Connect the dots with The Pillars Competency Framework
We were super excited to launch The Pillars Competency Framework recently, our professional development roadmap for consultants in the built and natural environment.
The framework identifies the most critical non-technical skills and competencies required to thrive as a professional services consultant. Whether you're an individual practitioner, a leader, a hiring manager or a business owner, the framework is a useful tool to establish where you and your people are at in your careers and create development plans to equip yourselves with the necessary skills for the future of work.
We asked Chad Williams, Beca's Manager – New Plymouth Infrastructure and Industrial, for his thoughts about the framework and how he might use it.
“The framework really resonates with me because I’m not a technical / engineering-minded person. I didn’t go to university, and I don’t have a degree let alone chartership or professional accreditation.
"My highest form of qualification is a Diploma in Engineering (Civil Engineering major) from the New Zealand Institute of Highway Technology (NZIHT), and I’ve always felt that there was something missing from my credentials. The framework is a great step in acknowledging what I’ve achieved to date.
“I am a section manager for one of the biggest professional services consultancies in New Zealand, and believe I’ve got to where I am today through a lot of what is included in the framework.
"Out of the four pillars, the relationships pillar is the key one for me and is where I have invested much of my time and effort. Projects have a start and end date; relationships start and can last a lifetime.
“Rolling out this soft skills piece has already begun with a couple of people I mentor, and I’ve encouraged them to explore a development plan around the framework since it serves as a great dot connector.”