8 BASIC COMPETENCES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The core competencies are defined as all those skills, knowledge and behaviors essential for the development of any complex task. This concept is generally used in the workplace or company. However, they can also be studied in others such as educational.

Normally, basic competences are considered all those that should be acquired in the normal course of a person's educational process. Even so, some of those that fall within this group may require a conscious learning process on the part of the individual.

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There is no general consensus on which competencies fall into this category and which are, on the contrary, specific or general. In this article we will see some of the most important ones considered within the workplace.

List of core competencies

Leadership and teamwork skills

Despite the fact that more and more jobs can be carried out on an individual basis, it is still essential to collaborate with and direct others to obtain the best possible results. Therefore, one of the most important basic skills is the ability to lead and work in a team.

Leadership and teamwork are not exactly the same competition; But because both involve the development of similar social and emotional skills, they are often grouped together.

Achievement orientation

In the economic system in which we live, the main function of a company is to achieve better and better results with less investment and effort. Due to this, employees have to be able to work to achieve certain objectives, this being one of the most important basic skills.

This competence is in contrast to other ways of taking work, such as orientation towards people or emotions. Although these ways of understanding the world can be very useful, within the world of work the ability to motivate yourself to achieve the best possible results is much more valued.

Responsibility

Responsibility in this area is defined as the ability to adhere to a certain code of conduct and to comply with what is promised. It is one of the most important basic skills both in the world of work and when it comes to achieving any type of success.

Responsibility is considered as a personality trait that some people possess innately. However, even those who don't have it at first can develop it by working on themselves. This process is essential to become positively valued in the business world.

Decision making

In today's environment, employees have to be increasingly able to act independently without needing the guidance of their superiors all the time. Therefore, the ability to make complicated decisions or in times of pressure is one of the most valued in the workplace.

This basic competence, in addition, also usually reflects good levels of self-esteem. This means that people capable of making decisions without the need for external support are perceived as more competent and attractive, and are better valued in the business world.

Problem solving

In the old days, a person could specialize in a single task and perform it repeatedly for the rest of their life. Today, however, our extremely interconnected and changing environment makes it imperative to develop the ability to meet challenges and solve problems.

Individuals who master this basic competency can adequately cope with situations in which they have never been seen before, no matter how difficult they are or lack information. Because of this, they are highly valued within the world of work.

The ability to solve problems, in addition, is often reinforced and is fed back by other of the basic competencies that we have already seen, such as the leadership capacity or the ability to make decisions.

Self motivation

Unfortunately, even in the most rewarding and interesting jobs, there are repetitive, boring, or monotonous tasks that need to be done. Therefore, within the corporate world it is essential that employees have the ability to self-motivate and carry out their functions even when they do not feel like it.

Self-motivation is closely related to other skills such as emotional control or achievement orientation, which are also highly valued in the workplace. Again, as with responsibility, it is possible to work on this competence in a conscious way if we do not have it as a base.

Self-organization capacity

Independence is one of the most valued skills in the field of work. Being able to act without the need for someone constantly telling us what to do or controlling our work increases our value as employees considerably.

In this sense, one of the most important basic competencies is the capacity for self-organization. The people who have it are able to decide at all times what to do, and to use their time in the most efficient way possible, thus achieving generally very positive results.

Resilience

In the psychological realm, resilience is defined as the ability to remain calm even in difficult situations and the ability to endure problems of all kinds without giving in to stress. Due to the complexity of today's work environments and the demands of most jobs, this is an indispensable skill.

Employees who show good resilience are able to adapt to change more easily. At the same time, they can work even in high-pressure situations, remain calm and carry out their tasks without stress and without causing emotional problems.

Because of this, resilient people are highly valued within the workplace, often becoming leaders or figures admired by their peers. Thus, this basic competence reinforces the others that we have already seen, and improves both the results of the person who possesses it and their psychological well-being.

References

1. "Workplace core competencies" in: Workplace Strategies. Retrieved on: April 08, 2019 from Workplace Strategies: stewartcoopercoon.com.
2. "What are workplace competencies?" in: Chron. Retrieved: April 08, 2019 from Chron: smallbusiness.chron.com.
3. "31 core competencies explained" in: Workforce. Retrieved on: April 08, 2019 from Workforce: workforce.com.
4. "Core Competencies" in: Wikijob. Retrieved on: April 08, 2019 from Wikijob: wikijob.co.uk.
5. "12 core competencies" in: Best Job Interview. Retrieved on: April 08, 2019 from Best Job Interview: best-job-interview.com.