Reveal the Capability Gaps That Block Execution

Most organizations invest heavily in training and leadership development, yet struggle to improve execution, decision quality, and business results. The reason is rarely strategy. It’s capability.

Sequent’s competency assessments provide organizational intelligence that reveals where capability gaps exist, how they vary across roles and units, and why execution breaks down despite investment in development.

Built on more than two decades of benchmark research, our assessments measure what people understand and how effectively they apply that knowledge in real business situations.

Competencies are the measurable building blocks of organizational capability. Our competency assessments reveal where capability breaks down across roles, teams, and business units, focusing on individual and role-based competency, not organizational structure, governance, or operating models.

The Capability Problem Most Organizations Miss

Leaders see the symptoms:

• Strategy gets lost between organizational levels
• Cross-functional coordination breaks down
• Product launches miss expectations
• Business cases lack rigor and context
• Some teams perform consistently while others struggle
• Training spend produces little measurable impact

What they don’t see is the root cause: capability gaps no one has measured.

Traditional tools don’t help:

• Behavioral assessments measure personality, not performance
• Skills checklists are generic and decontextualized
• Individual development plans don’t reveal organizational patterns

What’s missing is capability intelligence.

What We Measure (Capability, Not Personality, Not Potential)

Sequent’s competency assessments measure:

• What people understand or know about business
• How effectively they apply that understanding on the job

Results are often segmented by the dimensions that affect execution, such as:

• Role and level
• Business unit or division
• Product line or portfolio
• Geography

This segmentation reveals patterns individual scores cannot, where capability breaks down, where friction lives, and where targeted development will drive real impact.

What this assessment does not measure: Organizational design, governance, decision rights, or operating model effectiveness. These are evaluated through Sequent’s Organizational Practices Assessment.

Our Competency Assessments

Sequent offers two distinct competency assessments

Business Acumen Competency Assessment

Build business-savvy leaders who can execute strategy

This assessment evaluates the capability required to translate strategic intent into operational reality and results.

It measures capability across ten core dimensions, including:

• Market orientation and external awareness
• Strategic and systems thinking
• Problem recognition and decision-making rigor
• Financial analysis and performance assessment
• Leadership, communication, and influence

Who this is for:
Product managers, emerging leaders, and cross-functional contributors who need stronger business foundations; organizations where lack of business acumen creates drag, weak decisions, or misalignment with executives.

Product Management Competency Assessment

Assess the capability that drives product strategy execution

This assessment evaluates whether product managers and product organizations have the capability required to formulate and execute product strategy effectively.

Based on the Product Management Life Cycle Model, it measures capability across twelve essential areas of product management, from customer understanding and strategy formulation through launch and post-launch performance management.

Who this is for: CPOs and product leaders building or strengthening product organizations; companies integrating multiple product groups; HR and L&D leaders establishing a baseline for product management capability and development planning.

Why Dual-Perspective Measurement Matters

Most assessments measure knowledge only. Sequent’s competency assessments use a dual-perspective approach, measuring:

• Knowledge, or what people understand to be true
• Application, or evidence of how they use what they know

The gap between these ratings creates Capability Gap Signatures that reveal whether people:

• Know the theory but struggle with execution
• Act intuitively without structured understanding
• Operate with both strong understanding and application
• Lack both foundational knowledge and experience

These patterns tell leaders exactly where development will reduce drag and accelerate results.

How Organizations Use Competency Assessment Data

Organizations use these assessments to:

• Target training and development precisely
• Focus investment on high-impact capability gaps
• Identify readiness for expanded responsibility
• Improve succession and talent planning
• Measure ROI through annual benchmarking

Assessment data becomes the foundation for customized development, not generic programs.

Competency Assessments in Context

Competency assessments work alongside organizational diagnostics to provide a complete picture.

• Organizational Practices Assessment → evaluates whether the system enables performance
• Competency Assessments → evaluate whether people have the capability to perform

Used together, leaders eliminate guesswork and intervene with confidence. Competency assessments identify who needs development and in which areas. Organizational practices assessments reveal whether the system enables that development to succeed.

These assessments inform growth capability initiatives by identifying where individual and role-based competency gaps are limiting execution across the organization.

What You Receive

Assessment engagements deliver:

• Capability profiles by role, level, and unit
• Heat maps or graphic reports revealing strength and gap patterns
• Capability Gap Signatures
• Prioritized development recommendations
• Baseline data for benchmarking and ROI measurement

Optional annual reassessment tracks capability growth over time.

From Insight to Action

These assessments don’t end with a report. They provide the diagnostic foundation for targeted training, coaching, and rapid-cycle capability initiatives, replacing year-long programs with focused interventions that produce measurable results.

Frequently Asked Questions