SOCIO-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AND ITS ROLE IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE OFFICERS

The term competence has become a priority for public policies. In the field of education and professional training competences lie at the basis of curricula, of specializations in universities, of qualifications or professional standards. It is obvious that in any sector of human resources - be it economy, public services or policies, in any kind of activi - be it individual or at the level of organization, firm or collectivity, competences have become the key factor and the main reference. Thus, its popularity went hand in hand with its unlimited spread in the detriment of its conceptual clarity. Today we meet the term competence everywhere and at any time, but there is no minimal consensus with respect to terminology. We speak of competences and "skills" (a term difficult to translate in Romanian), key and basic competences, capabilities and abilities etc. With this article we will try to bring a better understanding of the concept. Moreover, since it plays an importnat role in an officer's activity or in their environment, we will tackle on the affective dimension in their competence profile: relations with others, decision-making process, work motivation and satisfaction, team work, self-control, etc. In order to become experts in a certain socio-emotional competence, such as team work or analyzing a conflictual situation, we need to develop an inner ability from the socio-emotional fundaments. Why? Because i nany activity the rational dimension doesn't suffice, there has to be an affective side, as well. Emotion depends on the way a person evaluates and assesses a situation. Affective and cognitive processes, though different in their nature, are inseparable and in tight connection in the activity of an intelligence officer, for instance.