Last week my colleague Chris blogged about the differences between competencies and skills – over the course of my consulting experience, I developed a simple framework for putting skills and competencies to work.

Think about throwing a spear – the first thing the thrower needs is energy/momentum. The spear will not fly very far unless the thrower invests enough energy in his or her throw. Second, the thrower must have developed the physical coordination to shift his or her weight and pull back the long, weighty spear in preparation to throw. Coordination is a competency that is widely applicable to a number of sports, but critical for throwing the spear. Finally, the thrower must be able to aim the spear. This is a skill specific to throwing the spear, which is markedly different from throwing other objects, such as a ball.

The People Core Assessment© pyramid, illustrates this framework. The base of any successful action in energy and engagement – no task will get done without them. Competencies sit above energy, and tell you whether or not you have the capabilities required to succeed. Finally, the specialized skills required to complete the task form the apex of the pyramid.

From experience in coaching talented cyclists as well, I’ve found support for this same thinking in one of the greatest books: The Cyclists Training Bible by Joe Friel. Mr. Friel suggests similar thinking for building up peak performance through a few selected races over the year. Build core strengths and capacities first, then more specific skills with higher intensity as the race progresses. A common mistake of endurance athletes is to work on the top of the pyramid without having a foundation in place. This is true for our day to day management challenges as well.

When you are confronted with a people management challenge, start at the bottom of the pyramid and figure out if your people are invested in the tasks at hand – do they have the energy and motivation required to carry the project forward? Winners rarely win by accident, people have to want to win. Second, take a good, hard look at the competencies of the people on your team. Do they have the core abilities needed to win? Finally, figure out what specific skills you need to develop in your team and make sure they have those skills, which are the tools you will use to attack the challenges at hand.