Core competencies

Match PMC courses to your professional development plan, performance goals, or team's learning priorities.

Browse our courses by the competency you want to develop. Each of our 25 core competencies represents a specific skill or behaviour our courses build. Our framework draws on Government of Canada core, leadership, and general competencies, making it particularly useful for federal public servants, leaders, and other organizations that build development around competency frameworks.

Click any competency below to learn more. Each page includes a description and the related courses.

Accountability →
Take ownership of your work and stand by the outcomes, good or bad.
Achieve Results →
Take initiative and deliver on what you promise.
Adaptability and Resilience →
Adjust to changing circumstances, recover from setbacks, and remain effective in uncertainty.
Analytical and Critical Thinking →
Reason rigorously: break complex problems apart, question assumptions, and weigh the evidence.
Business Acumen →
See how your organization works and where your contribution fits.
Change Leadership →
Lead others through transitions by building support, addressing resistance, and sustaining momentum.
Coaching and Developing Others →
Help the people around you grow through coaching, feedback, delegation, and creating opportunities to develop.
Continuous Learning →
Build the habit of growth through curiosity, practice, and application.
Creative Problem Solving →
Generate fresh approaches, see problems from new angles, and find solutions where none seem obvious.
Data Literacy →
Engage with data to make better decisions and tell clearer stories.
Digital Literacy →
Use digital tools and technologies confidently, and understand their possibilities and limits.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion →
Build environments where everyone can contribute, belong, and do their best work.
Effective Interactive Communication →
Listen well, speak clearly, and adjust to the person and the moment.
Emotional Intelligence →
Recognize your own emotions and those of others, and use that awareness to act with intention.
Focus on Client Service →
Understand your clients deeply and deliver work that meets their needs and earns their trust.
Influencing and Impact →
Move work forward regardless of whether you hold formal authority.
Judgment and Decision Making →
Weigh options, balance trade-offs, and make sound decisions, including under pressure and uncertainty.
Managing Conflict and Negotiation →
Address disagreements constructively and work toward agreements that hold.
Personal Productivity →
Direct your time, attention, and energy toward what matters most.
Planning and Organizing →
Structure work, sequence tasks, and coordinate resources to deliver projects and initiatives on time.
Presenting and Facilitation →
Hold a room's attention and guide groups toward outcomes.
Strategic Visioning →
See where things are heading and turn that into a direction others can act on.
Uphold Integrity and Respect →
Act with honesty and respect, even when it's difficult or no one is watching.
Working Effectively with Others →
Collaborate productively across teams, styles, and roles.
Written Communication →
Write clearly, concisely, and persuasively for the reader in front of you.