Mission and Activities
The ISPI
Research Committee’s mission is to support
research within ISPI and the performance improvement field at large.
In the last several
years, the Committee has been responsible for four major initiatives:
1) administering the research grant program, 2) organizing conference
sessions that focus on research, 3) developing a research community,
and 4) advocating for the importance of research.
ISPI was founded in 1962 by a group of researchers (academic and military) in San Antonio, Texas. Since that time, research has often distinguished ISPI as the trade organization that most exemplifies proven ideas and evidence-based practice. We’re not perfect of course, catching an occasional whiff of snake-oil sales jockeys, but ISPI members as a whole are especially committed to practices that work to improve performance. As evidence of ISPI’s preeminence, in August three of our researchers— Steven J. Condly, Richard E. Clark, and Harold D. Stolovitch—won ASTD’s research award for an article they published, “The Effects of Incentives on Workplace Performance: A Meta-analytic Review of Research Studies,” in ISPI’s Performance Improvement Quarterly, Volume 16, Number 3.
Research Grant Program
The Committee is responsible
for administering ISPI’s Research Grant
Program. Each year it puts out a Request for Proposals, reviews
incoming proposals, awards grants, mentors recipients, and monitors
compliance. This is no easy task, and we’ve learned some lessons the
hard way along the road to our own performance improvement. The grantee
completion rate has improved from 0% to 40% to 75% in the last three
years. We’ve learned that we must: 1) select only those proposals
that have a high likelihood of completion, 2) coach grantees to improve
their research methodologies, 3) closely monitor compliance, 4) insist
on interim deadlines, and 5) reward the researchers after they’ve completed
their research. Given this new regimen, the ISPI community will soon
be seeing more fruits from these efforts.
The Committee would like to congratulate the following 2003-2004 Research Grant recipients who completed their research: Heather M. McGee and Alyce M. Dickinson for their research entitled, The Effects of Individual and Group Monetary Incentives on High Performance; and Yonnie Chyung for her research, An Investigation of Motivation-Hygiene Factors in e-Learning. She presented her results this year at ISPI’s Annual Conference in Tampa.
The Committee would also like to congratulate the newest Research Grant recipient for 2004-2005: Douglas A. Johnson and Alyce M. Dickinson for their research proposal, The Effects of Feedback When Added to Individual Monetary Incentives. If you’re reading closely, you’ll notice that Alyce is a back-to-back recipient and is doing great work supporting and coaching her graduate students in performance improvement research. All research grants are chosen using a very comprehensive blind review process.
Research-Focused Conference Sessions
Two years
ago, the Research Committee sponsored an
Annual Conference session called the Research
Exchange. It attracted
over 100 participants hungry for research-based sessions at the conference.
Last year the committee hosted another Research Exchange and added
a second session designed to help practitioners develop more “consumer
literacy” about how to use research. The Research Exchange was a success,
but the second session was sparsely attended, partially because it
competed with at least two renowned speakers and partially because
we labeled the session with the uninspiring title, Research Roundtables.
The lesson we drew from that experience was that while there is a passionate
cadre of individuals who will flock to research-based discussions,
many ISPI conference-goers may live in fear of the r-word.
At next year’s conference in Vancouver, the Committee will once again sponsor a Research Exchange focused on new research results and will also sponsor a session entitled, Snake Oil or Results? How You Can Improve, Validate (or Justify) Your HPT Practices.
Developing a Research Community
Two years ago,
as Committee members brainstormed activities for our annual Committee
work, we found there was a lack
of communication between
ISPI members who were interested in research and research-based practice.
So, we set out to alleviate this gap with two doable initiatives. First,
we developed a “Research Community” mailing list and sent occasional
emails regarding conference sessions, research activities,
and so on. Our second initiative was the construction of an ISPI Research
Community bulletin board, where ISPI members could post messages on
topics related to research. Except for a few phone calls and some topic
selections, we had very little work to do on this and are indebted
to ISPI webmaster Craig Grimm for including us in the ISPI-wide discussion
board initiative.
While these community-building initiatives have only had a moderate effect on the quality and amount of research-related dialogue, the Committee is hopeful that the nascent ISPI-wide Professional Community initiative, with the Science and Research Community led by Research-Committee-Veteran-Extraordinaire Mary Norris Thomas, will bear fruit in bringing together those interested in the scientific foundations of ISPI.
Advocating for Research
You may have seen Research
Committee members arrested by police at this year’s Annual Conference
for demonstrating and standing up for the importance of research and
research-based practice. You, too, may
be delusional. Most of what our Committee members do to advocate for
research is to have conversations with ISPI members and opinion leaders.
We’d like to invite all ISPI members to chat with us. The best way
to get started is to join the Research Committee’s mailing list by
subscribing at: www.work-learning.com/ispi_research_mailing.htm.
Future of the Research Committee
The ISPI Board of Directors asked the Committee to think innovatively
about its activities and specifically to look beyond its current tasks
to future opportunities. Board members Marilyn Spatz and Jim Pershing
have been particularly helpful. The key goal is to continue the momentum
around research-based performance improvement, to continue to increase
the visibility of research within ISPI, and to ensure that ISPI maintains
its image as an organization dedicated to the use and design of proven
methodologies.
Although I am the current chair of the Research Committee, I am blessed to be a member of a brilliant, hard-working team, including Chris Ryan, Ingrid Guerra, Jo Gallagher, Marcey Uday-Riley, Marilyn Spatz (Board Liaison), Mary Norris Thomas (Past Chair), Rich Pearlstein (Former Chair), Ryan Watkins, Steve Condly, and Steve Villachica (Chair Elect).
If you’d like to get involved or have ideas for the Research Committee, please contact me via email at will.thalheimer@work-learning.com.
Would you like to advertise in this space? Contact marketing@ispi.org |
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| Research has often distinguished ISPI as the trade organization that most exemplifies proven ideas and evidence-based practice. |
Happy Holidays from TrendSpotters—ever vigilant! See
you in the New Year! |
- Measure what matters to your organization. Bank of America Corp. uses three techniques that are complementary in measurement system alignment: Hoshin planning and Kanri are beneficial in aligning functional areas of the organization with corporate-level goals; and Six Sigma focuses on improving the underlying processes, resulting in measures that are aligned by process.
- Embed your measurement systems into daily operations. Crown Castle International Corp. has implemented a knowledge management process in conjunction with the balanced scorecard to allow employees to share not only the quantitative improvements, but also the underlying knowledge gained by those who have worked to improve the system.
- Reflect the maturity of your business model within your measurement system. JetBlue Airways Corp. is focused on building a brand and managing its rapid growth rate. L.L. Bean Inc. is focused on providing a customer experience second to none while competing in a mature marketplace.
- Build a flexible measurement system. Saturn Corporation’s collected data are mined from its host system to its data warehouse. This flexible system makes it relatively easy and inexpensive to make quick updates.
- Embrace simplicity in your organizational measurement system. Best-practice organizations use technology appropriate to the enterprise and to the task of collecting, analyzing, and reporting metric data.
- Manage change while developing your current measurement system. Crown Castle developed a program called “Crowning Achievement” to link the scorecard with the company’s compensation and recognition plans. This has helped increase each unit to maintain its focus and recognize outstanding performance.
- Use the measurement system as a vehicle to communicate performance. Saturn developed a system that relied on the ability of people to pull information to solve problems and overcome challenges, while giving the company only the information it needed.
- Link system to culture. Crown Castle used a three-phased, multilevel, multiyear effort to engage the top levels of leadership and management, as well as management and front-line employees at the country level.
- Define roles and activities for all measurement activity. All of the best-practice organizations profiled in this benchmarking report have assigned responsibility for action and resources for the measurement system to the process and business owners.
- Act. L.L. Bean uses leading indicators to forecast an impact on operations. It uses indicators such as order size and how many units a customer orders to help decide if the work coming to the fulfillment centers can be easily handled with existing processes or if automation is required.
Note: Tips are excerpted from Effectively Managing Performance Measurement Systems, a benchmarking report published by APQC.
Would you like to advertise in this space? Contact marketing@ispi.org
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Last month I conducted a PerformanceXpress contest that required people to define performance-based
instructional systems design in exactly eight words. This was a follow-up
to the October contest that required a 16-word definition. We received
several entries from around the world.
The Winner
After several rounds of reflection, arguments,
and recounts, our international panel of judges selected the following
entry from Mark Galsdies of Wollongong,
Australia as the winning entry. Good on ya, mate! (Note: As always, the
judging panel’s decision is final.)
Taking the ‘don’t know’ to the ‘can do’.
Special Mentions
We want to recognize Deb Stone as the contestant with the fastest reaction
time. Her entry beat Mark Galsdies’ entry by just one minute. In
addition, Deb is to be commended for creating her definition in the form
of a haiku:
Create instruction.
She demonstrates performance.
Need becomes fulfilled.
Daniel Roberts also submitted a poetic entry:
Defining needs,
Effective training,
Performance improvement,
Evaluate all...
By the way, here is the slowest entry for the October (16-word) contest. It was submitted by Paul McGuane (and inspired by Bob Mager):
Where are we going? How will we get there? How will we know we’ve arrived?
Another Chance to Win
Here’s
how the third round of the contest goes: Define performance-based instructional
systems design in exactly four words.
Notice that the definition
should contain exactly four words. You must not use fewer than four words
or more than four words. (Hint: Eschew obfuscation and pontification.
Go for a slogan, a bumper sticker, a tee-shirt message, or a tag line.)
You can compete in the third round whether or not you competed in the
earlier two rounds.
How to Cheat
At the end of this article are several eight-word definitions
from the second round. Review the ideas and the words and synthesize
your own four-word definition.
Other Rules
- Deadline: December 15, 2004 (Hey, the editor gives me a tight deadline.)
- Email your contest entry to contest@thiagi.com.
- Judging criteria include accuracy, creativity, and appeal to PX readers.
- Include your name and postal address with your entry.
- You may send more than one entry (but you can only win once).
- The decision of the judges is final.
- Results will be announced in the January 2005 issue of PX.
- All entries will eventually be displayed in PX. (Of course, you will get full credit.)
8-Word Definitions
- A box of chocolates with a job aid. —Roland Isnor
- A method of cloning expertise without using DNA. —Dave Bailey
- A simple decision-making process camouflaged in jargon. —Paul Swan
- Advancing people’s performance through proven learning-catalyst methodologies. —Esther Bergman
- Defining needs, Instructional methodologies, Performance improvement, Evaluate all. —Daniel C. Roberts
- Development tools to maximize performance oriented training results. —Jack Cunningham
- How to do what needs done for results. —Jack Cunningham
- Improving the total system, not just unwary performers. —Ken Finley
- Learning interventions designed to fill specific performance gaps. —Alvaro Estrada
- Learning to do what needs to be done. —Rob Stevens
- Methodology to improve the results of performers’ actions. —Vicki Wolfe
- Monkey see, monkey question, monkey practice, monkey do. —Janis Currie
- Not about know-how, it’s the value of can-do. —Howard Sommerfeld
- Performance based instructional systems design produce lasting results! —Jane McClelland
- Rules-based creativity that improves people’s job performance. —Esther Bergman
- Systematic methodology creating measurable positive employee behavioral differences. —Monica Luketich
- Systematically crafted performance improvement opportunity, with timely feedback. —Laura Jackson
- Whatever it takes to achieve the required performance. —Howard Sommerfeld
As with any long-term fitness program, there will
be periods of progress, plateaus, and slumps. The most successful endeavors
set challenging yet
realistic goals and “stay the course” through those up and down cycles.
Success requires determination, dedication, and discipline. It is the
same with an organization’s financials. As the Treasurers for the Board,
we would like to provide some highlights of ISPI’s current fiscal fitness.
As many of you have experienced personally, these past few years have been economically precarious. Many of us have witnessed severe repercussions from the global economic situation in our own businesses and organizations. Many professional organizations have suffered serious financial setbacks, membership reductions, and service restrictions. Indeed, some organizations have not weathered well.
ISPI endured these same economic trends and challenges. The Board adapted strategy, instituted myriad cost containments, and drew upon the Society’s reserves. As a result, ISPI was able to preserve services to members and create new income streams during the economic lows.
During our last Board meeting, we conducted a comprehensive review of the Society’s financial performance. We are most pleased and proud to report that our financial health is gaining strength and moving in positive directions.
The 2003/04 year proved to be a financially successful one. The Society realized an overall 30% plus increase over the previous fiscal year. The increased income was realized in four main areas:
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Membership
-
Certification
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Conference/Conference Workshops
-
In-house Institutes
To fully appreciate the contributions and hard work that have made these results possible, we need to describe the accomplishments in each of these areas. It is important to maintain a “systems view” with our financial picture. There are numerous interrelated factors that contribute to ISPI’s overall financial status.
Membership
ISPI’s increase in membership counters the downward trends in other
organizations. This is a testament to the staff’s consistent recruitment
of past, current, and new members. Other ISPI initiatives, such as
certification and Institutes, also contributed to the gain in this
area.
Certification
The total number of CPTs is close to 1000! Keep in mind
that this initial momentum will not be sustained. The end of
the Grandparenting
phase will affect income generation; however, we do expect re-certifications
to be steady income for the continued support of this program.
The Board recently approved the addition of a full-time staff member to support our Certification program. Although this will increase expenses, we believe it is a vital investment to secure the vitality of our CPT program.
Conference/Conference Workshops
Understandably, this area can be dramatically affected by forces beyond
our control. (Remember 2001?) A healthy increase in this area signals
a growing confidence in the rejuvenation of conference participation.
Given the number of 2004 conference proposals submitted, we are optimistic
about Vancouver.
In-house Performance Improvement Institutes
This
has been a banner year for customized in-house HPT Institutes. The
dramatic increase in this area is a testament to
the hard work and
stellar reputation of ISPI’s staff and Institute faculty. The recognition
of the value-added ROI of these customized programs continues to grow.
We expect increased interest for future programs from member and non-member
organizations. These targeted Institutes are proving to be strategic
avenues for increasing the general awareness of ISPI and the credibility
of HPT.
Financial Details
We remain cautiously optimistic
about ISPI’s fiscal future. These positive
gains are results of the critical decisions of past and current Board
members, the incredible dedication of ISPI’s staff, and the determination
and business savvy of our Executive Director.
We will present detailed financial data at the general business meeting during the upcoming Annual Conference. At that time, we will review balance sheets, historical trends, and budget allocations for current and future programs. We invite your participation and encourage your continued interest in our Society’s finances.
The Nominating Committee has announced the slate of candidates
for the upcoming 2005-2007 Board of Directors election. This year the membership
will elect a President-elect and two Directors. They will join the President,
three continuing Board members, and the non-voting Executive Director who
make up the eight-member Board.
The slate was developed by the Nominating Committee, which received nominations from the membership and determined the willingness of those nominated to run. All the candidates meet the qualifications and criteria of the positions. For further information on the qualifications and criteria, click here. In mid-December, members can view the Candidate Statement from each nominee on the ISPI website.
As a reminder, ISPI will hold its annual Board election electronically, and active members will vote for candidates to the Board online. Since your link to the “voting booth” will be sent via email in mid-January, it is important that ISPI has your most current email address on file. To review your record, visit www.ispi.org and click on My ISPI to login. Or, you may call us at 301.587.8570.
The candidates for the 2005-2007 Board of Directors, listed in random order, are:
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For President-elect:
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For Director:
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What is the best method for creating a performance improvement
organization within a company? This question often arises at conferences
and meetings,
during phone calls, and chats with performance consulting colleagues.
Fifteen ISPI Advocate members recently met and discussed this topic.
Below is a summary of that dialogue, drawn from their combined experiences.
For anyone considering the development of a performance improvement
team, these considerations may help to more rapidly develop a framework
for success.
1. Why form a performance improvement organization?
The Advocates identified two primary purposes for an internal performance improvement organization:
-
To provide results to the company that are not otherwise being provided.
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To help integrate disparate initiatives that aim to improve performance.
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Are we delivering results? (short-term)
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Are we in demand by internal clients? (mid-term)
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Do we have repeat clients? (mid-term)
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Are we a place where people want to work? (mid-term)
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Are we expected at critical meetings and in critical decisions? (mid-term)
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Are we a part of the company’s DNA? (long-term)
3. How can we gain and maintain support?
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Ensure a clear charter. When something is “new”, others want to know what it does (focus), how it affects them (scope), and whether it is supported by senior leadership (license). These three issues can be rolled into a single requirement—a charter. Your charter is supportable if the focus is crystal clear, the scope is reasonable, and management provides public, visible support via words, actions, and resources.
- Ensure a broad and clearly identifiable network. Consider four elements of your network. The first is a network of sponsors. These must be known, recognizable, and influential. Having this network will lead to an early ability to exercise your role—but it will not lead to success. That is where results take over.
The second is a network of critical stakeholders in related departments. It is often these people who must acquiesce or welcome your inquiries and analyses, your expertise, your lack of bias, and your ability to deliver as promised.
The third, drawn from the first two, is an internal board of advisors. An advisory board provides advice, reduces barriers, and identifies key constraints to success. When using a board, give them something to do and ensure they do it. Small things such as calling another executive or providing access to data will ensure they maintain connection to your team’s mission.The fourth is a network outside the company. This group ensures you are linked to scientific developments and new professional practices.
- Ensure balanced objectivity. The role of a performance improvement organization is to help move the company upward on the performance/results graph. We must operate much like a physician who provides diagnoses without bias for a particular drug or treatment. The main objective is health. That is not to say that we ignore internal politics or interactions. The company’s organizational realities need to be considered.
4. Reactive or Proactive—How should the PI organization provide services?
There are likely three typical models of service provision:
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Reactive: in which the organization mainly takes requests for support. This is the “show me” stage of development and most likely occurs early in the team’s formation.
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Proactive: in which the team has the authority to conduct analyses where they see opportunities.
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Hybrid: which tends to occur once the organization is established and offers known value.
5. Centralized or Decentralized—What structure is best?
This may be the greatest area of debate. Building your team based on your service approach and the culture of your company will likely lead to greater acceptance. Other factors requiring consideration are:
-
A need to standardize your methods.
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A need to prioritize, track, and report on projects across the company.
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The variations in demand across the company.
From an operational perspective, the Advocates questioned whether a centralized organization—where all assets are singularly owned and distributed—will be most effective. Instead, a hybrid model seemed to be the most common experience of the Advocates. This consists of a core management team; locally distributed assets; and a centralized, flex-staff that can be shifted based on need.
Via a core leadership team, the organization ensures commonality of thought, process, tools, and language. It has the authority to temporarily reassign assets based on the operational needs of the company. It also tracks and manages all existing projects from analysis to implementation.
Locally distributed assets are small teams assigned to or owned by the business units and field organizations. Project requests come from the business units while oversight is provided by the core team.
A flex-staff fills operational gaps or offers a “surge” capability when the size, scope, or number of projects grows beyond what the local teams can handle. Temporary “task forces” that address critical needs are supported via this team.
It is likely that a performance consulting team will have responsibilities beyond analysis, such as supporting project design, implementation, and evaluation. Many companies do not have budgets specifically earmarked for “performance improvement.” So, you may find yourself in the training department or, maybe, in the process improvement, marketing, or sales departments. Whatever the location, grow where you are planted, and exert influence on other departments that may provide performance improvement solutions.
Preliminary 12-point Checklist
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We understand the primary purpose of our organization and our sponsors concur. |
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We have a clear, sponsor-approved, charter. |
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We have a solid, dependable, network within the company. |
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We have a solid, dependable, network outside the company. |
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Our organizational structure is business and culturally appropriate and understood by others. |
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We have a common set of tools, processes, and methods. |
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We are delivering results. |
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We are in demand by internal clients. |
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We have repeat clients. |
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We are a place where people want to work. |
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We are expected at critical meetings and in critical decisions. |
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We are part of the company’s DNA. |
One size doesn’t fit all, and this is just a start. Consider the ideas outlined above and use them as they best fit the nuances of your company. Where you can build on these, please do, and then share with Rodger.Stotz@maritz.com. By considering these experiences and the suggestions of others, you’ll likely increase the speed at which success comes to your team.
Whatever the location, grow where you are planted, and exert influence on other departments that may provide performance improvement solutions. |
As we conclude the year
2004, we have the opportunity to evaluate our experiences. How
we place value on our successes,
our lessons learned, and our sense of self creates guidelines for our
capacity to evaluate the performance of ourselves and others. There are
many who put the “love” in “evaluation”, so this month we visit a few
sites that may be of value to performance technologists. Our theme is Value URL.
Get ready for some trippendicular HPT.
Quick recap: Every month, three sites, one theme. While far from comprehensive, hopefully these sites will spark readers to look further and expand views about HPT. Please keep in mind that any listing is for informational purposes only and does not indicate an endorsement either by the International Society for Performance Improvement or me.
These are the general categories I use for the sites featured:
- E-Klatch: Links to professional associations, research, and resources that can help refine and expand our views of HPT through connections with other professionals and current trends
- HPT@work: Links to job listings, career development, volunteer opportunities, and other resources for applying your individual skills
- I-Candy: Links to sites that are thought provoking, enjoyable, and refreshing to help manage the stresses and identify new ideas for HPT
E-Klatch
What’s your “e” value?
For a simply designed and extensive list of evaluation resources, visit Digital Resources for Evaluators,
compiled by Catherine A. Callow-Heusser. The site includes a great portal
for international
communities of evaluators, a variety of evaluation
instruments and data sources, and several funding
and employment listings. Some gems uncovered here of HPT interest
include: the Institute of Objective Measurement’s definition of, well, Objective Measurement; a 2001 article
by Kim Sheehan, University of Oregon, on E-mail Survey Response
Rates: A Review; the United Nations Development Program Handbook
on Monitoring and Evaluating for Results;
and a working
paper on adapting U.S. program evaluation standards to African conditions
by the African Evaluation Association. Despite some broken links, this
comprehensive site is a helpful springboard to learning more about evaluation.
Extra credit for listing ISPI, too (under Other Associations
for Researchers and Evaluators)!
HPT@work
What’s your “I” value?
Trying to figure out your own value at work? Some light on this issue
is shed in a recent
article by Loren Gary on The
new ROI: Return on Individuals which
appears on the Working Knowledge site of the Harvard Business School.
Also on
this site are other pieces to help explore how we are valued at work,
including an email
interview by Mallory Stark with Russell Muirhead on the justifiably
double-meaning nature of his recent book Just Work, and a list by Herminia Ibarra on Nine
Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. Other articles
on Career
effectiveness can
be found here. This site includes a large library of articles on topics
including Finance, Moral
Leadership, Innovation,
and Outsourcing.
Additional links bring you to current Harvard
Business School Faculty and Research and special reports from Conferences.
I-Candy
And what’s your
Valley you? For a quick translation of your valued text into Valley Girl
speak,
hop over to the eLibs
Funkatizer and select “Valley Girl” in the “Translate to:” box. Here’s
what you get for the definition of HPT from the ISPI
website:
“Human Performance Technology (HPT) uses a wide range of interventions that are drawn from many other disciplines includin’, fer shure, behavioral psychology, fer shure, instructional systems design, fer shure, organizational development, man, and human resources management. As such, oh, baby, it stresses a rigorous analysis of present and desired levels of performance, fer shure, identifies thuh causes for thuh performance gap, like, offers a wide range of interventions with which to improve performance, oh, baby, guides thuh change management process, fer shure, and evaluates thuh results.”
Other options for “funkatized” text include Swedish Chef and Smurf. (You can note their disclaimer: “The Funkatizer is not intended to be racist, sexist, or otherwise demeaning or discriminatory. It is pure humor in word-play.”) For a definition of “Valley Girl” you can visit the InThe80s.com Cliques of Eighties Teens and find definitions of Valley Girl speak and other terms from U.S. English in the 1980s here, where we learn that “Trippendicular” is “Something that is totally amazing.” Sounds like HPT to me.
Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season, and we at I-Spy look forward to seeing and “e”-ing you in the New Year. Fer shure!
When he is not Internet trawling for ISPI, Todd Packer can be found improving business, non-profit, and individual performance through research, training, and innovation coaching as Principal Consultant of Todd Packer and Associates based in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He may be reached at tp@toddpacker.com.
HPT practitioners are trained to systematically
analyze performance issues, determine causes, and recommend specific
solutions that lead to measurable improvements in performance, profit,
and employee satisfaction. Unfortunately, many of the best-intended
efforts fail. Why?
Consider this scenario: A globally recognized organization experienced a highly visible operational failure. An HPT team was afforded direct access to the COO and key performer groups, and had sufficient time to conduct a thorough analysis. They identified 14 environmental and eight individual performance deficiencies. Their recommended solution set was well thought out. The COO agreed with their findings, but later failed to lead the implementation effort. Why?
The HPT team hadn’t really communicated with its sponsor. At the outset, the COO had focused on a few topical symptoms, had rationalized some solutions based on years of personal experience, and expected the HPT analysis to support those positions. Meanwhile, the HPT team had assumed the quality of their work would carry the day. They worked in isolation, rarely shared their findings, and delivered their comprehensive, well-authored report on time…to no avail.
This presumption of sponsorship is an area of weakness for many in the human performance profession—especially for new HPT organizations and practitioners. We centrally managed our initial efforts in some 20+ Navy sites and partnered with Dr. Jim Hill (a past president of ISPI) to avoid as many pitfalls as possible. It’s also why ISPI included “Utilizing partnerships and collaborating with clients” in its Standard of Performance Technology.
We learned a lot during our early efforts. Here are 10 ideas to help performance technologists improve their ability to gain sponsorship:
- Begin the effort on Day 1.
- Clearly define the roles and responsibilities with your sponsor early in the game. Gain consensus on the desired outcomes and the potential range of solutions.
- Get verbal and public commitment from the sponsor. Sponsorship can never be delegated. Without committed sponsorship, stakeholders will hesitate to commit, your recommendations may never be implemented, and long-term change is likely to fall short.
- Keep your sponsor engaged. Schedule regular discovery and discussion meetings to share interim results. Ensure your sponsor is fully prepared and is your advocate.
- Over communicate. Update your sponsor at every critical phase. Be sure you get a response. Silence is deadly. Help your sponsor engage the other stakeholders by drafting the response you want in an email along with a recommended list of recipients and their addresses. If sponsors have to work too hard, they are likely to lose interest.
- Expand your sponsors and champions during each phase of your analysis. Don’t leave any potential naysayers on the sidelines.
- Spend time—maybe a day a week—with sales and marketing professionals. They will teach you a lot about customer/client management—plus, they’ll appreciate the interest.
- Learn the language of your sponsors. Talking to them in “HPT” is a sure way to fail. Save the scientific talk for meetings with other HPTers.
- Help new HPT practitioners learn from your experience. Trying to figure it out alone own is painful for the novice and costly for the organization.
- Be aggressive…but smart. Let the organization know your value.
Try a few of the actions above. You’ll know you are on the right track when you have to keep your sponsors from implementing your recommendations before your work is complete.
Captain Matthew T. Peters, CPT, is Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy Human Performance Center (HPC). He has been in the Navy for 24 years, is a Naval aviator, holds an MBA, and has held several jobs in the Operations Research field. Captain Peters has been directly involved with the Navy’s Revolution in Training transformation initiative since 2000. He may be reached at matthew.peters1@navy.mil.
This presumption of sponsorship is an area of weakness for many in the human performance profession—especially for new HPT organizations and practitioners. |
This past semester I taught a
graduate course about performance technology for
20 on-campus students and 24 distance students. One assignment, dubbed PT Makeover,
asked graduate students to choose a past project that would benefit from
some serious PT “magic.” I’m sharing
several of their short papers with you.
Even good projects can profit from a more comprehensive approach. Below, Jerry Marino describes a branding effort that went well and finds several ways that it could have gone even better. Read all about it in Rethinking a Branding Program. If you would like to contact me, I may be reached at arossett@mail.sdsu.edu.
What We Did: Rolling Out a Brand Awareness Campaign
In early 2003 my client, a national trade association, implemented an educational brand awareness program to sales associates in electronics retail chain stores. They relied on an outsourced marketing group to visit stores and present the association’s message to electronics sales associates. My organization (The Marino Group) was engaged to develop online sales training and information for use by the outsourced marketing group with the salespeople. For this project, we provided online product and technology information and a follow-up quiz. The client wanted to deliver their message and test recall of facts tied to the branding communication.
Store Visits With a Purpose
The visits by marketing agents ran over
three months. During that period, the agents made over 1,500 store visits,
and spoke with over 4,000 sales associates as well as to over 1,000 store
managers and 5,200 customers. They left sales aids and shelf talkers
(shelf promotional sheets) at the stores. The Marino Group developed
approximately 60 pages of web content and a 10-question quiz. Approximately
146 sales
associates started the quiz; all but seven completed it.
There was very little analysis done prior to developing the content, and performance drivers and causes were not considered. Although there was collaboration between groups, there was significant white space between the groups charged with organizing, managing, and implementing the program. We collaborated with the marketing reps about delivery of the message but did not speak with any prospective retailers to determine performance gaps. We used our best guess for solutions, taking direction from the client and their marketing representatives.
The client evaluated the program as a general success: follow-up surveys and visit reports showed that the store visits and leave-behind promotional material raised brand awareness and increased knowledge of the technology. The client was pleased with the response from store sales associates and the web training, but would have liked more visits to the website and greater test participation from store personnel.
Rethinking Our Approach
This program could have been improved
by a more thorough and purposeful analysis. This would have included
interviews with the client, the
potential users/participants,
their supervisors, and the marketing representatives visiting the stores.
Questions to analyze performance would have followed the interview schedule used
for a rollout program (Rossett, 1999). In addition, a review of the
literature would
have provided more information about what others had experienced for
this type of rollout. What works? What doesn’t? What tends to get
in the way of such efforts?
Client Questions to Clarify Goals
Client questions
would have been helpful to more clearly define what the client expected
from participants as well as
the drivers associated
with that performance. It also would have helped the client clarify goals
and establish realistic expectations for the project. The client wanted
to motivate sales associates to recommend sales and to instill in them
the value of products certified with their cutting-edge technology. Their
goal was to implant “top of mind” product and technology value recognition
through education and training. This implies a skills and knowledge deficiency.
An initial analysis of the intended audience would have validated this
premise and established specific information to deliver. Did the sales
associates lack knowledge about the products and their superior value?
Our approach assumed that was the driver of their performance. Now, with
performance technology perspectives, many other possibilities present
themselves.
This type of sales call, with follow-up information support, is a standard approach for brand awareness and product training. What we did, the follow-up and support information delivered via the website, was an innovative solution providing more information than a representative could cover in a call. But, I believe, a more extensive analysis may have uncovered even better ways to deliver the information and motivate sales associates to visit the client’s website.
When All Else Fails Ask Users…and Review the Literature
In
retrospect, several appropriate questions could have been asked to improve
the outcome: What are the best ways to encourage
website visits
and interaction with the content? Would a motivator such as an online
game or simulation attract the sales force to the site and deliver the
appropriate message? Would interactive tools engage visitors at the site
longer and encourage them to become involved with the content? Would
less “training” information and more performance support and job aids
improve performance or information retention?
A review of the literature and an extensive after-the-fact Internet search has uncovered other potential solutions. Reflecting on it now, I’m keen on the use of incentives. Games or simulations could also be employed to increase involvement and motivate the audience to repeatedly visit the website.
Games and Incentives
Incentives have been shown to not only improve job performance but
also to improve results of roll outs and promotions. Stolovitch, Clark,
and
Condly (2002) showed that incentives greatly increase job performance.
Their study found that incentive systems work best when current performance
is inadequate, when the cause of inadequate performance is motivational,
and when the desired performance can be quantified (how much, how often,
how many). For incentives to improve performance, goals must be challenging
but achievable.
In addition, vendors of incentive programs have shown that online incentives can support offline programs, like this rollout. Linkner (2003) states, “Industry statistics show that adding an online promotion to an offline campaign increases response rates by as much as 50%.” Mitchell (2003) of Snowfly.com proved that using Las Vegas-style incentives to reinforce performance objectives in a call center reduced call handling time and increased compliance to schedules, and these results were not temporary. They improved over the year-long period that the solution was implemented at the call center.
Further research and questions to sales associates (the target audience) and their supervisors would clarify whether such incentives would be enticing to this audience, how incentives would be received, if introducing them would increase web visits, and what type of incentives would be most appealing.
This process clearly shows that even programs perceived as successful can be improved through thoughtful planning and analysis. A thorough literature review and insightful questioning of potential users and sponsor can produce innovative options for solutions.
References
Linkner, J. (2003). News Release. ePrize
CEO touts power of online promotions to stretch marketing dollars at
Ad:Tech New York 2003. Retrieved online March 30, 2004, http://www.eprize.net/company/news/pressreleases/20031027.html
Mitchell, B. (2003). White paper: Snowfly incentives call center improvement. Retrieved online April 2, 2004, http://www.snowfly.com/Alliance_Data_White_Paper.pdf
Rossett, A. (1999). First things fast: Strategies for performance analysis. San Francisco: Jossey Bass/Pfeiffer.
Stolovitch, H.D., Clark, R.E., & Condly, S.J. (2002). Incentives and motivation in the workplace. Retrieved online April 8, 2004. http://www.hsa-lps.com/Performance_WS_2002.htm.
Jerry Marino is a performance consultant who specializes in learning, training, and knowledge management. He has more than 30 years of experience in education, training, and publishing, and in his practice has worked with high-tech, banking, and publishing companies. Jerry is a graduate student at San Diego State University where he will earn his Masters Degree in Educational Technology in December 2005. He may be reached at gem@marinogroup.com.
The impact of Human Performance Technology, our
technology, may be our own best-kept secret. Whether better visibility
will translate
into increased opportunity and effectiveness for CPTs is its own debate.
But, maybe sharing our secret can lay a fertile ground upon which
ISPI members can plant the seeds of HPT, grow its influence, and yield
higher accomplishments for themselves and their organizations.
This is the vision of CPT@Work: A place where anyone, any time, from any place, can go to find a case study of how a human performance technology (HPT) approach to improving individual and organizational performance made a difference.
Every application received for certification provides us with many illustrations of our technology at work. Illustrations of successful endeavors that made a positive impact on the business, in manners that we have seen possible, repeated in story after story, application for certification after application. We’d like to highlight these successes for the world to notice, and then invite CPTs in for further discussion.
From this moment forward, we’ll be asking our CPTs if they would like to share the stories in their applications publicly. The goal is to identify projects done by CPTs that clearly defined the performance gaps and causes, used appropriate solutions, and achieved measurable results. Every month in this series, we will place these case studies for anyone to access and learn about how others are applying the technology to close performance gaps. We may also utilize a space on the ISPI website to locate case studies as white papers of particular interest to specific groups.
We want accessibility to the illustrations to be easy so that decision makers can see what HPT is about and move forward with action. While we may say, for example, that HPT can be applied to solve any performance issue, we want the CEO who asks how it works to witness our technology in a cross-section of:
- Industries
- Professions
- Performance gaps and causes
- Performance interventions
- Impacts on individual and/or organizational performance
Ditto for managers who ask about designing measurements or about use of consequences. Ditto for how interventions get identified and implemented.
These shared stories will become part of the public repertoire. They build the ISPI lore. Our membership will share these stories with internal and external clients because they illustrate how performance obstacles are identified, clarified, and rectified. Maybe the CPT who contributed the story will be phoned for a deeper discussion by a reader working through a similar complexity.
If you are a CPT and wish to contribute a case study for consideration, click here to open a Word document containing the guidelines for submission. Each case study submitted should help us understand the:
- Opportunity or performance gap,
- Solution designed to capitalize on the opportunity, or close the gap,
- Measurement process utilized, and
- Findings that indicated the success of the intervention.
Lastly, woven throughout every case study will be its alignment with our 10 Standards of Performance Technology and our Code of Ethics…critical reflections of how we work.
I hope you agree with my enthusiasm about the potential to gain visibility for HPT. If you’d like more information about submitting your case study, email me at briandes@verizon.net.
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Brian Desautels, CPT, is a past ISPI Board Director and Society Treasurer, 2000 ISPI Conference Chair, and co-founder of the Seattle chapter of ISPI. He is a former Sr. HR Manager for Microsoft Corporation and is currently the Managing Partner of JB2D Performance, a Seattle-based consulting firm which applies performance technology strategies to human resource management. |
The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) is seeking an ISPI member who has the flexibility to take on the commitment and responsibilities
of Editor for Performance Improvement (PI).
We’re looking for a member who can demonstrate an extensive knowledge of human performance technology (HPT), has a professional HPT network, and possesses an editorial review ability. The Editor will be responsible for acquiring, reviewing, and selecting manuscripts and will contribute suggestions and ideas toward the editorial direction. The Editor will work with authors and potential authors to maintain the highest standard of editorial content and will work directly with ISPI’s Senior Director of Publications, who is responsible for all production and distribution. The Editor reports to the Executive Director, who serves as Publisher of Performance Improvement. The position requires a two-year commitment, commencing in April 2005. The Editor will receive $10,000 a year as compensation for the invested time and effort.
PI is published 10 times a year and is distributed to more than 5,000 members, subscribers, and institutions. For an application and instructions, or for questions regarding the position or the application process, please contact April Davis, ISPI Senior Director of Publications, by phone: 301.587.8570 x112; by fax: 301.587.8573; or by email, april@ispi.org.
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Performance Marketplace is a convenient way to exchange information of interest to the performance improvement community. Take a few moments each month to scan the listings for important new events, publications, services, and employment opportunities. To post information for our readers, contact ISPI Director of Marketing, Keith Pew at keithp@ispi.org or 301.587.8570. |
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Books
and Reports Serious Performance Consulting According to Rummler uses an extensive case study to illustrate what a serious performance consulting engagement looks like, and what a serious performance consultant does. Do you have what it takes to be a SPC? Training Ain’t Performance is a whimsical, entertaining, and solidly written book that addresses human performance. From beginning to end, readers are guided toward an understanding of human performance improvement and how to use it for real organizational value. Conferences, Seminars,
and Workshops
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Job and Career Resources Magazines, Newsletters,
and Journals Performance Improvement Quarterly, co-published by ISPI and FSU, is a peer-reviewed journal created to stimulate professional discussion in the field and to advance the discipline of Human Performance Technology through literature reviews, experimental studies with a scholarly base, and case studies. Subscribe today!
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Are you working to improve workplace performance?
Then, ISPI membership is your key to professional development through
education, certification, networking, and professional affinity programs.
If you are already a member, we thank you for your support. If you have
been considering membership or are about to renew, there is no better
time to join ISPI. To apply for membership or renew, visit www.ispi.org, or simply click here.
ISPI is looking for Human Performance Technology
(HPT) articles (approximately 500 words and not previously published)
for PerformanceXpress that bridge the gap from research to practice (please,
no product or service promotion is permitted). Below are a few examples
of the article formats that can be used:
- Short “I wish I had thought of that” Articles
- Practical Application Articles
- The Application of HPT
- Success Stories
In addition to the article, please include a short bio (2-3 lines) and a contact email address. All submissions should be sent to april@ispi.org. Each article will be reviewed by one of ISPI’s on-staff HPT experts, and the author will be contacted if it is accepted for publication. If you have any further questions, please contact april@ispi.org.
Feel
free to forward ISPI’s PerformanceXpress newsletter to your
colleagues or anyone you think may benefit from the information. If you
are reading someone else’s PerformanceXpress, send your complete
contact information to april@ispi.org,
and you will be added to the PerformanceXpress emailing list.
PerformanceXpress is an ISPI member benefit designed to build community, stimulate discussion, and keep you informed of the Society’s activities and events. This newsletter is published monthly and will be emailed to you at the beginning of each month.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact April Davis, ISPI’s Senior Director of Publications, at april@ispi.org.
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