You have lower scores for the skills needed in each of the following areas. This doesn’t mean that you cannot do these tasks or haven’t done them well in the past. It simply means that in order to be truly successful in these areas, you may need to brush up on some skills and get some advice on how to go about the following actions. Encourage innovation in my business Excellent performance in this area results in being able to: ensure that there is a well-communicated innovation strategy that fits with the overall vision of the business motivate people across the business to identify ideas for new products or services ensure that resources, particularly time, are made available for idea generation, development and testing of ideas evaluate business cases and plans, approve those that appear viable and monitor their progress ensure that the originators and developers of any ideas receive recognition for their achievement.

In order to improve in this area, you may want to get some advice on: how to develop a business strategy for innovation and communicate it across the business methods for identifying and pursuing opportunities to work in partnership with external experts how to recognise and manage risk and encourage others to take acceptable risks how to provide constructive feedback on ideas to teams and individuals how to evaluate business case and development plans and approve those that appear viable how to establish systems for measuring and reporting to relevant parties.

Observe legal, ethical and social requirements Excellent performance in this area results in being able to: monitor the relevant legal, ethical and social requirements and the effect they have on your area develop and communicate effective policies and procedures to make sure your business meets all the necessary requirements monitor the way policies and procedures are put into practice and provide support encourage people to be open about meeting and not meeting the requirements identify reasons for not meeting requirements and adjust policies and procedures to reduce failures in the future.

In order to improve in this area, you may want to get some advice on: the importance f having an ethical and value-based approach and how to put this into practice relevant legal requirements governing the running of businesses current and emerging social attitudes to management and leadership practice and the importance of being sensitive to these Develop the culture of my business Excellent performance in this area results in being able to: agree values and assumptions that encourage behaviour that is consistent with your business’ overall vision and strategy make sure your personal behaviour, actions and words consistently reinforce these values and assumptions communicate agreed values to people across your business and motivate them to put these into practice put in place policies, programmes and systems to support agreed values continuously monitor and adjust values and assumptions and the ways they are applied.

In order to improve in this area, you may want to get some advice on: different definitions and types of business culture the importance of values in underpinning individual and business performance internal and external factors that influence business culture the relationship between business culture, strategy and performance the principles and methods of managing culture change within businesses.