In an age of digital disruption, hybrid work, and five distinct generations sharing the same office or Zoom call there’s a common frustration echoing in boardrooms and HR teams alike:

"Why aren’t people delivering, even when they have the skills on paper?"

It’s not a hiring issue. It’s not always a training gap. More often than not, it’s a disconnect between what we say people should be good at, and what we expect them to actually do in their roles. Yet, for many businesses, competency remains an abstract concept. It’s referenced in leadership pipelines, talent reviews, and performance appraisals but rarely applied with clarity or consistency. The solution lies in moving beyond broad definitions and anchoring competencies in specific, measurable behaviours.

Beyond Buzzwords: What Does “Competency” Really Look Like in Practice?
Competency frameworks are everywhere. They show up in job descriptions, performance reviews, training plans. But how often do they actually drive decisions, conversations, or change?

Think of it this way – Competency is the what. Behavioural indicators are the how.

A competency like “leadership” sounds clear until you try to define what it looks like. Is it someone who speaks confidently? Someone who builds consensus? Someone who takes risks? Or someone who listens quietly and makes tough calls? Without shared, observable behaviours, competency becomes open to interpretation. That’s a risk no business can afford especially when making hiring, promotion, or development decisions.

So, What Are Behavioural Indicators? And Why Does It Matter More Than Ever
Think of them as the visible signs that someone is truly applying a skill, not just listing it on a resume. Saying “I’m a great communicator” is one thing. But someone who facilitates inclusive meetings, adapts their message to their audience, and actively listens? That’s someone demonstrating communication. That’s a behavioural indicator in action. And when you define these indicators clearly, you give structure to something that was previously vague. You allow:

• Managers the ability to coach effectively and make grounded performance assessments.
• Employees a clear roadmap for growth and self-accountability.
• HR teams a fair, future-ready approach to development, hiring, and promotion.

Hence why we're not talking about a new trend. Instead, it’s about making an old tool relevant again in a time when clarity and consistency are no longer optional.

Here’s why:
1. The Multi-Generational Lens
Different generations express the same competencies in different ways. A Gen Z employee might show adaptability by learning a new platform overnight. For example, a Gen X team member might do it by calmly navigating shifting priorities, showing it through rapid tech adoption, another through calm resilience in times of change.
Behavioural indicators help decode this nuance, making performance conversations more inclusive and generationally relevant. They also allow for more tailored learning paths shifting from one-size-fits-all training to development strategies aligned with how people actually behave at work. Therefore, allowing us to appreciate performance across styles, not just stereotypes.

2. AI Is Raising the Stakes But It Needs the Right Foundation
AI can map competencies, identify gaps, and even recommend learning pathways. But AI is only as good as the data we feed it. Without clear behavioural anchors, the system can’t distinguish between potential and performance. Think of behavioural indicators as the "training data" for smart talent decisions.

3. The Intention-to-Action Gap
Everyone’s talking about reskilling. Fewer are doing it meaningfully. Why? Because most organisations have yet to build the internal frameworks that make development scalable and trackable. If 92% of companies say reskilling is a priority but only 29% are investing in competency frameworks, we have a clear gap and behavioural indicators are the first step in closing it.

A Neutral Perspective: Where’s the Line Between Clarity and Control?
Of course, there’s a valid concern: Do behavioural indicators turn performance into a checklist? Do they leave room for creativity, personality, and different leadership styles? The answer lies in how they’re used.

When applied rigidly, indicators can feel limiting. This isn't about micromanaging behaviour but instead it’s about giving everyone, from the C-suite to new hires, a shared language for growth, potential, and performance. Therefore, when it is not used as a scorecard, they open up better conversations. They reduce bias. They create transparency. They invite managers and employees to align, reflect, and grow together, making behavioural indicators a liberating tool to move performance from perception to evidence, and growth from aspiration to action.

And isn’t that the kind of workplace we all want?

Not Just for HR, But for Strategy
At Maslow Trainers & Consultants, we help organisations build competency frameworks that are real-world ready anchored in behaviour, tailored to your culture, and built for the future of work. If you’re asking deeper questions about performance, growth, and clarity, we’re here to help you find answers that last especially if you're building leadership pipelines, upskilling teams, or deploying AI-driven talent initiatives, behavioural indicators are the glue that connects strategy to action.