05 January 2011

Online survey will benchmark critical skills for change

Dave Waller

MyKnowledgeMap is inviting businesses to take part in a national online survey to discover if they have the right skills to thrive and grow in 2011.

Survey participants will discover if their business has the critical skills to manage change.  Every organisation taking part will have their skills benchmarked against peer companies and receive their own bespoke report to identify where training is needed.

The quick survey, based on MyKnowledgeMap's talent management tool Capability Matrix, is being launched at the Learning and Technology Show, Olympia, London on January 26 and 27.

Rob Arntsen, CEO of MyKnowledgeMap, said: "In these challenging economic times it is more important than ever that organisations have the right skills for managing change - whether that is targeting new markets, introducing new technologies or restructuring the business.

"Our survey will identify the top change management skills for business survival and growth in the current economy and participants will be able to see how their business compares against others."

Procurement consultants Future Purchasing regularly assess the skills for managing change at some of the world's biggest financial services and pharmaceutical companies.  Using Compass, a specially tailored version of the MyKnowledgeMap software, consultants can pinpoint the critical skills missing in procurement teams and recommend training plans.

Duncan Brock, director at Future Purchasing, welcomes the survey: "Managers need to identify the skills' gaps in their organisations because a business can fail if that change is not managed and implemented properly.

"Much of the work we do is about managing change, for example if the procurement team in a global company changes suppliers then the team needs the right skills to implement the new supplier successfully. We often find that across all sectors the same skills are missing - strategic procurement, how to manage suppliers effectively and the ability to communicate and influence internally."

If you are visiting the Learning & Technology Show at Olympia you can register for the online survey - and the chance of winning an iPad - at MyKnowledgeMap's stand.  From January 26 you can complete the survey online at http://www.capabilitymatrix.com/change-survey.aspx.