A Long Time Ago… In an Organization Far, Far Away…(American Express Saudi Arabia – December 2015)
A consultant walked in with a clear mission, a proven methodology, and a simple PowerPoint deck.
No ChatGPT. No AI copilots. No prompt engineering.
Just behavioral science, in-depth stakeholder interviews with 16 department heads, and 9 months of disciplined, focused work.
That consultant was me and I’m finally ready to share a project I’ve kept close for nearly a decade.
In 2015–2016, my team designed and delivered a complete Competency-Based HRM System for American Express Saudi Arabia — built entirely from scratch.
We successfully mapped 121 job positions across 16 departments, covering approximately 400 employees.
Every competency definition was carefully written by hand. Every behavioral indicator was thoroughly debated in meetings. Every workshop module was custom-designed for the AMEX Saudi context. Every deliverable and milestone was professionally documented.
Today, I am turning this entire journey into a book.
Here is a special sneak peek — the first 10 pages of the book.
Why Release This Now? Because AI Awakens the FORCE
In the AI era, one truth stands out clearly:
AI can only automate what humans first deeply understood.
The competency frameworks that today’s AI tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Workday AI, etc.) can generate in seconds were originally built on decades of rigorous human expertise — exactly the kind of thorough, stakeholder-validated, behaviorally-anchored work we delivered at American Express Saudi Arabia long before AI existed.
This book, titled “Competency-Driven Leadership: Building Human Capital Excellence in the GCC”, serves as a powerful living case study. It shows what solid human-centered HR work looked like before AI — and why that foundation remains more important than ever in the age of AI.
What’s Included in the First 10 Pages (Attached):
- The foreword explaining why this pre-AI case study matters even more today
- The original project mandate, scope, and organizational strategy (developed from scratch)
- The very first communication between the consultant and the HR Manager dated December 23, 2015
- The complete three-stage methodology (Stages A, B, and C) that guided the 9-month project
- The initial 70-slide presentation delivered to AMEX senior management in early 2016
- A snapshot of the June 2016 project status report showing 92% completion with 22 milestones tracked
Want the Full Book?
The complete book is approximately 200 pages and includes:
- 9 detailed chapters
- The full Competency Dictionary (19 competencies with 4 proficiency levels each)
- Complete mapping of all 121 positions across 16 departments
- 4 ready-to-use workshop designs: Business Acumen, Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, and Coaching & Mentoring
- Full set of project status reports with detailed milestone tracking
If you would like the full copy, simply send me a direct message on LinkedIn or leave a comment below.
From Star Trek’s diversity lessons to Star Wars-level AI strategy — READ Academy continues to evolve with the times.
The READ journey that began in 2015 is still going strong.
And now… AI Awakens the FORCE.
Shah Siddiqui Founder, READ Academy Principal Consultant, Tasneem Consulting Riyadh, Saudi Arabia