NGN Behavioural Competencies
July 2012
Change and Improvement
Embraces, drives and advocates change and improvement, demonstrating a
commitment to keep people engaged.
Expert
Advanced
Developed
Core
• Sets a culture that values
diversity and maximises
the differences in people
• Sets a stretching vision for
NGN which is realistic and
achievable
• Communicates the
strategy which generates
ambition, excitement and
competition
• Leaves no doubt that the
future will be different to
the past
• Will consider the radical or
unconventional to move
the business forward
• Brings the Executive Team
along
• Demonstrates a passion
and enthusiasm which
empowers others to make
changes
• Utilises the full potential of
the team and harnesses
individual contributions to
achieve goals
• Adapts methodology and
processes quickly to
respond to changes in NGN
strategy
• Learns from past mistakes
• Establishes and leads
change/improvement teams
• Understands and utilises
change tools available to
the business eg Lean, Six
Sigma
• Coaches others for
improvement
• Supports those who may be
struggling to accept change
• Encourages all to share
ideas and best practice
• Have the ability to build
small teams to work towards
a common goal
• Contributes to the
generation of ideas in a
changing business
environment
• Recognises, publicises and
celebrates success
• Demonstrates willingness
to listen to varying opinions
• Accepts, supports and
implements improvement
ideas
• Has an open mind to
creativity and innovation
• Challenges the Status Quo
• Makes performance and
productivity improvements
continuously striving for
higher standards
What this is not….
• Fails to communicate “why” change is necessary
• Implements without context
• Criticises and fails to support innovative thinking
• Blocks ideas, adopts a “not invented here” stance
Collaborative Team
Builds, maintains and contributes to cohesive teams across NGN
Expert
Advanced
Developed
Core
• Maximises the use of
cross functional teams,
bringing together skills
from a variety of sources,
including external to NGN
• Creates challenging,
safe, team environments
to generate innovative
improvement solutions
• Prepared to take risks
with teams to facilitate
creative thinking
• Inspires others to deliver
major change, coaching
and mentoring along the
way
• Creates a compelling
vision that generates
team ambition,
excitement and
commitment
• Able to recognise and deal with
potential conflict within teams
• Demonstrates enthusiasm and
brings out the best in
everyone they work with
• Encourages and respects
others’ contribution and draws
on appropriate experience
• Promotes collaborative working
to achieve shared goals
• Instigates partnership working
with external organisations to
seek out best practice
• Generates a sense of team
pride and inspires team
members to do their best
• Regularly works as part of
cross functional teams
• Puts a high value on
others’ inputs, gives credit
for their contribution
• Starts to build effective
networks and relationships
across teams
• Confronts issues and
challenges others in a
positive way to ensure
completion of specific tasks
• Sets SMART objectives for
all in the team
• Understands team
dynamics and how to get
the best from individuals
within the team
• Encourages appropriate
debate, ultimately finding a
solution
• Active member of own team
• Supports and delivers team
decisions
• Understands the team
objectives and how the team
contributes to being the best
• Contributes significant effort
to make sure the team
meets its targets
• Shares knowledge,
experience and expertise
freely with others
• Responds positively to
requests for help and
support
• Understands consequences
of personal actions on
others
What this is not….
• Creates barriers or conflict within and across teams
• Excludes and alienates others and other teams
• Demonstrates a silo mentality
• Disregard ideas from others and demonstrates “the not invented here” attitude
• Not being prepared to engage when invited to
Commerciality
Maximised opportunities, balances costs and risks and understands where
value is created for all stakeholders.
Expert
Advanced
Developed
Core
• Thoroughly understands
the regulated
environment and has
ability to set business
agenda
• Develops strategies that
fundamentally change
the way NGN does
business in the future
• Exhibits a new level of
understanding about
“what business we are
in”. Constantly thinks
“outside the box”
• Understands NGN’s
position in the wider
commercial landscape
• Consider synergistic
opportunities
• Has ability to think ahead
and assist in the
development of longer
term commercial
arrangements and
relationships
• Adapts current strategy
by anticipating changes
required based on an
insightful understanding
of the regulated business
• Recognises opportunities
that have a significant
impact on NGN including
benchmarking across
sectors
• Is prepared to challenge
the status quo to ensure
value from investment
• Ability to identify waste
(products, processes,
people) and implement
plans to minimise
• Understands financial
accounts e.g. profit and
loss, balance sheet,
accruals, forecasting etc
• Understands the need for
a robust commercial
environment
• Understands the contract
management
requirements
• Understands personal
role and how this impacts
on business efficiency
• Understands how the
regulated business
generates value for
stakeholders
What this is not….
• Lacks understanding of the business
• Ignores the commercial implications of own actions
• Is only interested in new initiatives
• Is wasteful and not open to constructive feedback
Communication
Effective two way communication which mobilises, energises and influences others to achieve
maximum potential and improved effort
Expert
Advanced
Developed
Core
• Identifies new
communication
methodology, reviewing
and setting the
communication strategies
appropriate for the
audience
• Influences major external
stakeholders with ability to
derive the best for NGN
• Ability to produce
exemplary written work
e.g. papers, presentations,
business cases etc
• Is alert to the broader
environment and brings
insights to bear on the
NGN business agenda
• Uses understanding of
stakeholders to influence
positive strategic outcomes
• Positively persuades groups in
a variety of situations
• Negotiates and presents ideas
and information to people at all
levels
• Communicates effectively with
large audiences and senior
people
• Ability to deliver presentations
to large groups and/or
influencers
• Advocate for company high
level standards of written work,
reviewing and providing
feedback as the “norm”
• Knows how to position an
initiative or strategic change to
ensure a positive
success/outcome
• Positively coaches and/or
mentors others demonstrating
an understanding of their needs
• Ability to produce and
deliver presentations, fit
for purpose for the
audience
• Builds relationships with
others developing
rapport
• Encourages
engagement from all
• Provides clear, well
constructed written work
• Understands, adapts
and uses different
influencing styles to suit
the situation, individual
or team
• Take time to listen,
building and maintaining
trust
• Keeps others informed
about plans and
progress
• Engages with their
customer appropriately
• Uses plain English and
correct grammar / spelling
• Expresses themselves
clearly on a one to one
and in a team situation
• Demonstrates appropriate
verbal skills
• Ability to use a variety of
communication medium
• Give and receive timely
honest feedback
• Checks for understanding
at all stages
What this is not….
• Demands compliance without context or explanation
• Ignores or shows little interest in others’ points of view
• Only gains consent, not complete engagement with others
• Lacks social awareness, unable to apply varying communication techniques or styles
Customer
Influences and builds a positive customer focussed culture that understands and
matches our customer expectations
Expert
Advanced
Developed
Core
• Looks for long term benefits
and solutions for enhanced
customer experience and
develops appropriate
strategies
• Take the initiative to trade
off costs for sake of the long
term relationship with the
customer
• Continually looks for
innovative improvement
within the customer
experience area
• Influences major external
stakeholders with ability to
derive the best for NGN
• Establishes and maintains
ways of gathering customer
feedback across the
business
• Actively seeks customer
feedback as the basis for
measuring the level of
service provided.
• Proactively distributes
accurate and helpful
information to appropriate
stakeholders and the
customer
• Corrects problems promptly
and un-defensively
• Demonstrates effective
negotiation skills
• Can lead customer focus
groups to test and develop
improvements
• Designs and implements
processes that are truly
customer focussed
• Can coach others to develop
customer skills, and identify
skills gaps.
• Asks questions to
better understand the
customer and their real
needs
• Communicates
regularly with the
customer in a
structured way
• Understands standards
for responding to
customer issues, in line
with GSOS, Ofgem and
The Broader Measure.
• Demonstrates that they
are readily available to
the customer
• Proactively looks to
solve customer issues
and improve the
customer experience
• Reacts to customer enquiries
and problems within expected
timescales
• Demonstrates a positive
customer attitude on the
telephone, in writing and face
to face
• Views customer contact as a
positive opportunity
• Sees serving customers as
core to the role
• Demonstrates effective
communication skills to
understand the key issues
affecting the customer
• Understands each element of
the customer charter
• Understands who our
customers are – both internal
and external
What this is not….
• Regards complaints as a nuisance
• Assumes what the customer wants
• Makes excuses rather than apologising and seeking an acceptable resolution
• Does not work to the customer charter
The NGN Way – Our Values
Relentless Pursuit to Be The Best
Personal Commitment
• I will take ownership and see
things through
• I will be punctual
• I will keep things simple
Personal Drive
• I will take pride in what I do
• I will take personal
accountability for making a difference
• I will seek continuous improvement
Personal Integrity
• I will keep my promises
• I will be considerate, polite and
will respect all individuals, without
judging them
• I will keep a confidence
when it is shared as such
“How we do things around here”
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