Training for Performance

Training for Performance– Achieving excellence through performance is accomplished in two major ways. The first way is taking a proactive stance by unearthing or preventing counter-productive methods. For example, you might implement diversity and sexual harassment training programs before they become a problem within the organization.

The second way is to correct performance problems that arise within the organization. This is accomplished by first, identifying the root cause and secondly, implementing a plan of action to correct the problem. Although people are our are a most important asset, sometimes it seems as if they are our biggest headache.

There are four major causes of performance problems:

Knowledge or Skills: The employee does not know how to perform the process correctly – lack of skills, knowledge, or abilities.

Process: The problem is not employee related, but is caused by working conditions, bad processes, etc, etc.

Resources: Lack of resources or technology.

Motivation or Culture: The employee knows how to perform, but does so incorrectly.

The Performance Analysis Quadrant (PAQ) is a tool to help in the identification. By asking two questions, “Does the employee have adequate job knowledge?” and “does the employee have the proper attitude (desire) to perform the job?” and assigning a numerical rating between 1 and 10 for each answer, will place the employee in 1 of 4 the performance quadrants: Does the employee have the proper attitude (desire) to perform the job?

• Quadrant a (Motivation): If the employee has sufficient job knowledge but has an improper attitude, this may be classed as motivational problem. The consequences (rewards) of the person’s behavior will have to be adjusted. This is not always bad…the employee just might not realize the consequence of his or her actions.
• Quadrant B (Resource/Process/Environment): If the employee has both job knowledge and a favorable attitude, but performance is unsatisfactory, then the problem may be out of control of the employee i.e. lack of resources or time, task needs process improvement, the work station is not ergonomically designed, etc.
• Quadrant C (Selection): If the employee lacks both job knowledge and a favorable attitude, that person may be improperly placed in the position. This may imply a problem with employee selection or promotion, and suggest that a transfer or discharge be considered.
• Quadrant D (Training): If the employee desires to perform, but lacks the requisite job knowledge or skills, then additional training may be the answer.

Also note that the fix does not have to be the same as the cause. For example, you can often fix a process problem with training or maybe fix a motivation problem with altitude or (affective domain) training. Show, Tell, Do, and Check.

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