Follow-through and business framing are the sharpest gaps. Setting a review mechanism for agreed commitments scored 1.64; explaining why a new opportunity matters to the store scored 1.74.
A light development center (DC) for 92 Store Managers at a large jewelry retailer enabled a more targeted brief for an already planned learning intervention.
Effective learning starts with an accurate picture of current capability. Most learning needs analysis (LNA) for large cohorts relies on nominations, self-ratings or performance scores. These reflect visibility, confidence or outcomes rather than the behaviors behind them, so programs end up generic.
A competency profile built from structured assessment adds three things:
each competency is broken into observable behaviors, so a workshop can target the exact point where capability drops off.
group data separates cohort-wide gaps (core program) from gaps in a subset (targeted support).
comparing what people know with what they do shows whether the need is knowledge, practice or on-the-job reinforcement.
A leading jewellery retailer asked us to assess 92 store managers across four zones, ahead of planned workshops on its four role-specific competencies: Business Acumen, Customer Centricity, Operational Excellence and People Leadership. Each competency had two indicators.
Participants completed three exercises in two hours: a situational judgement test (what they know), a one-to-one roleplay with a team member (what they do), and a scenario-based video presentation (how they reason about the business). Assessors scored 24 behaviors on a 1–5 scale, with 2 or below treated as a development area. The methods measured genuinely different things: roleplay and presentation scores barely correlated (r = 0.06).
The cohort averaged 2.39 out of 5. The value lay in where scores fell.
| Indicator | Mean | % scoring 2 or below | Judgement (SJT) | Roleplay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process discipline & compliance | 2.12 | 2.74 | 1.64 | |
| Entrepreneurial Mindset | 2.16 | — | 1.89 | |
| Data & Digital Savvy | 2.27 | — | 1.97 | |
| Ownership & Accountability | 2.46 | 2.89 | 2.70 | |
| Consultative Selling | 2.47 | 2.62 | 2.87 | |
| Delegation | 2.53 | 2.48 | 2.46 | |
| Feedback & Coaching | 2.54 | 3.26 | 2.41 | |
| Service Excellence | 2.57 | 2.85 | 2.87 |
Judgement scores were often well above live behavior, by over a point on Process discipline (2.74 vs 1.64).
Follow-through and business framing are the sharpest gaps. Setting a review mechanism for agreed commitments scored 1.64; explaining why a new opportunity matters to the store scored 1.74.
Managers take over rather than delegate. Only 3% chose to brief a newer team member, let her lead a high-value sale and review afterwards; 52% chose to handle it themselves.
Need is uneven. 20% of managers had no development area at competency level, while 14% had one on all four. The South zone averaged 2.20 against 2.56 in the North.
| Workshop | Recommended focus |
|---|---|
| 01Business Acumen | Framing the store business case; turning numbers into a short pitch to the team |
| 02Operational Excellence | Less rule explanation; drills on setting review points, owners and dates |
| 03People Leadership | Briefing, stepping back and reviewing, so delegation becomes development |
| 04Customer Centricity | Shorter; questioning needs before recommending a piece |
The Program design was modified further basis the DC inputs. Workshop design was adapted to be more practice-heavy than concept-heavy with more on-the-job scenarios built in. Follow-up assignments were created post each workshop to ensure sufficient skill practice for participants. Content was simplified with an “advanced” cohort planned for high-performing participants.
Measure behaviors, not just competencies: the data showed the issue was follow-through, not rule knowledge.
Use more than one method: judgement tests alone would have overstated capability.
Look at the spread: an average of 2.39 hid both ready-made peer coaches and managers needing intensive support.
The result is a learning plan built on evidence, targeted to real gaps, and measurable when the same behaviours are assessed again.
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