Organizations are beginning to see that “performance” is not just the job of the learning organization. It’s true that the learning organization must model a performance culture—in the way leaders communicate expectations, in how performance is reinforced and rewarded, and in the work products the learning organization produces. But it is equally true that a performance culture requires new skills and actions from business leaders, from managers and supervisors, and from colleagues on the Human Resources Team.

Business Leader Skills and Actions
Any cultural change has to be reinforced from the top, and this is the case when organizations want to create a performance culture. To reinforce the right behaviors, leaders must understand the difference between performance improvement and training.

One of the most effective ways to get leaders on board is to document the potential return on investment for performance improvement solutions, including articulating the costs for performance problems in financial terms that leaders are comfortable with.

In addition, business leaders should:

  • Consider the impact of employee performance on strategy initiatives they are implementing. Leaders should provide adequate financial support needed to remove skill, motivation, and operational barriers to desired performance
  • Identify potential workforce performance problems as causes for larger business issues or problems
  • “Walk the talk” by reinforcing performance improvement methods with employees
  • Support and promote performance improvement methods as valuable and appropriate ways to improve workforce performance and business results

Manager/Supervisor Skills and Actions
Like business leaders, managers and supervisors must also understand the difference between performance improvement and training and reinforce performance improvement methods.

Because of their close relationship with employees, managers and supervisors are positioned to eliminate or decrease the impact of motivational and operational obstacles to expected performance. For example, managers can reward the right behaviors, and extinguish the wrong behaviors.

Managers can communicate clear expectations for performance, one of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve performance. They have the opportunity to reinforce employees’ application of new skills through just-in-time coaching and feedback.

As partners with the learning organization, managers and supervisors can identify and collect the data needed to measure the impact of performance solutions.

Clearly, managers have a major role in creating a performance culture because they have the most influence over the day-to-day activities of employees.

The H.R. Team
The Human Resources team has a special role in creating a performance culture. It begins with the tools and techniques the team uses to hire employees. In organizations with a performance culture, hiring specialists make use of performance-based interview questions and job simulation tools. Decisions to hire are made on candidates’ performance in situations that mirror the job as closely as possible.

In a performance culture, performance evaluations are specific to an individual’s role, responsibilities, and performance, as measured against clear expectations. Evaluations are data-based and objective.

Career development and succession planning are also performance-based. Since performance expectations for all positions are explicit, it is easy to know who is exceeding expectations and what development opportunities need to be provided to shore up any weak areas.

There’s no doubt that while the learning organization can take the first steps to a performance culture, they can’t walk the path alone.

Note: Reprinted with permission of CEP, The Center for Effective Performance. For more information, contact Paula Alsher at 770.458.4080 or palsher@cepworldwide.com.

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by Carol Haig, CPT and Roger Addison, CPT, EdD


We welcome Bill Daniels to TrendSpotters this month. Bill is the CEO of American Consulting & Training, providing research-based management development for all levels of management, from executives to first line supervisors. Bill is a longtime ISPI member and contributor and is the 2005 recipient of ISPI’s Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement award.

A Significant Observation About Management Development
Bill makes an observation about the state of management development today: “The traditional classroom format for management and leadership skill building is no longer acceptable to managers—they don’t come to class. When offered online management courses, which are often hastily assembled computerized page-turners, managers reject these as well.”

So how, then, do we deliver management development?

What Works
If we want to develop managers, we have to go to the place where most managers are actually learning to manage. Managers learn on the job, by watching and conforming along with their bosses and peers. This means they are often learning the organization’s dysfunctional as well as effective practices. To make rapid change in management practices, we have to change all of these managers at once; and we must do it while they are making decisions to solve the organization’s day-to-day problems. We have to improve the way they “ride the bike” while they are still on the bike.

At the highest levels of organizational leadership, Bill has had striking success with an approach that meets the above criteria known as Action Learning, an old concept that is gaining new life today. Action Learning takes skills training to managers on the job, just-in-time, to provide them with the tools and techniques for addressing and resolving real-time problems and opportunities in their organizations.

The best-known example of effective Action Learning is probably the General Electric (GE) Workout. GE managers who are isolated in their silos join a special task force where they work together to design more effective cross-functional processes. Guided by skilled facilitators, the managers design a system they know will work because it is a simple solution they all agree to enforce with their subordinates. Over a few decades, this approach has yielded immediate and long-term results not only at GE, but also in companies all over the world. Three organizations currently achieving excellence with Action Learning are Cisco Systems, Applied Materials, and Microsoft. The contributions to productivity are measurable and significant.

Bill brings this same cross-functional application of Action Learning to a client organization’s vertical management structure. He works with three levels of management, within the same department, at once. This “learning event” brings 40 to 60 managers together in one room. From that room for a few days, they jointly run their organization, solving real, day-to-day operational problems.

At the end of the event, they look at the new practices the consultants suggested for aligning objectives and priorities, monitoring organizational performance, identifying operational issues, problem solving, and decision making. They choose from among the new practices they have experienced and authorize and commit to continue them.

A Prediction: What Will Work
Based on his experiences, Bill believes that the future of effective management development delivery is likely to be some form of Action Learning that can be built quickly and cost effectively enough to be practical for all levels, including individual contributors at the base of the organization.

Successful Action Learning is a complex, intense, and costly learning solution that requires:

  • A specialized facilitator
  • Development and follow-up time equal to 10 times the length of the session
  • A set of management teams that work together in the same department of the organization

While these requirements may be intimidating, the results from well-designed and -implemented Action Learning programs are immediate and self-affirming. For example, Xponent, a small start-up, immediately aligned the priorities-setting process between its product design engineers and its manufacturing group—reducing the development cycle by two months. In another case, the Mark Anthony Group in Canada discovered it could scrap its performance appraisal system and improve its performance coaching system at an administrative savings of at least a million dollars. Such results proved to the management teams that the new set of management practices was better and worth perpetuating.

How Organizations Will Be Different
Bill cites the research from the Institute of Social Research and the University of Michigan published as The Human Organization, by Rensis Likert, 1969.

Researchers identified four critical clusters of management behaviors that must be in place, concurrently, to directly increase productivity in organizations:

  • Planning process, goal and objective setting
  • Work facilitation that describes how information is collected, shared, processed, and used
  • Supportive relations that measure the degree of respect workers show to each other
  • Team leadership, with an emphasis on group problem solving and decision making

Bill believes that if we teach this system of management practices using Action Learning methods, organizations can expect to see significant, immediate, and continuous productivity improvements. This could have a potentially dramatic effect on American productivity. The United States faces a crisis: If we cannot improve productivity at a faster rate than we have in the past, we will not be able to sustain our standard of living. Good management of human assets is the key to averting this crisis, and Action Learning can help us succeed.

Tips for Practitioners
Bill suggests that we look at the results of classroom programs for management development and then look into Action Learning. It presents a great career opportunity for today’s consultants.

If you have been spotting trends that may be of interest to the PerformanceXpress readership, please contact Carol Haig, CPT, at carolhaig@earthlink.net or http://home.mindspring.com/~carolhaig or Roger Addison, CPT, EdD at roger@ispi.org.

 

 


  

  



by Jane Ranshaw


Think of the last time you saw an obvious mistake in an email. Did it enhance your view of the writer’s credibility? The fact that you can remember the mistake indicates that it matters. One client of mine takes grammar seriously enough to include the following paragraph in its official guidelines for internal business cases:

“Before sending the proposal on for review, make sure it is error-free. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typographical errors can ruin your professionalism and cost you further opportunities.”

While no proposal has been declined for bad grammar or punctuation, a few have been sent back to their authors for “polishing.” The information is known within the company, and a few managers have been embarrassed by what many see as a public rebuke.

So you think your grammar is pretty good? The following quiz will let you test your knowledge. Compare your responses with the answers at the end of the article.

1.

Neither the clerks nor the manager were able to sort out the problems in the shipping department.
2.

The number of employees in all of the programs are 30.
3.

Regarding the new office building, several changes must be made to the plans.
4.

After meeting with our office staff to see what was upsetting them so much, the HP consultant met with Sally and myself to discuss the employees’ plans to form a union.
5.

The reason why I have called this meeting is to clarify our staffing schedules.
6.

I will start the meeting after everyone has arrived.
7.

The new scheduling system is inexpensive, attractive, and it is relatively easy to use.
8.

He would neither answer questions from the employees nor would he explain the new vacation policy.
9.
 It was wonderful seeing young men on the levee filling sandbags with old ladies. (Quote from the Chicago Tribune, August 1993.)

Answers:

1.

Neither the clerks nor the manager were able to sort out the problems in the shipping department.

When connecting two subjects with “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. The correct version would be:

“Neither the clerks nor the manager was able to sort out the problems in the shipping department.”

If this sounds awkward, it could also be written as:

“Neither the manager nor the clerks were able to sort out the problems in the shipping department.”

 
2.

The number of employees in all of the programs are 30.

When the word “number” (or other collective noun) is preceded by “the,” it takes a singular verb. The correct version would be:

“The number of employees in all of the programs is 30.”

Some people argue that “of” is redundant after “all” or “both.” They are right, as are all of the people who think it’s OK.

 
3.

Regarding the new office building, several changes must be made to the plans.

Where would a grammar quiz be without a dangling modifier? Who is regarding the building? I doubt if it’s the “changes.” When beginning a sentence with a phrase or dependent clause, the next word (or subject of the independent clause) must be the doer described in the opening. The correct version would be:

“Regarding the new office building, we should make several changes to the plans.”

 
4.

After meeting with our office staff to see what was upsetting them so much, the HP consultant met with Sally and myself to discuss the employees’ plans to form a union.

Some writers (and most sportscasters) seem to think that “myself,” “yourself,” and all their kin are somehow more polite than plain old “I” or “me.” Other times people use the “self” because they aren’t sure of which pronoun to use. To check whether to use “I” or “me,” take out the other noun and the answer is obvious. (You’d never say “with I.”) So, the correct version would be:

“After meeting with our office staff to see what was upsetting them so much, the HP consultant met with Sally and me to discuss the employees’ plans to form a union.”

 
5.

The reason why I have called this meeting is to clarify our staffing schedules.

“ Reason why” is redundant. The correct version would be:

“The reason I have called this meeting is to clarify our staffing schedules.”

 
6.

I will start the meeting after everyone has arrived.

When a dependent clause begins with “after,” the verb is always the simplest one possible. The correct version would be:

“I will start the meeting after everyone arrives.”

 
7.

The new scheduling system is inexpensive, accurate, and it is relatively easy to use.

The rule is to express parallel ideas in a parallel manner. The sentence is saying three things about the scheduling system, so the correct version would be:

“The new scheduling system is inexpensive, accurate, and relatively easy to use.”

 
8.

He would neither answer questions from the employees nor would he explain the new vacation policy.

Again the problem is parallel structure. With “neither/nor” or “either/or,” what follows one must follow the other. So, the correct form would be:

“He would neither answer questions from the employees nor explain the new vacation policy.”

 
9.

It was wonderful seeing young men on the levee filling sandbags with old ladies. (Quote from the Chicago Tribune, August 1993.)

I just love this one. Who cares if it’s correct?

I thank Patricia T. O’Connor for her wonderful book Woe is I (2003, Riverhead Books), the source for many of the rules presented here.

Since 1976, Jane Ranshaw has been president of Jane Ranshaw & Associates, Inc. Her company offers in-house workshops and consulting services in business writing (including proposals and business cases), listening, and consulting skills. She teaches consulting skills to graduate students at DePaul University. Jane received her MBA from The University of Chicago, and her BS in Business from Indiana University. She may be reached at janeranshaw@ameritech.net.

 

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by Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan, CPT, PhD


Would you like to participate in a brief thought experiment?

Complete this sentence: One of my major weaknesses is…

You don’t have to write down your answer. Just think of the answer and say it inside your head. (This is the famous covert response approach from the good old days of programmed instruction.) Be sure to come up with your covert response before you continue reading.

Thanks. Now repeat the task five more times. Come up with alternative responses and say them inside your head. If you cannot think of other responses, you may use this: One of my major weaknesses is my inability to think about myself. Or you may use this: One of my major weaknesses is my constant state of denial.

Time for your covert response.

Thanks again. How do you feel right now? Probably slightly depressed. Perhaps more depressed now than you were when you started reading this article.

Now imagine how the experience would have differed if I had asked you to complete this sentence instead: One of my special strengths is...

I have conducted this experiment with groups of people around the world and they invariably report feeling negative after the first exercise and feeling positive after the second. (In case you are curious, I used all types of sophisticated counterbalance strategies in these sloppy experiments.)

In Appreciation of Appreciative Inquiry
For several reasons, I avoid solving performance problems. Among other things, the obsession with “The Gap” depresses me, depresses my clients, and depresses the poor folks whose performance we are “improving.”
 
In my March PX article, I suggested an alternative: Performance technologists should focus on reconciling paradoxes instead of solving problems. This month, I am offering another alternative to the traditional HPT approach: appreciative inquiry (AI).
 
Our Aussie colleagues in the Sydney ISPI Chapter are chronologically, technologically, and conceptually ahead of us. On April 19 (when it was still April 18 in the United States), they conducted an online conference (while we were recovering from the face-to-face variety) on the topic of appreciative inquiry. Among other people, they featured David Cooperrider, the co-founder of the AI movement, as a keynote speaker.
 
You can learn more about this method and philosophy by reading (or re-reading) the excellent article Appreciative Inquiry: A View of a Glass Half Full by Julie Lewis and Darlene Van Tiem in the September 2004 issue of Performance Improvement.
 
Here are four of my favorite practical books on the topic:
Cooperrider, D.L., Whitney, D.L., & Stavros, J.M. (2003). Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (book and CD). Euclid, OH: Lakeshore Communications.
 
Hammond, S.A. (1998). The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry. Bend, OR: Thin Book Publishing Company.
 
Whitney, D.L., Cooperrider, D.L., Trosten-Bloom, A., & Kaplin, B.S. (2001). Encyclopedia of Positive Questions. Euclid, OH: Lakeshore Communications.
 
Srivastva, S. & Cooperrider, D.L. (1990). Appreciative Management and Leadership (Revised Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 
I also strongly recommend frequent visits to the Appreciative Inquiry Commons website.
 
A wonderful thing about AI is that it is an elegant concept that can be easily explained to my grandparents: Find out what is right and build upon it. There are several flexible and powerful tools that help you do exactly that.
 
Let’s Do It
All of this brings me to this month’s OQ (open question). Ponder on this sentence: There is something wonderful about ISPI.
 
Now make a list of items in support of this statement. Tell us what is right about ISPI. This is not a covert response activity. Please click here to go to the OQ web page. Type your list and click a button. Review what other people have said in response to the same question.
 
There is something wonderful about ISPI because it lets me tap into the collective wisdom of its membership through PerformanceXpress.

 


  
  


ISPI is excited to bring you the new version of our highly acclaimed Principles and Practices of Performance Improvement Institute. After months of work, the Institute faculty has updated the program and expanded it to include the latest thinking from the HPT Think Tank:

  • Overview of HPT to Match the Certification Standards
  • Performance Analysis to Worker, Work, and Workplace
  • HPT and the Balanced Scorecard
  • Systematic Approach to Performance Consulting

In addition, the focus still includes the basic principles of the Standards of Performance Technology:

  • Focus on Results
  • System Thinking
  • Add Value
  • Work with Partners
  • Use a Systematic Approach

For more information on the program and upcoming Institute dates, click here.

 


  



by Thiagi, CPT, PhD, ISPI President


I have learned to take instructions from ISPI’s senior director of publications, April Davis, very seriously. So when she told me to write a piece about my presidential plans and gave me a deadline (complete with date, time, and time zone), I immediately called a friend to ask for advice. She said, “Laugh at your delusion that anything you do will make any difference. At the same time, behave as if whatever you do will have a significant impact on the future of ISPI and the future of humanity.”

The advice is internally inconsistent, but that does not bother me. You see, I have the oxymoronic ability to blend polarizing positions and to assume multiple personalities. My friend’s advice fits perfectly with my rigid need to be flexible.

You are an Important Stakeholder
I believe in making rapid plans based on inputs from different stakeholders. (How’s that for incompatible goals?)

You are an important member of the stakeholder group. Which subgroup do you belong to?

  • My brilliant and passionate colleagues on the 2005-2006 ISPI Board of Directors: President-elect Clare Elizabeth Carey, Treasurer Bob Bodine, newly-elected Director Capt. Matt Peters, and continuing Directors Mariano Bernardez, Andrea Moore, and Marilyn Spatz.
  • Staff members at the ISPI headquarters: Roger Addison, Roger Chevalier, April Davis, Francis George, Keli Golkiewicz, Craig Grimm, Keith Pew, Donna Vaught, Wanica Foreman, Brian Johnson, and Rebecca Wilson, led by their experienced and effective leader, Rick Battaglia. They are the ones in the front office interacting with you, me, and several others every day.
  • The dedicated and competent volunteers who have signed up to be members of ISPI’s committees and task forces. These volunteers provide the Board of Directors with valuable advice based on their expertise and the data they collect from our membership.
  • Non-U.S. ISPI members from different geographic regions (who may or may not belong to a local chapter). We have been making progress in spreading our message around the world. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in the international arena.
  • Our Advocates, who apply HPT principles and practices to different types of organizations with commitment and competence.
  • Our Patron and Sustaining members who support us through continuing contributions.
  • Certified Performance Technologists who apply HPT in a creative fashion.
  • Past presidents and past board members who are ISPI’s major intellectual asset and historical memory.
  • Participants and presenters at our Annual and Fall conferences, institutes, and workshops.
  • Members of local ISPI chapters (who may or may not be International members) who network with each other and share their ideas.
  • Most important, ISPI members of all kinds: young and old, new and experienced, men and women, and playful and serious; members from corporations, consulting groups, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and defense forces.

I Need Your Input
Whoever you are, I have a desperate need to hear from you. Before doing serious planning, my immediate goal is to listen to you. (We have ways of making you talk.) I want to review, respect, and reward your inputs about where ISPI is headed and where it should be headed.

I invite you to become a member of my Special Advisory Group and bombard me with feedback, inputs, questions, concerns, and sarcastic remarks. You can call me at 812.332.1478, write me a letter (Thiagi, 4423 E. Trailridge Road, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA), or email me (thiagi@thiagi.com). Because I am on the road most of the time, the best bet is to use email. (I try to stay only in hotels with high-speed Internet access and check my email frequently.)

Here is an easy and more targeted approach to talking to me: Every month—including this month (see article above)—I plan to present one or more open questions (OQs) and invite your reactions and responses. Your participation will be painless. All you need to do is to click a link and type a few words or sentences. I invite you to peek at other people’s responses. Your input will mean a lot to me and to my colleagues on the ISPI Board. In addition to participating regularly, please encourage your friends, colleagues, and chapter members to let their voices be heard by participating in this OQ approach.

Facing Reality
I am frequently in a state of denial, but this time, let’s face the reality: I cannot immediately incorporate ideas from everyone. Conflicting ideas from different groups (and from members of the same group) will make this impossible. I also have to optimize the allocation of resources for implementing the powerful initiatives that my Board has inherited. In spite of all these elements of reality, I will carefully review your inputs, summarize them, and share them with my colleagues. My colleagues and I will arrange your ideas in a priority order and commit ISPI’s resources and resourcefulness to achieving important strategic initiatives.

From the ancient days of programmed instruction, I have learned that our process is an iterative one that incorporates feedback from the learner, the performer, and the end user. I am a great believer in successive approximations (aka continuous improvement) for improving our individual, team, and organizational performance. Please help me practice what we preach with your feedback and input.

 
  



by Steven W. Villachica, CPT, PhD


The ISPI Research Committee is now accepting proposals for ISPI’s 2005-2006 Research Grant Program. A PDF of the request for proposal is available by clicking here. All persons or groups who would like to apply are encouraged to do so. The deadline for submittal is May 25, 2005.

ISPI was founded by a group of researchers and has a long tradition of encouraging performance-improvement practices that are supported by scientific research. This emphasis on proven research-based practices has distinguished the Society since its inception.

If you have questions about this year’s research grant program, contact me at SVillachica@dls.com.

 


  



by Brian Desautels, CPT


Welcome to this month’s showcase of a CPT@Work. We’re building a library of articles focusing on the impact CPTs are making in the workplace. From knowledge solutions to re-engineering processes, from performance analyses to the evaluation of the results, a growing cadre of practitioners demonstrate the effectiveness of human performance technology. Please share the collected stories of CPT successes with your clients.

Performance Issue
The Classification Section of the Human Resources Department of the County of San Bernardino, CA, is responsible for processing all classification requests, including requests for new positions. In 2001, the county engaged in a system-wide strategic planning process. One of the priorities identified was reducing the backlog of requests for new positions.

Approving new position requests is one of the most critical functions performed by Classification. New positions represent the highest volume of requests. Additions of new positions are typically the result of new grants or other specialized funding programs, or due to workload and service needs, or a combination. Delays in obtaining and filling new positions can result in departments not being able to adequately allocate grant or specialized funding, meet the desired level of customer service, or adequately control overtime costs.

An analysis conducted of new position requests approved from July 2001 to July 2002 indicated that the average processing time was 38 days. As most of these positions were routine, this processing time was not meeting the needs of the county.

Performance Analysis
The performance analysis focused on existing approval processes. Key findings included:

  • Departments did not always submit formal position questionnaires in a timely manner.
  • Each request was handled in the order received and had the same internal documentation requirements regardless of position complexity.
  • Review responsibilities for any given request were assigned weekly, on a rotational basis, causing delays to beginning the assignment and long periods to become oriented to the department, analyze the budget, and approve the requests.
  • Due to limited coordination with the annual budget process, Classification was overwhelmed with requests at the beginning of each fiscal year due to the large number of requests submitted in July after the budgets were approved.
  • Classification lacked a system to easily and consistently identify requests and processing times to assist with performance management.

Performance Solution
The following actions were taken to address barriers and bottlenecks identified in the mapping process:

  • The request process for routine positions was simplified to eliminate steps and collection of non-essential data that had caused delays in departments submitting the position questionnaires.
  • A new “prioritization” program separated routine new position requests from other, more complex classification studies, increasing the velocity of new position requests through the process.
  • Specific departments were assigned to specific Classification analysts and provided deep information about departmental operations. This facilitated better communication and partnering opportunities, resulting in processing requests without waiting for the formal assignment process.
  • Internal documentation requirements were reduced for routine new positions, allowing Classification analysts to more quickly process requests.
  • Requests from unassigned departments were assigned to available Classification analysts on a daily basis.

New position requests were coordinated with the schedule of the annual budget approval process. Specifically, new position request forms were submitted with initial budget requests in the spring, resulting in the processing of all the requests prior to budget approval. Once the budget was approved, position numbers were issued immediately.

A cornerstone of the service improvement was the creation of the “Fast Pass” process for routine new positions. “Fast Pass” encompasses several features:

  • A list of 78 positions eligible for “Fast Pass” processing was developed. This list includes classifications that departments routinely use in their core operation, such as Deputy District Attorney and Deputy Sheriff.
  • To simplify and ensure clarity when completing the “Fast Pass” request form, the process was streamlined to fit on a single page, with check boxes. The request can be emailed, eliminating the normal signature process.
  • To eliminate redundancy, a waiver of a formal classification request form was implemented for situations where the necessary information was previously provided, such as through a County Board agenda item or internal memo.

The greatest impact to the Classification team was the impact “Fast Pass” made to its organizational culture. “Fast Pass” focused on customer service, rather than on just administering a review process. “Fast Pass” provided analysts with the autonomy to waive certain requirements, as appropriate, and focus their limited resources on the more complex issues, such as salary levels and department reorganizations.

Organizational Results
The average number of workdays required for completing new position requests was reduced by 30.2 days (from 38.3 days to 8.1 days), or 79%, as a result of this effort.

  • Period 1 (see table, below) represents a full year of experience prior to the implementation of any of the modifications.
  • Period 2 was an interim period during which some of the modifications were made.
  • Period 3 represents the first full year that the system was substantially in place.
Period Average Workdays Reduction/Improvement
Days Percent
(1) 7/27/2000 to 7/26/2001 38.3 From prior period Cumulative From
prior period		 Cumulative
(2) 7/27/2001 to 7/26/2002 16.1 22.2 22.2 42% 42%
(3) 7/27/2002 to 7/26/2003 8.1 8.0 30.2 50% 79%


A database was developed to enter and track all classification requests. The database supported the analysis of processing times, which provided feedback to the departments regarding the status of their request.

About the CPT: Kevin Wilcoxon, certified in 2002, is a performance improvement specialist in the Human Resource Department with the County of San Bernardino, CA. He may be reached at klwilcoxon@charter.net.

To submit a CPT story, contact Brian Desautels at briandes@jb2dperformance.com.

   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.

 
 


Roger Chevalier, ISPI’s director of certification, was contacted by the business editor of his regional newspaper regarding how to build a positive work environment. The Press Democrat requested that his responses be geared to supervisors and managers and that academic jargon be avoided.

Specific questions included:

  • How important is effective management to improving productivity and performance?
  • How can a company make sure that recently promoted supervisors and managers are ready for their jobs?
  • What is the most common mistake in handling an employee who has made a mistake?
  • How can a manager balance the need for holding employees accountable for mistakes while at the same time keeping the line of communication open with them?
  • What is the supervisor’s role in preventing mistakes?
  • How effective are annual evaluations in correcting employee behavior?
  • What’s the single most important thing a manager can do in responding to employee error?

To see Roger’s candid responses that offer managers and supervisors applications of performance technology in words they can understand, click here.

 

  


by Carl Binder, CPT, PhD


I admit it…I stole this title from our outgoing ISPI president, Don Tosti. He used it to summarize the excellent Master’s Series article in Performance Improvement (Dickinson, 2005) and presentation at the recent ISPI Annual Conference in Vancouver, by Dr. Alyce Dickinson of Western Michigan University. Dr. Dickinson reported a series of studies that confirmed and extended what basic behavioral research has always emphasized (e.g., Skinner, 1953, p. 68 ff): that the power of consequences arranged with the intention of motivating behavior (technically, reinforcement or punishment) relies on the contingency, or dependent relationship, between the behavior of the performer and the occurrence of the consequence. In other words, only if the behavior occurs does the consequence follow. This is an essential point that is widely misunderstood, to the detriment of most compensation and incentive pay systems.

In last month’s column, I discussed B.F. Skinner’s research on “superstition” that demonstrated how events immediately following behavior affect that behavior. Dickinson’s research emphasizes the causal or dependent relationship that must exist between performance and its consequences for those consequences to be maximally effective. Her studies demonstrate that when a very small proportion of one’s pay (as little as 3%) is made contingent on specific behavior, that consequence can significantly accelerate the occurrence of that behavior. Increasing the amount of performance pay beyond the small portion, however, had relatively little effect. This finding calls into question the beliefs of many managers and HR professionals who award relatively large amounts of performance pay as incentives, but often with only a loose connection between the pay and the behavior they hope to increase. As suggested in Don Tosti’s remark, “It’s the contingency, Stupid!”—the dependency between behavior and its consequences is far more important and powerful than the amount of the incentive.

When teaching managers to use the Six Boxes™ model of behavior influence in performance management, I always stress the importance of the contingency between behavior and consequences. Upon reflection, most managers recognize that bonuses based on company profitability or on the results of individual performance reviews have very little impact on day-to-day productivity. Nonetheless, managers and compensation specialists devote significant time and resources to designing incentive systems based on vague, only loosely contingent relationships between desired behavior and monetary incentives. Dickinson’s research, and the basic studies to which it relates, should give us pause when we consider how best to spend the enormous amounts of money often distributed as quarterly or end-of-year incentive compensation. It’s likely that smaller amounts made contingent on specific behavior or job outputs would make a far greater impact.

At a more fine-grained level, as long as we’re talking about contingencies of reinforcement, readers should check out the work of Dr. Karen Pryor (1999). A best-selling author and renowned behavior scientist, Dr. Pryor has communicated basic principles of behavior in her books, through applications of “clicker training” with animals, and with the amazing TAG teaching method for athletes, gymnasts, dancers, and children in both academic and non-academic skills. By using a sharp audible signal (click, buzz, or other discrete sound) to provide feedback when specific behavior occurs, teachers and trainers using Pryor’s methods have been able to rapidly accelerate learning in a broad variety of complex skills—while having a lot of fun at the same time! Her methods demonstrate the power of contingency in the relationship between behavior and its consequences, much as Skinner’s early demonstrations of Ping-Pong playing pigeons and weight-lifting rats illustrated skills in animals that were beyond belief—only achievable by precise application of the contingency principle.

Experts in organizational performance management, including Dr. Aubrey Daniels (2004), have achieved international recognition for their application of reinforcement contingencies in the workplace. As performance improvement professionals, we should use these findings from behavior research and application to emphasize with executives, managers, supervisors, trainers, and coaches the importance of clearly specifying desired behavior and carefully arranging positive and corrective feedback or consequences so that the contingent relationship between those consequences and behavior is unmistakable, and therefore optimally effective.

References
Daniels, A.C., & Daniels, J.E. (2004). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness, 4th Edition. Tucker, GA: Performance Management Publications.

Dickinson, A.M. (2005). Are we motivated by money? Some results from the laboratory. Performance Improvement, 44(3), 18-24.

Pryor, K. (1999). Don’t shoot the dog!: The new art of teaching and training. New York: Random House/Bantam Books.

Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: The Macmillan Company.

  

 

Dr. Carl Binder is Senior Partner at Binder Riha Associates, a consulting firm that teaches clients to apply the FluencyBuilding™ training and coaching methodology, the Six Boxes™ Performance Management model, and practical performance measurement for evaluation and decision making. His easy-to-remember email address is CarlBinder@aol.com, and you may read other articles by him at www.Binder-Riha.com/publications.htm and access his work in performance management at www.SixBoxes.com.

 

 

 


by Todd Packer


Spring. Time for renewal and relief. As performance technologists spring into action to improve organizations, the highest goals for achievement inspire our work with others. It is with this spirit of excellence in mind that we explore the Internet this month.

Performance technologists take pride in excellence in our work. We are not alone. This month we find some sites to help us enhance our quest for Performance Excellence. Pickles, anyone?

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:

  1. 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
  2. HPT@work: Links to job listings, career development, volunteer opportunities, and other resources for applying your individual skills
  3. 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
Govern with excellence. The Association of Government Accountants shares with ISPI many principles of research-based performance standards and excellence in service. In fact, the first link on their menu is to their Code of Ethics. Their comprehensive site addresses many aspects of ensuring accountability in government financial management. Of particular note, they are seeking project ideas for relevant research in federal, state, or local government accounting, auditing, and financial management. November 14-15, 2005, is their National Performance Management Conference.

HPT@work
Volunteer with excellence. Interested in “an excellent way to build your resume”? Consider an international volunteer opportunity via “Go Global! The International Careers Website”. This extensive list of links provided by Global Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a wide array of possibilities to use your HPT skills around the world. Examples range from helping schools in Ghana to developing community resources in Brazil to volunteering around the world from your home computer via the Virtual Volunteering Project.

I-Candy
Celebrate with “eggs-cellance.” The month of May honors many professionals exhibiting excellence in their work. On May 3, brush off your gifts of apples for your favorite public school teacher and join the National Education Association for National Teacher Day. Thank a nurse in your life during National Nurses Week, from May 5-12 (Florence Nightingale’s birthday). And police officers are honored with the week containing May 15, National Peace Officers Memorial Day, during National Police Week. But other than using our egghead intellectual approach (National Egg Month) to get our clients out of a pickle (International Pickle Week), there is no national or international acknowledgement of Human Performance Technology.

Your Challenge
How can we advocate for a day, week, and/or month in honor of HPT and our excellent profession? What date should we pick and why? Send your suggestions to tp@toddpacker.com, and we’ll share some ideas in a future column.

Until next time, have a most excellent month!

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.



  
  


by Linda Stromei, Chair, IMA Dissertation Award Committee


Since ISPI’s inception in 1962, its research focus has differentiated it from other trade organizations. This research focus was demonstrated once again with ISPI’s funding of the International Mentoring Association’s Hope Richardson Dissertation Research Award. Dr. Roger M. Addison, CPT, senior director of Human Performance Technology, presented the award to Truls Engström of Stavanger, Norway, at the IMA Annual Conference, April 9, 2005, in Oakland, California.

From left: Margo Murray, Truls Engström, Roger Addison,
and Linda Stromei at the IMA conference.

Truls’s dissertation was titled Individual Determinants of Mentoring Success. In his own words, Truls states that his dissertation was an attempt to add useful re-examinable knowledge to the existing body of knowledge in the arena of mentoring and mentoring efficiency. His contribution to the field of mentoring, he feels, is adding knowledge by analyzing the impact of personality on perceived mentoring success. He used the Big Five personality inventory and a self-developed instrument for perceived mentoring success, the mentoring success criteria inventory (MSCI), and conducted research in four different mentoring settings— informal internal, informal external, formal internal, and formal external.

His findings indicate that the personality of the mentoring participants primarily is reflected in the mentor’s perception of successful mentoring relations. In addition, the results showed that to make mentoring processes available to all individuals in the organization, initiation of the processes needs to be considered. If not, individuals with specific traits will most probably miss out on the opportunities to become involved in mentoring and, therefore, not benefit from the mentoring relationship. Truls feels that his findings answered a number of questions posed by previous researchers and also added new challenges to be analyzed in the future.

Truls is a member of ISPI and regularly attends and participates in the Annual Conference. He is an Alliance Partner affiliated with Margo Murray, CPT, MBA, MMHA, The Managers’ Mentors, Inc.

 
  




Anteon, with headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, is a leading information technology (IT) and engineering solutions company providing support to the federal government and international sectors. With approximately 8,600 employees in more than 100 offices worldwide, Anteon designs, integrates, maintains, and upgrades state-of-the-art systems for national defense, intelligence, emergency response, and other high-priority government missions. Anteon also provides many of its government clients with the systems analysis, integration, and program management skills necessary to manage the development and operation of mission-critical systems.

Within Anteon, the Distributed Training and Evaluation (DTE) division provides a full spectrum of training and performance improvement interventions. Its mission is to serve our nation by providing quality human performance interventions and training services that are highly effective in enhancing performance and achieving measurable results. DTE’s approach revolves around analyzing customer needs, identifying requirements, and selecting training and performance improvement interventions, and evaluating those interventions to assess their ability to produce results. The total effect is improved performance, as well as reduced development and sustainment costs.

One of DTE’s key discriminators is its people who are skilled and credentialed in the disciplines of Human Performance Technology, Instructional Systems Design, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Computer Science, Audio-Video Production, and Project Management. Several individuals hold the designation of Certified Performance Technologist (CPT). DTE’s other discriminators include its processes, tools, and past performance, which are based on industry best practices for efficiency, effectiveness, and cost savings, and recognized through award- winning products with highly satisfied customers.

Having achieved its ISO 9001:2000 registration, DTE is committed to excellence through the design, development, and implementation of its comprehensive Quality Management System. DTE’s thorough approach to quality has resulted in providing high-quality products and services and high levels of customer satisfaction.

Anteon was cited by Forbes magazine as one of the 25 fastest growing technology companies (2004) and was named one of the world’s top 100 IT companies in Business Week’s INFOTECH 100 Annual Report (2003). For more information on DTE, visit http://dte.anteon.com. For more information on Anteon, visit www.anteon.com.



The International Society for Performance Improvement’s 44th Annual International Performance Improvement Conference in Dallas, Texas, April 6-11, 2006, will feature several opportunities for you to develop your professional skills, learn new HPT tools and techniques, and hear the latest research findings in our field.

How can you participate? Attend! Present! Volunteer! It is not too early to mark these dates on your calendar:

  • July 29, 2005: Deadline to submit workshop proposal
  • August 31, 2005: Deadline to submit session proposal and early speaker registration for conference
  • April 6-8, 2006: Attend an HPT Institute prior to the conference
  • April 7-8, 2006: Attend a pre-conference workshop
  • April 8-11, 2006: Attend ISPI’s 44th Annual Conference

Here are some suggestions to help you prepare a successful submission, especially if you are a novice speaking at ISPI:

  • Review the 2006 Call for Proposals, which outlines the review criteria for session proposals. Then, download the Session Proposal Template.
  • Review the Sample Session Proposal. This is an example of an accepted session proposal, updated to include all of the required information for 2006.
  • Download and review the Sample Handout and Sample Performance Tool as these will provide guidance as you are preparing your session proposal.
  • Consider a coach! Review the 2005 Conference Program, and see if you recognize anyone you might contact to provide feedback on your proposal.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact ISPI at 301.587.8570 or by email at conference@ispi.org.

 


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.

Annual Conference Sponsors
Understanding your business processes is key to improved business performance. GEM’s Process Power™ solutions include training in process modeling, process assessment, and gap analysis, leading directly to enhanced employee process knowledge. Our GEMWorX FlowModeler® process tool supports your business improvement goals. Visit GEM, or call 215-706-4190.

With Mimeo.com at your fingertips, you’re one step ahead! Print and proof finished, bound documents from your desktop, with next morning delivery for orders placed by 10pm ET. Secure digital libraries for quick re-orders. Exceptional quality. Reliable turnaround. Flexible specifications. Try Mimeo.com free: www.mimeo.com or 800.Go.Mimeo.

Positive relationships are a prerequisite to efficient teams. The Strength Deployment Inventory® is a memorable relationship-building tool that integrates seamlessly into performance improvement programs. The SDI® recognizes the motivation behind behavior—revealing why individuals act the way they do. Mention ISPI for a free SDI. www.personalstrengths.com or 800-624-SDIS.

Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops
Have YOU registered for The Learning and Performance Strategies Conference "Faster, Cheaper, BETTER” hosted by The Thiagi Group and DSA, June 28-30? Upcoming workshops: Instructional Developer Workshop, May 9-11, Alexandria, VA; and Course Developer Workshop ONLINE anytime. Visit http://www.dsink.com.

ISPI Hits Las Vegas. Seeing Double? Nope, ISPI is holding two conferences simultaneously September 19-24. One conference is focused on Instructional Systems and the second on Management of Organizational Performance. For more information, visit www.ispi.org.

FASTER, CHEAPER, BETTER. Thiagi and his friend Darryl Sink have put together the 2005 Learning and Performance Strategies Conference. When? June 28-30. Where? Monterey, CA. Why? Explore the basic principles of rapid instructional design and performance improvement. Attend performance-based mini workshops. Visit www.learningandperformance.com.

 

  

Job and Career Resources
ISPI Online CareerSite is your source for performance improvement employment. Search listings and manage your resume and job applications online.

Magazines, Newsletters, and Journals
The International Journal of Coaching in Organizations (IJCO) is a professional journal, published quarterly to provide reflection and critical analysis of coaching in organizations. The journal offers research and experiential learning from experienced practitioners representing various coaching schools and methodologies.

Performance Improvement journal is ISPI’s premier HPT publication, reporting on the latest applications, trends, and ideas in the field. A subscription to PI is a benefit of membership, and non-members can subscribe for only $69 in the United States ($119 international).

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 HPT through literature reviews, experimental studies with a scholarly base, and case studies. Subscribe today!

 
 


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.

 

  

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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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Phone: 301.587.8570
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