources and arranges tasks.
- Manages information effectively.
DEALING WITH PARADOX
- Adaptable and can navigate conflicting situations effectively.
- Balances seemingly contradictory actions to achieve objectives.
PATIENCE
- Tolerant and understanding.
- Takes the time to listen, understand, and follow due process.
PEER RELATIONSHIPS
- Builds positive relationships and collaborates effectively.
- Trustworthy and cooperative.
PERSEVERANCE
- Persistent and determined.
- Driven to see tasks through to completion.
PERSONAL DISCLOSURE
- Open and transparent about strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs.
- Approachable and easy to get to know.
PERSONAL LEARNING
- Committed to continuous personal development.
- Seeks feedback and adapts to changing demands.
PERSPECTIVE
- Broad-minded and future-oriented.
- Considers multiple aspects and implications of issues.
PLANNING
- Effective at planning and organizing tasks and projects.
- Sets objectives and measures performance.
POLITICAL SAVVY
- Understands and navigates complex political situations.
- Adapts to organizational dynamics.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
- Skilled in delivering effective presentations.
- Engages and communicates well with different audiences.
PRIORITY SETTING
- Focuses on what’s important and prioritizes tasks.
- Eliminates distractions and creates focus.
PROBLEM-SOLVING
- Uses logical and analytical thinking to solve complex problems.
- Thoroughly examines issues and generates effective solutions.
PROCESS MANAGEMENT
- Efficiently designs and manages processes.
- Optimizes workflows and resources.
DRIVE FOR RESULTS
- Consistently exceeds goals and delivers results.
- Bottom-line oriented and determined to succeed.
SELF-DEVELOPMENT
- Committed to personal growth and improvement.
- Adapts to different situations and continuously develops strengths.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE
- Aware of personal strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.
- Open to feedback and self-reflection.
SIZING UP PEOPLE
- Skilled in assessing the strengths and limitations of others.
- Accurately predicts behaviors across different situations.
STANDING ALONE
- Takes a stand and takes responsibility.
- Courageous and reliable in challenging situations.
STRATEGIC AGILITY
- Sees the bigger picture and future trends.
- Develops breakthrough strategies and plans.
MANAGING THROUGH SYSTEMS
- Effectively manages remotely and allows things to work without constant intervention.
- Creates efficient work processes.
BUILDING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
- Creates strong morale and fosters a sense of belonging.
- Builds constructive and collaborative teams.
TECHNICAL LEARNING
- Quick to learn new technical skills and knowledge.
- Adapts to new industries and technologies.
TIME MANAGEMENT
- Uses time effectively and efficiently.
- Prioritizes tasks and achieves goals.
TQM/RE-ENGINEERING
- Committed to quality and continuous improvement.
- Promotes empowerment and data-driven decision-making.
UNDERSTANDING OTHERS
- Discerns the motivations and needs of others.
- Understands different perspectives and behaviors.
MANAGING VISION AND PURPOSE
- Inspires others with a compelling vision.
- Communicates possibilities and creates alignment.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
- Maintains a healthy balance between work and personal life.
- Values both and ensures one does not dominate the other.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
- Communicates effectively in writing.
- Conveys messages clearly and appropriately.