Action Skills Approach
How do you create consistently exceptional performance in your employees? Harry Davis and Robin Hogarth of the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business outline three essential components to exceptional performance*:
- conceptual knowledge—disciplines like accounting or marketing that you learn through formal education channels;
- domain knowledge—on-the-job learning about how conceptual knowledge is best applied within an organization or industry; and
- action skills—the skills needed to get things done with and through others.
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Action skills are the communication and relationship skills needed to influence, inspire, and lead others. The first two components make you smart; the third makes you effective. Without action skills, Davis and Hogarth write, "conceptual and domain knowledge cannot lead to high levels of performance." |
Ridge’s action skills training benefits your organization by:
- helping leaders build trust and commitment to a course of action.
- helping managers boost engagement and accountability with each of their direct reports.
- allowing individual contributors to increase value by balancing advocacy and collaboration.
- deepening sales relationships that are themselves a source of competitive advantage.
- speeding service representatives’ ability to resolve customer issues and build loyalty in every interaction.
*Davis, H. L., & Hogarth, R. M. (1992). Rethinking management education: A view from Chicago. The University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, Selected Paper No. 72. www.chicagogsb.edu/faculty/selectedpapers/sp72.pdf
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