Case Study: Bheki Part 1

In part 1 of this case study we will look at how a senior manager's Capability worked for him. In part 2 of the case study we will look at how his Capability worked against him.

Bheki was a senior HR Manager working for a multinational company in the Talent space. Some of the outstanding features of his profile were the following:

Very high scores on the following Managing Self Dimensions were obtained:

• Driven

• Initiative

• Self – Confidence

• Opportunistic

• Stress Resilient

• Self – Disciplined

Very high scores on the following Working With People Dimensions were obtained:

• Warmth

• Collaborative

• Assertive

• Self – Sufficient

• Direct

• Bold

After a restructuring process, Bheki’s employer decided to build a state of the art corporate head office. They needed someone who would oversee the project and co – ordinate all the different role players who would be involved ranging from internal stakeholders to architects, designers, engineers, building companies, IT consultants, artisans and many more. The ideal person would be someone who could draw out ideas from people, be sensitive to their needs, have a creative bent, be highly driven and have a strong need for results, be someone with high standards but who could also cut through red tape, was persuasive, self – confident, resilient and able to deal with complex challenges not previously encountered.

Bheki, despite having no previous experience at all in construction, design or project management, was identified by the HR Director as being the ideal person for this challenge, based primarily on his CAPABILITIES, not his COMPETENCIES.

Bheki made a great success of this project and after 9 months the company was ready to move into its brand new, R200 million state of the art corporate head office. Let’s take a closer look at Bheki’s profile which will help us to understand why he succeeded despite not having any experience related to this project.

Combination: Driven and Initiative

People high on Drive have a strong sense of time urgency and a strong need to get things done. In combination with other dimensions like Assertiveness, they tend to push past obstacles and ensure that those around them are delivering on results. People high on Initiative like to take charge and make things happen. They are proactive and think ahead.

With this combination of traits Bheki was always going to ensure that project time lines were adhered to, that the various stakeholders were infused with a sense of urgency, that obstacles were going to be overcome and that everyone maintained a high results orientation.

Combination: Resilience and Self – Confidence

Resilient people have a good capacity to cope with stress, to cope with setbacks, bounce back when things go wrong, maintain emotional energy and the ability to think clearly under stressful and demanding circumstances. Self – confident individuals have a fundamental belief in themselves and are not daunted by the unfamiliar and unknown.

This combination ensured that Bheki felt equal to the challenge; that he was not overwhelmed by the multiple challenges he faced or the unfamiliarity of these challenges. He believed in himself and was able to effectively tap into his inner resources to deal with difficulties and complexities of the project. His resilience ensured that he was able to keep his own emotions stable while the environment around him was unstable. As a result he could remain clear headed and maintain his composure leading to good decision making. When things went wrong, as they always do with projects of this nature, he didn’t become discouraged and defeatist but was able to bounce back and overcome obstacles.

Combination: Self – Discipline and Opportunistic.

Self – disciplined individuals set high standards for themselves and others. They can press on towards challenging and long term goals, even if payback takes a long time. They want things to be done to a high standard and want to enjoy the respect and regard of others. Opportunistic individuals are not bogged down by rules and regulations. They can cut through red tape and are also not afraid to take short cuts.

Bheki’s self – discipline ensured that he managed the project tightly; that he ensured that all aspects of the project were done to a high standard and that there was compliance with all regulatory and quality aspects. At the same time, because of his opportunism, he was able to cut through red tape without compromising compliance requirements; did not fall into the trap of micro – managing the project and was able to be flexible – a critical requirement for a project of this nature.

Combination: Warm and Collaborative

Warm individuals like to engage and bond with others. They come over as personable, friendly and approachable. They have a natural empathy and care about others. Collaborative individuals believe the best about others and like to get others to work together collectively. They are participative and open to the input of others.

This combination ensured firstly that Bheki cared about and was open to the suggestions, inputs and needs of his internal stakeholders when it came to matters such as the design and layout of the head office. It also meant that he was inclined to broker compromises and to try to find win – win solutions. In projects like this there are always conflicts of interest. Bheki was also naturally inclined to make people feel appreciated, and listened to, all of which boosted morale, made everyone feel part of the process and also helped to ensure that conflicts were equitably resolved.

Combination: Bold and Assertive

Bold individuals are not afraid to voice their opinions. They are unafraid in interpersonal situations and generally tend to be highly communicative. Assertive individuals have strong opinions about a wide variety of things. They stick to their guns, they like to take the lead, they tend to be persuasive and influencers, they push back when challenged and are competitive and sell their ideas.

This combination of traits ensured that Bheki was able to take charge, bend others to his way of thinking when necessary, override dissent when called for, take charge and lead from the front, sell ideas and solutions to sceptics and that he maintained a high level of communication with all key stakeholders for the duration of the project. Together with his warm and collaborative side, he had a knack for maintaining a balance between leading from the front, and making people feel included and valued.

Bheki brought a few more key capabilities to this project:

• Very high Fluid Intelligence

• Creativity

• Intuition

Intuitive individuals are not only just that – intuitive and good with gut feel – but are also sensitive to aesthetic and artistic dimensions. Creative individuals generate new concepts, and are also sensitive to artistic dimensions.

Bheki’s fluid intelligence (a cognitive, not emotional capability) was a huge factor in equipping him to deal with a massive undertaking for which he had no direct experience. Combined with his intuitive and creative side, it meant that he was also well positioned to work together with architects and designers and able to contribute creatively to overall look and feel of the new corporate head office.

Bheki is an excellent illustration of capability and particularly emotional capability. Yes it is true that he had many years experience as a senior manager and had also held a senior role in marketing for several years prior to being appointed into his HR role. No doubt the skills and competencies that he had acquired in these roles also came into play in equipping him for this project role.