The Manager: “How do we get our employees to 'do the things they are supposed to do' with a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness? How do we help our employees to improve their performance to attain the desired standards of productivity and success? How do we secure our organisation's success?”

 

The Performance Analyst: “Through expert analysis of your employees using tried and tested models of behavioural engineering, performance measures, assessing performance gaps, and identifying the root cause(s) of issues which affect the organisation, and procedural and employee performance.”

 

This aspect of instructional design is one about which I am particularly passionate about as it addresses performance deficits in both instructional and non-instructional manners. It was addressed in both the course on "Analysing Human Performance" as well as the course on “Designing Learning and Performance Solutions”.

 

The course on “Analysing Human Performance” described a range of techniques that can assist with identifying performance deficiencies and their root causes within the work or academic environment. This course has assisted with my understanding of the role of the performance analyst which is to analyse the performance issue and recommend instructional and/or non-instructional results-oriented interventions to resolve performance deficiencies. I also understand those knowledge areas (eg. human performance technology), and skills (research, analytical, people, communication, and problem-solving skills) that are critical to resolving performance gaps.

 

As we analyse human performance we take the stance that you cannot see the forest from through the trees. A performance practitioner takes a step back and reviews the organisation from the outside-in, the inside-out, and then through-and-through to review strong performance indicators of employees (knowledge, skills, capabilities, motivation, and their immediate environment) as well as the immediate and external environment around the issue to make informed judgements in favour of resolving the perfomrance gap. Employer/employee interviews, SWOT analyses, or environmental analyses, needs assessments, or a review of job tasks and their processes.

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In this regard, assessments may lead to the identification of productivity and efficiency issues on grounds of employee characteristics, the actual work environment, or the operational procedures and processes for task completion. Once the root cause is ascertained, then they can be aligned with relevant and potentially successful interventions like job aids, training, electronic performance support systems, procedural manuals, employee mentoring, providing feedback, conducting employee appraisals, restructuring job processes, or linking rewards to performance etc.). Solutions must add value to the organisation through cost-effectiveness and timely decision making and interventions, and be aligned with the direction and strategy of the organisation as well as improve the likelihood of organisation success through its people.

 

Considerations when addressing performance problems may be reviewed by viewing the video below or reviewing the PDF document by this link on Solving a Performance Problem.