Level 2: Able to identify problems, generate and evaluate alternatives to overcome them, and reach a decision on the most effective strategy for a given situation. Able to make quick decisions.

Level 3: Able to identify problems, generate and evaluate alternatives to overcome them, and reach a decision on the most effective strategy for problems involving politically sensitivity, complex situations or multiple functional areas. Able to make quick decisions and take risks in order to achieve results.

Level 2: Understand the organizational culture and is adept at knowing who and where to go to get things done. Can maneuver through areas of the organization beyond his/her area. Knows how to find his/her way through the maze to reach his/her goal in the least amount of time while making the least noise. Knows how to give a positive impression and builds a collaborative working relationship based on give and take.

Level 3: Understands the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices and procedures. Knows who are gatekeepers, expediters, stoppers, resisters, guides, good Samaritans, influencers, decision makers and supporters. Accurately assesses who wants to help, what they want for helping, what their motives for helping are and who is going to get in the way. Looks beyond the obvious to see what is really in the background.

Level 2: Is aware of own talents, abilities, opportunities, strengths, limits and weaknesses. Accurately estimates abilities and extent of expertise, knows own shortcomings, and shares them with others when appropriate. Seeks out learning activities to expand knowledge and to enhance skills.

Level 3: Has identified own motives, expectations, preferences, desires and needs. Has a clear, undistorted picture of self and makes the most of talents and abilities. Seeks feedback, is open to criticism, and gains insight from mistakes without getting defensive. Is honest with self and others about limits of knowledge, skills, abilities or expertise. Doesn’t make excuses or blame others for mistakes.

Level 2: Is comfortable with first contact, is easy to be around and spends the extra effort to put others at ease. Can be warm, pleasant and gracious, and is sensitive to and patient with the interpersonal anxieties of others. Is a good listener and easily builds rapport. Exudes self-confidence.

Level 3: Confides own thinking on an issue and invites the response of others. Picks up on social cues that others might miss. Is an early knower, getting informal and incomplete information in time to do something about it. Allows others to vent anger without saying anything other than acknowledging how they are feeling.

Level 2: Demonstrates the ability to consistently control self’s response to stressful or high pressure situations. Is able to relate well to others whose actions and decisions are based more on feelings than thinking. Maintains balance and focus regardless of others’ reactions. Can be counted on to get the job done in a high pressure environment.

Level 2: Can recognize situations with potential for intense conflict that could damage relationships and affect productivity. Can apply appropriate conflict resolution techniques to resolve the situation and reduce the negative impact. Has a good understanding of conflict resolution concepts and techniques and has had some experience implementing them.

Level 3: Understands the relationship between types and areas of conflict, manager's authority base, motivation techniques and leadership styles. Taking all this into consideration, can recognize and anticipate situations having a potential for conflict and formulate conflict resolution approaches that will insure a positive and productive outcome from the situation. Has advanced, in-depth understanding of conflict resolution concepts and techniques and has had extensive experience implementing them.

Level 2: Demonstrates the ability to determine if the data gathered meets stated objectives and is accurate. Determines if any additional information or resources are needed. Analyzes symptoms or data elements to determine the cause or facts. Compares data components to each other, to background knowledge, to expectations, etc.

Level 3: Demonstrates the ability to analyze large volumes of complex or seemingly unrelated data and to determine and recommend alternatives or actions to be taken to correct the problem or situation. Can determine the affects on functionality. Can determine the appropriate steps to be taken to achieve the desired end results and create the necessary test criteria and procedures.

Level 2: Can identify the assumptions that have been made that relate to completing the objectives of a plan or project within the given constraints of time and resources. Can identify what risks exist in obtaining resources or completing the plan or project. Can identify what problems and delays are likely to occur in completing the objectives of the plan or project, and what effect the delays will have on the budget, resources and the schedule. Can identify areas of concern and any major constraints or dependencies external to the plan or project.

Level 3: Can determine which risk events have probability and impact to justify prevention or contingency planning. Can identify preventative actions and contingency plans to address identified areas of vulnerability and potential problems. Can identify the trigger that would cause activation of a contingency plan. Can project probable cost overruns.

Level 2: Can create a project plan that can answer these questions: what will be produced, how will it be produced, what resources are needed, how much time is needed and how much will it cost. Can identify, describe and prioritize activities that must be planned in each phase of the project life cycle. Can identify the problem or opportunity, project scope and goals. Can identify project milestones, determine preliminary resources, identify assumptions and risks and prepare the project request. Can develop a work breakdown structure, define the critical path, prepare the work effort estimate and apply the appropriate loading factors, assign and level resources, develop the project schedule and prepare a cost estimate.

Level 3: Is able to determine effective ways of using estimates and plans and identifying techniques for overcoming barriers to effective planning of multiple projects. Is familiar with the benefits of formal project planning and scheduling techniques and can identify their strengths and weaknesses. Can determine critical path and estimate project duration. Can provide a business justification for deviations. Negotiates control systems with managers and teams and establishes change control procedures.

Level 2: Can identify the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of project team members in relation to resource requirements for specific tasks. Establishes plans to accomplish goals and schedules and establishes time requirements for task accomplishment for a small team or work unit. Can define the skills required to complete all project tasks. Can identify prospective team members and their availability. Can identify the skills of the team members and analyze the gaps in skills required to complete the project tasks. Plans personnel assignments, determines resource allocation, sets priorities and maintains awareness of activity interrelationships. Records and evaluates progress of activities and adjusts plans accordingly.

Level 3: Establishes plans to accomplish goals and schedules and establishes time requirements for task accomplishment for large teams or multiple projects. Can delegate tasks across multiple projects, making effective use of individuals' abilities, knowledge and skills and balancing the load. Develops and communicates strategic plans that make the most effective use of resources. Plans cross-lateral personnel assignments, determines resource allocation, sets priorities and maintains awareness of activity and inter-unit interrelationships. Records and evaluates progress of activities and adjusts plans accordingly.

Level 2: Demonstrates the ability to apply effective performance assessment methods to conduct a performance assessment meeting, to evaluate and measure an employee's performance against standard performance criteria and to build a plan to improve the employee's performance. Determines the employee's strengths and weaknesses relative to demonstrated behaviors and job accomplishments. Uses appropriate behavior skills to confront and resolve simple or obvious performance problems. Can document the assessment results and planned improvement steps following corporate guidelines.

Level 3: Has defined performance assessment methods to evaluate and measure an employee's performance, and has defined procedures to improve employee performance. Is highly skilled at managing employee performance by using various techniques in dealing with or resolving difficult, ambiguous or unwanted behavior, measuring and pinpointing specific behaviors or results that need to be changed and providing feedback to reinforce the desired performance.