A Shift from Training to Performance

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius --

and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."- Albert Einstein

Presented for Dr. Jim MarshallByBrett Powell & Karl RichterEDTEC 685 12/06/05

The Scenario

• “We have 180 learning professionals across the globe. Mostly, they deliver and coordinate training. Frankly, that's not good enough. Our internal clients wonder if what we do is making much difference. I wonder too. Mostly, we do habitual dippings. That's why I contacted you.“

• How do you recommend that we move people from training to performance? I believe that will be best for our internal clients, our external customers, and our organization.“

Does Training Make a Difference?

Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of Evaluation

1. Reactions2. Learning3. Transfer4. Results

A Shift to Performance is a Shift in Thinking

The Role of TrainingActivity based Approach

• No business need• No assessment of

Performance Issues• No specific,

measurable objectives• No efforts to build

partnerships with stakeholders

• No measurement of results, cost benefit analysis

The Role of PerformanceResults based Approach

• Linked to a specific business need

• Assessment of performance effectiveness

• Specific Application and Impact objectives

• Partnerships with stakeholders

• Measurement of results (ROI)

Different Models of Performance

• The Organizational Effectiveness model

• Performance Architecture

• Integrated Performance Strategies

A Common Approach to Performance Consulting

Performance consulting is a systematic process of: • Assessing needs• Analysing problems• Recommending solutions• Developing and implementing solutions• Evaluating worth

4 phases of The Human Performance Improvement (HPI):

• Partnering• Assessment• Intervention• Evaluation

Partnering

Learning Professionals must develop long term relationshipswith clients based on their training and performance needs.

• Consider institutional contexts such as the mission, goals, strategies, and corporate culture of the client

• Partner with clients to identify problems and opportunities related to human performance

• Identify training needs linked to performance gaps• Set project goals • Identify roles and responsibilities

• Define what "success" will look like for this project

Assessment

LPs must collect data on the current and desired state of

performance and the cause of any performance gaps • Establish desired Performance goals that can be

measured• Decide on the type and level of performance

needed• Determine potential obstacles to attaining desired

performance• Analyze performance gaps and their root causes

especially when current performance is below expectations

Intervention (Selection)

LP’s must design and develop interventions agreed upon in the assessment

phase. A “Performance Consultant” should identify the best solutions that

can be used to remove or overcome the gap between the desired and the

actual state of performance.

• Select and design an appropriate intervention, based on assessment data, to resolve the performance problem

• Intervention may be learning-based on non learning-based

Interventions could include:• Learning, tutorial, training interventions (competency based

training)• Consultative interventions (strategic planning)• Techno-structural interventions (work space redesign, systems

upgrades)• Process or systems interventions (job design, incentive

programs)

Intervention (Implementation)Factors that affect the implementation include:• Life Cycle ~ An organizations development stage at the time

the intervention is proposed. Is the organization in the right cycle to accept the change?

• Culture ~ Refers to organizational culture. At times we need to destroy old cultures and build new ones. Is the intervention and the organizational culture in sync?

• Strategic Plan ~ All interventions should align and support. • External Conditions ~ Identify all the environmental factors

that could impede on the implementation process.

5 Keys to implementation• Traditional routines are put aside• Old habits must be broken• New equipment is delivered• New forms or worksheets are used• A new aspect of performance must be learned observed and

rewarded

Evaluation

• “Assess the success” of the intervention in attaining your goals

• Goals may include Performance Improvement goals as well as broader business goals

• Provide feedback for continued change

The HPI Model

MAINTAIN STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIP

CONSIDER INSTITUTIONAL

CONTEXT

MISSION

GOALS

STRATEGIES

CULTURE

DESCRIBE ACTUAL

PERFORMANCE

DEFINE DESIRED

PERFORMANCE

FIND ROOT CAUSES

Why does the performance

gap exist?

SELECT INTERVENTIONSWhat can be done

to close the performance gap?

EVALUATE PERFORMANCE

GAPGAPIMPLEMENT

INTERVENTIONS

Will you be ready?

7 Sins of Performance Consulting

• The Lone Ranger Syndrome – do not take on an assignment by yourself

• A Rush to Judgement – do not act before you know what the problem is (analysis)

• The Tower of Babel – do not use jargon that doesn’t connect with your client

• Just-In-Time = Too Late – do not wait for the client to contact you

• One Size Fits All – use a model as a starting point, but do not get stuck to it

• No One’s Listening – not everyone shares your enthusiasm, build credibility

• Prove Them Wrong – be more proactive and ask the right questions, do not argue

Published LiteratureGo to http://print.google.com/Moving from Training to Performance: A Practical GuidebookPerformance Consulting: Moving Beyond Training Human Performance Improvement: Building Practitioner CompetenceHPI Essentials: A Just-The-Facts, Bottom-Line Primer on Human Performance ImprovementTraining Ain't Performance

Performance on the Web

• http://www.ispi.org/• http://www.astd.org/astd

Vendors

• http://www.ptrain.com/consulting/• http://www.pci-solutions.com/• http://learningsource.od.nih.gov/

perform.html• http://www.millerconsultants.com/