By AMA Staff
According to a new survey conducted by American Management Association, more than half of executives say there is significant room for improvement in the previously identified “four Cs”: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
AMA conducted its 2012 Critical Skills Survey in December, asking 768 managers and other executives about the importance of the four Cs to their organizations.
The four Cs are defined as follows
Critical thinking and problem solving—the ability to make decisions, solve problems, and take action as appropriate.
Effective communication—the ability to synthesize and transmit your ideas both in written and oral formats
Collaboration and team building—the ability to work effectively with others, including those from diverse groups and with opposing points of view
Creativity and innovation—the ability to see what’s not there and makes something happen.
According to the AMA survey, managers and executives said these skills and competencies have been articulated within their organizations as priorities for employee development, talent management, and succession planning. In fact, the majority agreed that their employees are measured in these skills during annual performance appraisals. In addition, job applicants are assessed in these areas during the hiring process.
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American Management Association is a world leader in professional development, advancing the skills of individuals to drive business success. AMA’s approach to improving performance combines experiential learning—“learning through doing”—with opportunities for ongoing professional growth at every step of one’s career journey. AMA supports the goals of individuals and organizations through a complete range of products and services, including seminars, Webcasts and podcasts, conferences, corporate and government solutions, business books and research.