Profit–Make sure the business is profitable now and in the future.
Vice Presidents operate within the group's strategic framework, establish and approve long-term business strategies, and build contingencies.
Vice Presidents must make decisions under pressure and have increased autonomy in decision-making. The transition from director to Vice President is significant as the focus shifts from managing to leading. Indeed, the Vice President must control and inspire multiple teams and connect with subordinates emotionally.
Furthermore, the Vice President must analyze past, current, and future performance to maintain efficient operations under financial and other constraints.
For some individuals, there can be friction at this point. Vice Presidents must trust and receive advice or feedback from directors–especially when they have little knowledge of the function.
The Big Picture
Strategic alignment is the overarching result that the Vice President must produce.
Strategic Alignment
All sides of this triangle must align for a business to sustain a competitive advantage. Work must be done to balance other elements into a new alignment when any major change is made in one element.
Vice President Core Skills
Attribute
Responsibility/Accountability
Attribute
Responsibility/Accountability
Business/Financial Results
Risk taking and risk management
Understanding of financial impact of decisions
Business planning; deep knowledge of the contribution of each function
Multifunctional experience
Ability to think tactically and strategically
Able to think in terms of profitability and sustainability rather than functional capability
Must know how to read and interpret market data and competitive response
People Development
Ability to select and assess First-Line Leaders
Ability to empower other leaders
Coaching direct reports and mentoring others
Ability to lead team learning events
Management
Experience managing through several layers
Ability to make hard decisions and courage to stay the course
Contingency planning experience
Willingness to rely on and have confidence in functional leaders to achieve results
Ability to architect an organization to support strategy
Ability to anticipate and avoid problems
Ability to problem solve at the root cause
From results through a function to results through a multifunctional business team
From functional state-of-the-art results to business competitive advantage
From functional excellence to shareholder value level
Leadership
Coaching and mentoring leaders
High integrity
Respectful of others
Ability to select and assess functional leaders based on business strategy
Knowing how to build alliances in order to get things done
Ability to create a future that people want to be a part of
Articulate communicator and effective listener at several layers
Relationships
Appreciate relationships for their own sake
Ability to understand what drives other people
Ability to read powerful people and complex situations
Confident in a leadership role
Well read in current events
Understands the greater good
Growth & Innovation
Experience in implementing innovation
Intellectual curiosity
Ability and willingness to exploit new markets
Open-minded and tolerant of difference
Willingness to take risks and to learn from mistakes
Willingness to experiment and try new things
Experience with negotiating and integrating acquisitions
Growth & Innovation
Experience in implementing innovation
Intellectual curiosity
Ability and willingness to exploit new markets
Open-minded and tolerant of difference
Willingness to take risks and to learn from mistakes
Willingness to experiment and try new things
Experience with negotiating and integrating acquisitions
Social Responsibility
Ability to disseminate and enforce safety and environment policy
Balanced judgment of impact and cost of programs
Ability to implement quality, safety and health improvements
Scope of Revenue
> $5M ≤ $10M
Behavior Model Expectations Level 6
Attribute
Responsibility/Accountability
Attribute
Responsibility/Accountability
Autonomy
Has defined authority and accountability for actions and decisions within a significant area of work, including technical, financial and quality aspects. Establishes organisational objectives and assigns responsibilities.
Influence
Influences policy and strategy formation. Initiates influential relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers and partners at senior management level, including industry leaders. Leads on collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders across competing objectives within the organisation. Makes decisions which impact the achievement of organisational objectives and financial performance.
Complexity
Contributes to the development and implementation of policy and strategy. Performs highly complex work activities covering technical, financial and quality aspects. Has deep expertise in own specialism(s) and an understanding of its impact on the broader business and wider customer/organisation.
Business skills
Demonstrates leadership in organisational management.
Understands and communicates industry developments, and the role and impact of technology in the employing organisation.
Manages and mitigates organisational risk.
Balances the requirements of proposals with the broader needs of the organisation. Promotes a learning and growth culture in their area of accountability.
Leads on compliance with relevant legislation and the need for services, products and working practices to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities.
Identifies and endorses opportunities to adopt new technologies and digital services.
Creatively applies a wide range of innovative and/or management principles to realise business benefits aligned to the organisational strategy.
Communicates authoritatively at all levels across the organisation to both technical and non-technical audiences articulating business objectives.
Learning and professional development — takes the initiative to advance own skills and those skills required in their area of accountability.
Security, privacy and ethics — takes a leading role in promoting and ensuring appropriate working practices and culture throughout own area of accountability and collectively in the organisation.
Knowledge
Has developed business knowledge of the activities and practices of own organisation and those of suppliers, partners, competitors and clients. Promotes the application of generic and specific bodies of knowledge in own organisation. Develops executive leadership skills and broadens and deepens their industry or business knowledge.