Performance issues within an organization do not occur in a vacuum nor can they be changed in a vacuum. Performance issues are an indication that business goals are not being met; therefore, performance improvement starts with identifying business goals and measurements based on an organization’s strategy, mission, and values. I believe that solving performance issues starts with a look at the entire organization including the external and internal factors that contribute to performance issues. Internal factors that must be examined are how groups and departments interact, how processes are initiated and monitored, and how current performance measurements meet (or do not meet) business goals. If an organization does not have desired performance measurements, it is the responsibility of the performance technologist to work with the stakeholders to establish desired outcomes of performance improvement initiatives.
Performance technologists must remain objective and continue to search for the “truth” of performance issues without influence from stakeholders or personal opinions. Research-based tools such as Rummler’s Nine Variables, AOP, and Analysis and Improvement Worksheet are foundational to guiding a performance technologist to ask the right questions of the right people. It is imperative to the success of an improvement project to gather information from all levels within an organization including management and performers. These tools help keep the performance technologist’s focus on researching to find the root of the issue, gathering information on the current state, and establishing the desired state.
During information gathering, it is critical that the performance technologist remain solution-neutral until all data and interviews are complete. Only after this information has been gathered and analyzed should solutions and recommendations be formulated. Solutions must be aligned to business needs and objectives to bring value to an organization. Value is the ever present focus of performance analysis. At all phases, the performance improvement professional should always ask “how can this provide value to the organization?”
Performance improvement is not always a “one and done” type of work. Once recommended solutions are implemented and evaluated, the performance improvement professional may need to perform additional analysis for any solutions that are not performing to expected measurements. There is often an on-going or recurring need to evaluate, modify, and implement solutions until the desired performance is achieved.
The other part of a performance technologist’s job is keeping aligned with the performance improvement standards to work in partnership with clients and maintain the ethical standards of the performance technology field. All performance improvement work is guided by these standards to bring value to an organization.
Jen Dean Consulting 