Competencies are demonstrable attributes that constitute evidence that an individual is qualified in certain ways. A person may want, more than anything else, to be a pilot; but few of us would want her to fly us anywhere based solely on her dream. We want to know that she’s been trained well and that she’s been trained in a reputable program and licensed by the state to fly certain kinds of planes. We want to be assured that her eyesight is strong and she’s demonstrated sound judgment in challenging situations. These attributes are some of the competencies of “qualified” pilots.

Group leadership and professional helping roles also can be discussed in terms of competencies. Although it’s very true that there is “art” involved in both leadership and helping others, COR has defined several characteristics that we are confident can be identified, described, and observed. These are the attributes we define as “basic competencies” in group leadership and professional helping roles.

Kinds of Competencies

1. Basic knowledge of relevant content is what a qualified person needs to know in order to be successful in group leadership and professional helping roles.
   
2. Basic skills refer to key behaviors that qualified group leaders and helpers must be able to demonstrate in order to lead and help others.
   
3. Basic dispositions are personal attitudes and habits that are stable over time, and make group leadership and professional helping much more than “technique.” Rather, they are characteristics of the person doing the leading and helping. These dispositional competencies do not require people to be clones, but to express these attributes in authentic and uniquely personal ways.

Each of COR’s six areas of basic certification requires its own group of competencies, and most include all three kinds (content, skills, and dispositions). Some of the areas (e.g., Process Consultation) require that competencies in other areas are also met.