Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

The four performance levels

Labels are the NSX competency-framework labels, since NSX supplies the statements every item and rubric anchor is written from. Each level's description is the Pathsmith published wording, and the Pathsmith label is shown alongside where the two differ.

• EmergingJust beginning to learn or acquire the skill.
• DevelopingMoving in a positive direction in a professional career. Still learning, with room to grow around the skill.
• ProficientPathsmith: ApplyingHas functional knowledge of the skill and can apply it properly in specific on-the-job settings.
• AdvancedPathsmith: ExceedingApplies the skill naturally, without having to think about it, including under stressful or challenging circumstances.

The ten clusters

Sub-skills are listed by name. The per-sub-skill performance descriptors are part of the licensed framework document and are not reproduced here.

• 1.0Communication

  Exchanging information, thoughts, and ideas effectively with others across virtual and in-person environments, using verbal, written, and non-verbal channels. Spans conveying ideas to an audience, guiding discussions toward agreement, and assisting people before, during, and after they use an organization's products or services.

  Communications (hybrid/remote)PresentationWritten CommunicationVerbal CommunicationNegotiationSocial MediaCustomer Service

  Assessment caution. Volume and tone of voice are deeply influenced by cultural background. Assessments of this behavior may vary significantly across cultural contexts.

• 2.0Leadership

  Motivating and guiding people toward a shared goal, and planning, organising, and coordinating the resources needed to reach it. Includes supporting others' development, analyzing options to make decisions that align with objectives, identifying and mitigating risk, and promoting a cause or position.

  ManagementLeadershipMentorshipDecision-MakingProject ManagementAdvocacyRisk ManagementThought Leadership

  Assessment caution. Management skills may not apply to entry-level workers who are not yet in supervisory roles. Advocacy is environment-dependent, shaped by role expectations and psychological safety.

• 3.0Metacognition

  Managing one's own work: attending to the details a task requires, envisioning the end goal and the process to reach it, identifying and applying the right resources, and estimating and tracking the time work takes. Includes flexibility to changing circumstances, setting achievable objectives, conveying knowledge to others, and giving specific, actionable feedback.

  Detail OrientedPlanningTeachingOrganizational SkillsTime ManagementAdaptabilityGoal SettingConstructive Feedback

• 4.0Critical Thinking

  Analyzing and evaluating information to reach objective, informed decisions. Spans defining a problem and its cause, gathering and synthesising information, exploring a situation through inquiry, organising work by importance and urgency, interpreting complex information for insight, and seeking out new knowledge.

  Problem-SolvingResearchPrioritizationInvestigationCritical ThinkingIntellectual CuriosityAnalytical Thinking

  Assessment caution. Research should not be read as formal research expertise. For early-career workers it means using appropriate resources to seek and apply information.

• 5.0Collaboration

  Contributing to shared work by communicating one's own part clearly, leveraging individual strengths, and staying adaptable as the work changes. Includes building relationships that account for others' thoughts and perspectives, organising time, people, and resources toward a common goal, prioritising the group's goal over one's own, and working with team members who are not physically co-located.

  Interpersonal RelationshipsCoordinatingTeamwork/Team OrientationSchedulingTeam BuildingCooperationRemote/Virtual Teams

• 6.0Character

  Taking ownership of responsibilities, meeting expectations, and accepting the consequences of one's actions and decisions. Includes staying driven without constant supervision, demonstrating honesty and follow-through, handling situations with sensitivity and respect, producing consistent high-quality work, and acting in line with a stated set of values.

  AccountabilitySelf-MotivationTrustworthyTactfulnessReliabilityPersonal Integrity

• 7.0Creativity

  Generating new ideas and applying them to solve problems or drive growth. Spans approaching tasks in non-traditional ways, thinking beyond the present to envision a future state, developing ideas that address business challenges, testing and validating ideas iteratively, and contributing spontaneously to group problem-solving.

  InnovationCreative ThinkingVisionaryIdeationExperimentationBrainstorming

  Assessment caution. Innovation may be difficult to demonstrate without opportunities to participate in creative or open-ended projects.

• 8.0Growth Mindset

  Working independently and taking initiative without external direction. Includes anticipating issues and opportunities before they arise, staying eager to learn and ask questions, finding effective solutions when resources are limited or unclear, pursuing opportunities through calculated risk, and focusing on outcomes rather than process.

  Self-StarterProactivityCuriosityResourcefulnessEntrepreneurshipAction-Oriented SkillsResults-Focused SkillsSelf-Sufficiency

• 9.0Mindfulness

  Understanding and sharing the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of others, and responding with kindness and attentive service. Includes fully concentrating on and responding to what is being communicated, recognizing and managing one's own emotions, staying composed through difficulty and delay, keeping self-esteem without needing to boast, and accepting the values and norms of groups other than one's own.

  HospitalityCompassionEmpathyPatienceActive ListeningEmotional IntelligenceHumilityCultural Sensitivity

  Assessment caution. Patience varies significantly by individual and situation, and should be considered relative to environmental demands and expectations.

• 10.0Fortitude

  Adapting in the face of adversity to recover from unexpected situations and resume or revise a plan. Includes staying focused and determined through difficulty, maintaining a positive outlook on likely outcomes, using appropriate tactics to motivate a group, advocating for oneself without aggression, regulating one's own actions and emotions toward a goal, staying level-headed under pressure, and holding realistic confidence in one's own judgment.

  ResilienceMotivational SkillsOptimismTenacityAssertivenessSelf-DisciplineCalmness Under PressureSelf-Confidence

Proficient it fairly

• Apply within the individual's context, including employment setting, cultural background, and degree of neurodiversity.
• Skill demonstration varies with environment, opportunity, and personal experience. Interpret in a way that honours those differences.
• Not every cluster is observable in every role. Development requires both training and the opportunity to apply the skill.
• Durable skills are often assessed subjectively, through interview, observation, or self-report. Guard against bias in high-stakes use such as hiring, evaluation, or credentialing.

Terms that look interchangeable but aren't

Critical Thinking and Analytical Thinking, Research and Investigation, Management and Project Management, and Public Speaking and Verbal Communication were each retained as distinct despite apparent similarity. Research means gathering and synthesising information; investigation emphasises inquiry and exploration. Verbal communication covers day-to-day interpersonal exchange; public speaking covers structured delivery to larger or formal audiences.