Summary:

Reflect on your professional or personal abilities and create a shortlist of 5-10 key capabilities you have developed over the years, either through work experiences, academic achievements, or other endeavors (or challenges). You may use results from self-assessments such as The Big Five Personality, StrengthsFinder, Global Competencies Inventory, Myers-Briggs, etc. If you have those, please consider them as a starting point to your reflection, and write your own narrative that integrates them.

Then, consider each capability in terms of their component parts: tangible, intangible, and human resources. (Recall that we define a capability as a group of resources.)

Then, carefully apply the VRIO/N criteria to each capability you have identified, and rank order the capabilities, based on their potential for a sustained professional advantage.

Then, make a list of weaknesses, defined here as capabilities you think are important for your career, which you are lacking.

Then, share your findings with one person you trust, who knows you well, and who is unafraid to be honest with you (family, friend, coworker, classmate, etc.) and ask them to reflect back on your list, by adding, subtracting, or verifying.

Your written assignment will consist of a reflection on the exercise above. Consider answering the following questions, but don’t be limited by them:

– What have you learned about yourself and your professional capabilities in the process of this exercise?
– In what ways could you transition from capabilities to core competencies in key areas? What specific steps would you have to take to obtain the VRIO/N advantage in one or more areas?
– What did you learn about yourself from discussing your Strengths and Weaknesses with a person who knows you and who you trust? Any surprises?
– If you are asked in a job interview about your strengths and weaknesses, would you be able to provide answers that are considerate, deep, and and well thought out? Would you be able to answer this question in a way that helps you stand out from other job candidates?

Format:
– use a business memo format. About 300-500 words. You may append the capability analysis to the reflection, if you would like to show how you completed it.