Competencies are typically defined as characteristics and behaviours that predict successful organizational outcomes. Most organizations using competencies have focused their efforts on defining skills, knowledge and behaviours associated with success in a particular role, function or at a particular level in the organization (e.g. leadership).

Unlike competencies, strengths are related to the person and not the role, function or level. They have a strong emotional element as well as leading to valued outcomes; the best signpost of a strength is when something energizes or strengthens you. Strengths are also part of your character – things that are core to you and are fairly consistently expressed across situations.

Unlike surface characteristics such as skills and knowledge, they are relatively ‘hardwired’ in our teens and are difficult to develop and fundamentally change beyond this point.
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Strengthscope see strengths and competencies as relating to each other as shown in the diagram below. We believe it is at the point at which skills and knowledge (competencies) and energizers or strengths, overlap, that productive habits can be developed which lead to sustainable peak performance.