Competence

In colloquial speech, the terms competence, qualification and key qualifications are used on the whole as synonyms. If we look at the word competence more closely we discover as word stem the Latin term competenzia, which originates from the verb competere. It correspondingly means: responsibility or authorisation. This meaning of the term has stayed with us until today. A responsibility or authorisation is generally attributed from the outside to an area, a thing or an act.
Added to this is the colloquial interpretation of the term in the sense of “proficiency” or “having particular abilities”. “Proficiency” is usually understood as “proficient in appliance”. Thus word combinations such as “leadership competence” or “communication competence” evolved. Both interpretations have in common that competence is always seen to be related to something. Also within the framework of responsibility the responsible person requires skills that help him achieve this. And he has to be able to use these skills.


According to this, competence can be understood as being situational-successful behaviour in contexts. It is based upon resources, which encompass factual knowledge, skills, values, motives, abilities and reflected experiences.
A training as a coach according to the Hamburger Schule develops competences, up to a defined state – the competence as a coach.

The term competence only becomes problematic if one needs to describe what somebody actually has to do in order to be competent. Depending upon how somebody interprets leadership or communication, for example, then he will be able to select other skills in terms of successful ability. The interpretation of the word is based upon an individually defined and interpreted frame of reference – a context.

The perception of the topic coaching as an empathetic-dramaturgical context contains a consensus in regards to the values which are valid within this context. The values themselves serve as a basis for an evaluation of competence.
The purpose of coaching is “achieving a sustainable self-learn concept”.
Each selection of abilities and skills of a coach has to be based upon the following:

• Consideration of the values of the context coaching
• Consideration of the expected effect of coaching

The Hamburger Schule uses its competence model for the structured selection of abilities and skills of a coach.

A competence model is first of all “context free”. It describes general competence requirements on an abstract level, that means without linking the requirements or abilities and skills with a definite context or without formulating a dedicated expected effect.
The subdivision into different “competence areas” (e.g. personal competence, communication competence etc.) provides a structure, which should alleviate the transition into concrete things. The models that can be used on an abstract level can lead to defining required abilities and skills for concrete contexts.


The term competence contains the term transfer, as competence principally mirrors the highest level of taxonomy. On the one hand, transfer means that knowledge can be transferred from its context into another context, at least theoretically. On the other hand, transfer is possible and necessary when identifying connections between the context areas.