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CHAPTER TWO

The Performance Architect’s Essential Guide to the Performance

Technology Landscape Roger M. Addison, Carol Haig

S ome years ago, a company had a team of high-performing data-entry clerks that was known for consistently rapid production with very low error rates. These were skilled, dependable employees who had worked together for some

time. When their company moved to a new and much larger building, the clerks were delighted with their workspace. They loved their spacious office, large wrap- around windows, and restful views of lush lawns and shady trees.

When they moved, they brought along all their existing office furniture, state- of-the-art computers, and other equipment. They settled into their wonderful new space and continued with their work. After a week or two, their manager reviewed the production reports and was surprised to see that the team’s error rates had noticeably increased. He searched in vain for an obvious reason and could only conclude that the move had somehow disrupted the clerks’ usual accuracy.

When this alarming trend continued through several reporting cycles, the manager decided the best course of action would be to retrain this group of skilled high performers because they obviously had forgotten how to do their jobs. So all the data-entry clerks were retrained. And, as you may have guessed, their substandard performance continued, with subsequent reports showing no reduction in error rates.

In desperation, the manager asked the Performance Consulting department for help, and a consultant paid him a visit. After the manager brought her up to date on events, the consultant asked to see all the reports from after the move and several sets from before to compare the clerks’ performance.

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After reviewing the reports, the consultant shared her findings with the manager. In the reports generated since the move to the new building she noticed a definite pattern of increased errors in the late afternoons. The manager could not immedi- ately provide an explanation for this, so the consultant asked if she could spend a few days on the floor to observe the clerks and learn more about their jobs.

When her observations were complete, the consultant met with the manager to again share her findings. Those large, bright windows really let in lots of light. In the late afternoons, as the sun began to set, it created glare on the clerks’ computer screens. Even though they knew their software well, it was easy to make mistakes and not see them; hence, the increased error rates.

The manager was somewhat embarrassed to have missed this obvious rea- son for poor performance, but the consultant helped him see the value of another pair of eyes when trying to diagnose a problem from inside the situa- tion. She pointed out the power of observation in analyzing performance prob- lems and confided that she never fully believed anything her clients told her until she went to see for herself. The manager forgave himself his oversight and was pleased to discover that window coverings were a relatively quick and inex- pensive solution to a critical performance obstacle.

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we welcome you to the territory of the seasoned performance- improvement professional. Join us as we journey across the region to explore the features of the “Performance Technology Landscape.” In preparation for our trav- els, we will provide a packing list of helpful tools for the trip. We have selected them based on their usefulness to us in our combined sixty years of performance- improvement practice, coupled with the valuable work of such notables as Dale Brethower, Judith Hale, Paul Harmon, Lloyd Homme, Tom Gilbert, Robert Mager, Margo Murray, Geary Rummler, Harold Stolovitch, Don Tosti, and others. These practitioners are among those responsible for building the foundation of human performance technology (HPT); they have contributed to the principles of perfor- mance technology through their work and documented it in publications.

So get out your backpack and your walking shoes as we begin to chart our course and study the map of the Performance Technology Landscape.

THE PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE

Experienced travelers prepare carefully for a new journey by collecting maps and resource materials to plan their trip. Our map for this tour is the Per- formance Technology Landscape (Figure 2.1). It provides a framework

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for the work of HPT, an integrated-systems approach to performance improvement. Our resource materials include two key concepts that will pre- pare us for discoveries along the way: performance and human performance technology.

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Work Environment

Society

Workplace or Enterprise

Operations or Work

Individual or Team

Business Case

Co nd

iti on

en vi ro

nm en

t, cu

ltu re

In pu

Pr oc

es se

Pr od

uc ts,

o ut

pu ts,

ou tc om

Re ce

iv er

be ne

fit o r v

al ue

Fe ed

ba ck

System(s) Viewpoint

Systematic Approach

NEED Assessment and analysis of need, performance, or opportunity

RESULTS Functional or requirement analysis

WHAT Drivers or cause analysis Solutions or interventions recommendations

HOW Organize, design, develop

DO Implement, deploy, manage change

EVALUATE Effectiveness, value, continuous improvement, lessons learned

Four Principles of Performance Technology

Focus on results Take a system(s) viewpoint

Establish partnerships and work collaboratively

Add value and focus on the business or organizational purpose

1 2

Figure 2.1. Performance Technology Landscape. Source: Addison, 2004, p. 15.

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What Is Performance? While many of us might think of performance as simply an activity on the Per- formance Technology Landscape, seasoned performance-improvement profes- sionals add a critical component: a result. So performance equals activity plus result, as in reading a map, activity, and using it to find your destination, result. We further stipulate that the result must be of value. For example, reaching your destination enables a wedding to take place in which you are the groom. The value is in the importance of the wedding to all involved stakeholders: bride, groom, families, guests, and others.

In 2003 the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) con- vened a Presidential Initiative Task Force to address critical issues in HPT. One of this group’s many achievements was the further refinement of the defini- tion of performance to include “those valued results produced by people work- ing within a system” (International Society for Performance Improvement, 2004, p. 9).

What Is Performance Technology? We define a technology as a set of empirical and scientific principles and their application. Performance technology (PT) is the technology that comprises all of the variables that affect human performance. We use PT in the workplace to identify the factors that enable workers to perform their jobs and to produce the desired results. Performance technology provides tools and processes to identify opportunities for improved performance, valued solutions, and return on invest- ment, as well as the building blocks to construct new performance environments and systems. The HPT task force also suggested the following definition (Inter- national Society for Performance Improvement, 2004, p. 4) for HPT:

1. Focuses on valuable, measured results

2. Considers the larger system context of people’s performance

3. Provides measurement tools that can be used repeatedly and will consistently show the same outcome

4. Describes programs and solutions clearly enough to be duplicated by others

Mapping the Performance-Improvement Journey The Performance Technology Landscape is a topographical map for performance technologists, providing a multidimensional representation of the routes we can travel in pursuit of improved human performance and increased value to the client organization. A closer look at the Performance Technology Landscape calls out four noted landmarks to guide us on our journey: Principles of Performance Technology, Work Environment, System(s) Viewpoint, and Systematic Approach.

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Principles of Performance Technology. Performance improvement profes- sionals adhere to these principles in our work. We

• Focus on results, using our knowledge of the business we are supporting to link performance-improvement initiatives to business needs and goals and add value for the stakeholders

• Take a systems viewpoint that encourages consideration of all aspects of the organization’s total performance system

• Add value to the organization or business by producing results that make a difference

• Establish partnerships with clients and other performance-improvement professionals to share skills, knowledge, creativity, and successes

By thinking systemically, we are able to identify and work with all the linkages in organizations as we strive to improve performance.

Work Environment. In organizations work is performed at three, and some- times four, levels:

• Individual or teams: the worker level

• Operations: the work level

• Organization: the entire enterprise

• Society: the communities served, the world

We ensure that we correctly identify the level affected by the performance issue or opportunity so that our investigations are complete and our recommenda- tions have a high probability of success.

Many organizations today acknowledge society as a fourth level in which they, as good corporate citizens, can make valuable contributions to the environment, the economy, and the communities they serve. This service may involve encour- aging employees to contribute their efforts to local charities, such as the Volun- teer Day program or the 78 Community Involvement Teams at Levi Strauss worldwide (Levi Strauss & Co., 2005). Another example is through active support of humanitarian issues, as with Hewlett Packard’s Design-for-Environment pro- gram (HP Invent, n.d.) that provides environmentally sustainable products through recycling services, or the Siemens Arts Program (Siemens, 2005) that sup- ports and advances local arts and culture in company locations around the world.

Performance-improvement professionals also work at the societal level, using HPT tools and techniques to address broad areas of need in the developing world (Haig and Addison, 2002).

Whenever possible, performance-improvement practitioners expand their work to the next highest organizational level to increase the impact of improved

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performance and add value for the organization. Many practitioners are accus- tomed to working with individuals or teams to improve performance. However, organizations realize broader, longer-lasting gains in performance improvement when changes are made in processes or across the enterprise, because these levels directly affect the customer.

System(s) Viewpoint. One way that we in HPT differentiate ourselves from other disciplines is with our systems viewpoint. HPT professionals consider that every organization is, by definition, a system, and that all components of that system are related. Therefore, when performance improvement is needed in one component we consider all of them in our investigation. This is often referred to as thinking systemically. Remember, we make the greatest impact on performance when we address the whole system.

As the Systems Model illustrates (see Figure 2.2) performance begins with inputs into a system, which are processed until the results reach the receiver; hence performance occurs from left to right. Performance-improvement spe- cialists, however, work from right to left, beginning by clearly identifying the desired results of an initiative and then working backward through the model to inputs.

By thinking systemically we are able to view the enterprise as a complete system comprising the following components (adapted with permission from International Society for Performance Improvement, 2004):

Receivers: The system stakeholders who receive or are directly affected by the result.

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Conditions

Culture

Performance feedback

Value feedback

Society

Workplace

Work

Worker

Inputs Process Results Receiver

Figure 2.2. Systems Model.

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Results: The accomplishment, or that which is produced or created by a process, including products and services.

Process: The sequence of actions in the value chain that produces the desired results.

The organizational or workplace level focuses on those processes concerned with the governance of the organization.

The operational or work level includes all the processes in the value chain as well as those that maintain them. The variables here take into account the specific activities and tasks and their sequence and flow. At this level we often look for broken connections and misalignments such as bottlenecks and disconnects.

The performer or worker level is focused on the actions of the individual. It therefore seems best to put the performer in the Process box in Figure 2.2. The variables to be considered are those internal to the performer that are relevant to the execution of the task. These include

• Skill or knowledge

• Motivation

• Other variables such as confidence, preferences, and practices

It may be useful to think of two types of processes. Some, such as sales or service, touch the customer. Others, such as employee payroll or recruitment, enable the organization to function. Ultimately, organizations require both types of processes to be effective.

Inputs: What initiates or directs an action or process, including customer requests, stakeholder demands, information, the strategic plan, tools and equipment, work schedules, assignments, and support.

Conditions: The surroundings or environment within which performance occurs, such as economic and market trends; industry norms; and the physical, business, and social environments.

Performance feedback: Information about the quantity or quality of outputs that is fed back to a performer, operational unit, or organization from within the system, and that can be used to make adjustments that will improve the results.

Value feedback: The same type of information as provided by performance feedback, but originating from outside the system. Sources may include end users, stockholders, the surrounding community, the media, and so forth.

Remember that performance feedback comes from within the system and value feedback from outside. A colleague explains the difference this way: when the chef tastes the soup, that is performance feedback; when the customer tastes the soup, that is value feedback (personal communication, Lynn Kearny, April 21, 2004).

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Systems thinking is scalable and can be applied at any of the three organi- zational levels: worker, work, or workplace.

Systematic Approach. Performance-improvement professionals use a system- atic approach to organize projects. They follow sequential steps and create a replicable process to identify needs and recommend solutions. The steps include

• Need: identify and review the problem or opportunity with the client

• Results: assess current performance against expected results and identify requirements for success

• What: identify sources of current performance and recommend solutions

• How: design and develop selected solution

• Do: implement approved solutions and put change-management processes in place

• Evaluate: monitor performance against the expected results defined initially

Finally, performance-improvement specialists take care to nurture and enhance the business partnerships they have established with their clients.

WHAT IS PERFORMANCE ARCHITECTURE?

It seems that a large organization had a sizable population of operations man- agers in desperate need of training. While they were mostly experienced employees, their work performance was deteriorating. They were consistently working extended hours, they were challenged to find the time to train new hires, and quite a few were on stress-related leaves of absence.

In response to the situation, a senior manager requested extensive additional training. Fortunately, the performance consultants assigned to the project had con- siderable performance technology experience. They were able to gather pertinent data, make observations, and diagnose critical alignment and priority issues that were having a negative impact on the operations managers’ effectiveness.

The performance consultants found that the priorities of senior management were not consistent, and the operations managers receiving their directives were understandably confused about how to focus their work. With many staff vacancies to fill, and no efficient tools for teaching rudimentary tasks, many operations managers were simply doing low-level work themselves because it was faster than taking the time to teach a new employee.

Finally, many customer-service and problem-resolution tasks formerly han- dled by the operations managers had been moved into processing centers. A number of the operations managers had found it more expedient, and better for

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their customers, to continue to handle these issues personally rather than trust them to the processing centers, where response time was slow and accuracy not dependable.

With these and additional findings, the performance consultants were able to show that the operations managers had the skills and knowledge to do their jobs, thus ruling out training as a viable solution. They then recommended a cascading suite of solutions that included aligned priorities from senior man- agement, delegation tools for the operations managers, and service-level agree- ments with the processing centers. The solutions were packaged into an offsite meeting exclusively for operations managers that showcased their concerns and gave them a prominent voice in the organization.

In addition to the improved performance of the operations managers, an unprecedented reorganization in the processing centers, and a significant shuf- fling of roles and responsibilities among senior management, results showed a decrease in the number of operations managers on leave and a considerable increase in customer satisfaction. Let us take a look behind the scenes and examine the tools that the performance consultants used.

Performance Systems The performance-improvement professionals used performance-architecture tools to repair an existing performance system. They used two of our favorites, the Per- formance Map and the Iceberg Model, which we will introduce as we explore performance systems in more depth.

Let us begin with the notion of human performance as being those valued results produced by people working within a system. Many performance- improvement professionals have their roots in training. They have broadened their approach from delivering training to improving performance systems. Performance system design is not solution-driven and gives the practitioner the space to engage all relevant aspects of the total performance system in the development of the solution.

We frequently find ourselves in the business of repairing existing perfor- mance systems, as did the performance consultants in the operations managers’ case. In some situations we may construct new performance systems. Accord- ing to Tosti (2004), this is very much a back-to-the-future situation. He observes that the earliest practitioners of HPT were focused on building rather than repairing as a way to create new performance-improvement alternatives. As our discipline evolved, we became more concerned with identifying performance problems and fixing them, and moved away from inventing new performance systems. We would like to see among our HPT colleagues once again an increased emphasis on the building of performance systems.

Once, a team of performance-improvement specialists was asked to support a job redesign project. The position, “Manager of the Service Department,” was

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renamed “Customer Service Manager,” and refocused from a repair operation to emphasize the selling of customer services. This meant added management respon- sibilities for the incumbents, new customer service skills and knowledge for them to acquire, and a progressive shift in what had been a very traditional repair shop role. Wisely, the executive responsible for the job change initiative realized that the revamped position required a new performance system to support those in the job and enable them to be successful, and he asked the performance-improvement team to design it. One of the tools they used was the Performance Map.

Performance Map Whether to solve a problem or to respond to an opportunity, the Performance Map’s simple grid format is a useful tool for diagnosing performance-related issues (Figure 2.3). It is easy to explain to managers, who often pick up a pen and actively engage with the map.

The four key quadrants are

• Structure: the foundation of the organization

• Motivation: the emotions, desires, and psychological needs that incite action

• Environment: the external and internal conditions that affect the growth and development of the organization

• Learning: the increase of employee proficiency in a given area

The north-south axis looks at employee competence on a scale of 0 (low) to 10 (high). The east-west axis addresses the employee’s confidence in her or his ability to do the job, also on a scale of 0 (low) to 10 (high).

As an example, when you and a manager have identified specific employees who have performance issues, you would follow these specific steps:

• Help the manager determine the identified employees’ job competence by asking a question such as, What skills do employees need to com- plete the job? Ask the manager to rate the identified employees from 0 (no skills or knowledge) to 10 (highly skilled and knowledgeable).

• Next, ascertain the employees’ level of confidence by probing for exam- ples of accomplishments, behavior, attitudes, commitment, and contri- butions. You might say, “Tell me about the general attitude of employees toward this job.” Again, ask the manager to rate the performers. Zero means your client has no confidence in the performers and 10, that he or she has total confidence in the performers. You may also want to ask the performers these same questions. In our experience we often get conflicting responses. This is a signal to you to clearly specify the gap between manager and performer.

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Motivation "why"

• Feedback • Consequences • Contingencies • Incentives • Compensation • Career development • Coaching

Environment "where"

• Physical layout • Work flow • Tools • Resources • External users • Vigilance • Ergonomics • Personal problems

Structure "what"

• Mission • Strategies • Goals or Objectives • Functions • Tools • Recruitment • Selection • Organization design • Team building

Learning "how"

• Information • Communication • Training • Job Aids • Clinic • Monitoring • Workshop • On-the-job experience • Continuous improvement

Competence

• Skills • Knowledge • Abilities

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Confidence

• Accomplishments • Behavior • Attitude • Contribution

Culture

• Policies • Procedures • Stories • Legends • Corporate identity • Status • Power

V is

io n

V al

u es

B el

ei f

M an

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P ra

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Figure 2.3. Performance Map. Source: Addison and Johnson, 1997, p. 4.

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• Mark the levels for both competence and confidence on the grid and draw the appropriate horizontal and vertical lines to connect the two variables.

• With such information, you can identify the quadrant in which the two variables intersect. This will help you to diagnose the most common areas of organizational problems or opportunities and prescribe a series of effective solutions. For example, if you identify a structural deficiency, possible solutions might include revisiting the mission statement or developing goals and objectives for the individual or group. Other quad- rants will suggest other solutions.

• Regardless of which quadrant houses the issue, you need to consider the other three as you work toward a solution. Remember that you are oper- ating in a performance system, and actions taken in one area will have an impact on the others. This is especially important if you have identi- fied the Learning quadrant as the source of the performance issue. If a manager has a confident employee, a high performer who has the neces- sary skills and knowledge, you would want to engineer the environment for success so that the employee will continue to perform at a high level.

• Finally, consider the organization’s culture as you identify solutions, to ensure that your prescription will do the job without unwanted side effects. Few elements of organizational life are as pervasive as culture; ignore this powerful force at your peril. We know from experience that performance-improvement recommendations and implementation plans must be culture-compatible, or they will be destroyed. When strategy meets culture, culture always wins.

Tip of the Iceberg The Performance Map guides us to the probable source of our performance issue. Our second tool enables us to explore further and integrate performance- improvement solutions with all related components of the organization’s performance system. The iceberg is a metaphor for much that can go wrong when we start with an assumed solution, at the tip, and create an organizational disaster because we neglect to consider all the layers of the iceberg below the surface (Figure 2.4).

Organizational Level. The Iceberg Model encourages us to start our work at the base organizational level with a cultural audit, so that we get to know the oper- ational norms (Carleton and Lineberry, 2004). With this perspective we can more effectively analyze, diagnose, and prescribe performance-improvement solutions that will address the identified concerns and mesh with the organization’s

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business practices. Understanding the environment avoids costly and time- consuming errors. The cultural audit is also a valuable precursor to using the Performance Map.

Structures and Goals. Moving up the model, we gather information about structures and goals—the organizational chart, for example—and such founda- tional elements as mission, vision, and values.

Management Practices. Next, we explore typical management practices. These are related to the culture, of course, and they tell us about the organization’s customs and best practices. This helps us understand what is valued in man- agement’s performance and will inform how we interact with our client and present our findings.

Priorities, Standards, and Procedures. At this point, we narrow our focus to the work level as we look at priorities, standards, and procedures. Here we are interested in work processes, and the connections among work groups as tasks are performed.

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Figure 2.4. The Iceberg Model. Source: Adapted from Harmon, 1984.

Skills and knowledge

Attitudes and qualifications Feedback and consequences

Tools, resources, and work environment Priorities, standards, and procedures

Management practices Structure and goals imposed by larger organization

Culture

15–25 percent

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Tools, Resources, and Work Environment. To be successful, workers require tools and resources. In addition, the work environment must support the processes to be completed. We want to learn about these elements to ensure that employees have what they need to do their jobs effectively.

Feedback and Consequences. Of course, workers need to know how they are doing, so we look next at the systems in place for feedback and conse- quences. Without these, employees are deprived of critical information about the quality and quantity of their work, and their motivation to perform is undermined.

Attitudes and Qualifications. We explore the attitudes and qualifications the organization looks for to select employees. Are these in alignment with all the other aspects represented in the Iceberg Model? If not, identifying the dis- connects will yield valuable clues to the sources of issues and their possible resolution.

Skills and Knowledge. And so we reach skills and knowledge at the tip of the iceberg, the place where many clients begin their request for help from performance-improvement specialists. Learning and skill building live here and are vital solutions for situations in which employees do not know how to perform. Organizations should provide activities in this sector to orient new hires and introduce new products and services, systems, equipment, or other innovations. For all other circumstances, as the Iceberg Model has shown, the performance issue is at another level and the solution will be found nearby.

Other Models and Tools There are many models and tools available to performance-improvement prac- titioners; we offer these as samples from among those we have found useful over the years. These models and tools are not meant to be all-inclusive. They allow us one view of organizations. However, no matter how appropriate the tools are for the task, they are useless to us and to our clients without the all- important link to the organization’s business.

Evaluation As performance-improvement professionals, we position our work in the con- text of critical business goals, requirements, or initiatives, and clearly tie what we do to one or all of these.

Identify the Business Requirements. We begin by learning from the client what critical business, process, or individual issues are of concern and how

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improved performance can affect what the client identifies as most important. This is what the client values, and to call out these elements at the beginning of an engagement is a hallmark of success in performance improvement. Another colleague begins every project by identifying the related business requirements and posting them at his desk as a reminder throughout the engagement (personal communication, Miki Lane, April 18, 2004).

Evaluation Planning. With the business need clearly identified, we move ahead with the performance-improvement project and plan what and when we will evaluate. This advance planning is key to successful evaluation. Legions of practitioners wait until implementation to go hunting for base- line information to compare with results. Then they attempt to evaluate those results only to discover the near impossibility of doing so at the end of the project.

The best time to plan how you will evaluate a solution is when you and your client agree on it. Performance-improvement specialists design evaluation to

• Show that the solution closes the identified performance gap

• Ensure that the solution relates to the business requirements

• Ensure that the solution has value and meaning for all groups that have a stake in the performance issue

• Compare results with the baseline information collected at project inception

Formative Evaluation. Successful performance-improvement initiatives usually include formative evaluation in the project plan. Because this type of evaluation occurs at each project milestone, wise performance consultants can take immediate corrective action, a practice that keeps everyone on track.

Summative Evaluation. This is the evaluation that determines whether or not a solution will be implemented, revised, or discontinued. It is usually conducted at the conclusion of the pilot or after a limited implementation.

Return on Investment (ROI). Finally, we want to provide our clients with meaningful measures, from their own data, to show that the investment the organization made to improve performance has paid off. Rummler (2004) sug- gests that if we accurately identify the critical business issue at the organiza- tional level, the critical process issue at the work or process level, and the critical job issue at the worker or individual level, we will have the necessary metrics to measure success.

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THE SAVVY PERFORMANCE-IMPROVEMENT PROFESSIONAL’S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE (TECHNOLOGY):

A DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE LIST

One universally enjoyable travel activity is shopping for treasures to bring back home for family and friends, or to keep and use for one’s own. The Performance Technology Landscape offers a variety of terrains with much to see and do. While you were busy absorbing new ideas and concepts we were quietly collecting a few valuable mementos we think all seasoned performance- improvement professionals should have.

In particular, we searched out the factors that, in our experience, will increase your chances of a successful implementation. Keep in mind that implementa- tion is the hill upon which so many worthy solutions have met their untimely end.

Here is what we added to our travel bag (Addison and Lloyd, 1999):

• Mission and vision: What is the organization’s purpose? Its goals? How does your performance-improvement project support and further the enterprise’s reason for existence? Be sure these vital structures are in place before you begin your work and that you and your client can clearly tie them to your project.

• Cultural audit: As we have discussed, culture is a powerful driver in every organization. The performance-improvement professional assesses the internal climate at the project’s inception to ensure that everything from daily project management to reports and recommendations are compatible with the environment.

• Implementation team: Choose your team members with care and ensure that you have several with a strong record of successful implementa- tions. You can build the best performance-improvement solution in the world, and it will fail if your team lacks the necessary navigational skills.

• Plans and contingencies: Be prepared for anything! Take the time to envision everything that could possibly happen during your project and plan your responses. Then, should the unexpected occur, you will have many good ideas to draw from in response as well as the confidence to invent something on the spot if necessary.

• Communication: Do not keep your project a secret. The most successful performance-improvement endeavors are marked by consistent, clear communications to all stakeholders. Plan who should be informed, at

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what project milestones, and what communication vehicle you will use. And it is never too early to market a new endeavor.

• Education: Show your client, your subject-matter experts, your team members, and your performance-improvement colleagues how you are running your project. There is no magic, and all can benefit from learn- ing how it is done.

• Monitoring mechanisms: Set up two-way feedback and communication conduits so stakeholders can let you know what is working and what should be fixed. Then respond promptly to maintain the project’s credi- bility and momentum.

• Lessons learned: A mistake is a powerful learning tool. While no one likes to make errors, leveraging learning from them is invaluable. Cap- ture the project goofs and repair them. Then store that information in a useful format for the future.

• Rewards and fun: There are many small successes in a well-run project, and they should be acknowledged and celebrated. Find ways to recog- nize both individual team members and the whole group for their con- tributions. And do laugh and enjoy your work.

HEADING HOME

All journeys must come to an end, and we are pleased to have been your guides as you took in the features of the Performance Technology Landscape. It is time for you to think about what you saw in your travels and how you plan to put your new tools and models to good use as you work to improve performance. Perhaps a bit of prompting from us will help you organize your impressions to take home.

Landscape Model Initially, we used the Performance Technology Landscape to orient ourselves to the world of performance improvement, gaining a better understanding of per- formance, performance technology, and critical supporting landmarks. We iden- tified the four levels of organizations where we work and the value that performance-improvement professionals can add when we raise our efforts to the next-highest organizational level.

Systems Model Because systems thinking is scalable and can be applied at any organizational level, we can expand or compress performance-improvement initiatives to meet busi- ness requirements. We explored the systematic approach to show the ways in

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which we, in performance improvement, distinguish ourselves from colleagues in related disciplines. And we saw that we always begin with the end in mind. That is, we identify the results to be achieved and work backward to inputs.

Performance Architecture As we learned about performance systems, we moved from a training perspec- tive to a performance-system perspective, bringing to light another way in which performance-improvement professionals differ from other practitioners.

We also discovered that although current practice appears to focus on repair- ing existing performance systems, we have a history of building them so that they can be put to valuable use for our clients today.

Performance Map and the Tip of the Iceberg Next, we discovered the versatile Performance Map, a tool that provides a quick diagnosis and has special appeal for managers who find it easy to use. The orga- nizational dimensions, particularly culture, are important to factor into any performance analysis.

The Iceberg Model illustrates, once again, that we think differently. By starting at the bottom with the culture factor, and working our way up to the tip of the ice- berg, we can gain a very accurate understanding of an organization’s performance system, and identify the critical linkages necessary to improve performance.

Feedback and Evaluation Performance-improvement professionals tie their work to the organization’s requirements and plan a series of evaluations at critical project milestones. We compile formative feedback to evaluate our progress during the project’s life cycle and solicit summative feedback to determine the “go–no go” decision. By plan- ning and conducting evaluations throughout the project, we are able to use the client’s metrics to compile the ROI data that they expect to receive from us.

The List Finally, of course, you have our recommended list of factors that guide you through a successful implementation of your project.

Travelers’ Advisory The savvy traveler distills the learnings from every journey and employs them to make the next trip smoother and more enjoyable. Following are our critical learnings from our many years of helping organizations improve performance. We share them as our final travel treasure for you:

• Keep up to date in your profession

• Surround yourself with smart people

• Cultivate a large and varied professional network

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• Participate in a professional association

• Never hire anyone you would not like to have lunch with

We have enjoyed your company on this introductory trip and hope to see you again somewhere on the Performance Technology Landscape.

References

Addison, R. M. (2004). Performance architecture: A performance improvement model. Performance Improvement, 43(6), 14–16.

Addison, R. M., and Johnson, M. (1997). The building blocks of performance. Business Executive, 11(68), 3–5.

Addison, R. M., and Lloyd, C. R. (1999). Implementation: The glue of organizational change. Performance Improvement, 38(6), 8–11.

Carleton, J. R., and Lineberry, C. S. (2004). Achieving post-merger success: A stakeholder’s guide to cultural due diligence, assessment, and integration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Haig, C., and Addison, R. M. (2002, October). Trendspotters: Snapshots from the field featuring Edgar Necochea and Rick Sullivan. PerformanceXpress. Retrieved January 25, 2006 from http://www.performancexpress.org/0210/.

Harmon, P. (1984). A hierarchy of performance variables. Performance and Instruction, 23(10), 27–28.

HP Invent (n.d.). Design for environment. Retrieved April 30, 2005, from www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/productdesign/design.html.

International Society for Performance Improvement. (2004, March). ISPI Presidential Initiative Task Force Final Report. Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Levi Strauss and Co. (2005). Social responsibility/Our commitment. Retrieved April 30, 2005, from www.levistrauss.com/responsibility.

Rummler, G. A. (2004). Serious performance consulting: According to Rummler. Silver Spring, MD: International Society for Performance Improvement.

Siemens. (2005). Corporate citizenship. Retrieved April 30, 2005, from www.siemens. com/index.jsp?sdc.

Tosti, D. T. (2004). Build or repair, or why I hate cause analysis (sometimes). Working Paper. San Rafael, CA: Tosti and Associates.

Additional Resources

Addison, R. M., and Haig, C. (1999). Performance technology in action. In H. D. Stolovitch and E. J. Keeps (Eds.), The handbook of human performance technology: Improving individual and organizational performance worldwide (2nd ed.) (pp. 298–320). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Addison, R. M., and Wittkuhn, K. D. (2001). HPT: The culture factor. Performance Improvement, 40(3), 14–19.

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Conner, D. R. (1994). Managing at the speed of change: How resilient managers succeed and prosper where others fail. New York: Villard.

Gilbert, T. F. (1996). Human competence: Engineering worthy performance (ISPI tribute edition). Washington, DC, and Amherst, MA: ISPI and HRD Press.

Hale, J. (1998). The performance consultant’s fieldbook: Tools and techniques for improving organizations and people. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Harmon, P. (2002). Business process change. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman.

Kaplan, R. S., and Norton, D. P. (2004). Strategy maps. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School.

Kotter, J. P. (1992). Corporate culture and performance. New York City: Free Press.

Rummler, G. A., and Brache, A. P. (1995). Improving performance: How to manage the white space on the organization chart (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Senge, P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R., and Smith, B. (1994). The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. New York: Doubleday.

Stolovitch, H. D., and Keeps, E. J. (2004). Training ain’t performance. Washington, DC: American Society for Training and Development.

Trompenaars, F., and Turner, H. (1997). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding cultural diversity in business. Yarmouth, ME: Brealey.

Van Tiem, D., Moseley, J. L., and Dessinger, J. C. (2001). Performance improvement interventions: Enhancing people, processes, and organizations through performance technology. Silver Spring, MD: International Society for Performance Improvement.

Wittkuhn, K. D. (2004). Models, systemic thinking, and unpredictability in consulting. Performance Improvement, 43(6), 17–19.

Zemke, R., and Kramlinger, T. (1982). Figuring things out: A trainer’s guide to needs and task analysis. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

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