Performance Support and Performance Consulting

Businesses exist to produce results. Results depend on execution by people. Specific employees must perform the tasks, solve the problems, and make the decisions that fulfill the mission of the enterprise. Performance consulting is the process of discovering why results fall short of expectations, and how they can be improved.

Performance consulting focuses on the human element - on individual human performance. It begins, however, with enterprise performance. It is only at the enterprise level that we can determine what really needs fixing, how results should be measured, and how much the improvement is worth.

The Target	Where is the pain? By what measure is the enterprise falling short of expectations? How much is the improvement worth? An enterprise performance target should be defined and communicated in concrete terms, such as profit margins, production rates, manufacturing yield, down time, time to repair, etc. How does individual performance affect enterprise performance? At the individual level, a performance target should be stated in the form of tasks, problems, or decisions.
The Gap	What is the current level of performance? What tasks, problems, or decisions are not being handled properly? How does performance vary among employees, work groups, plants, etc.? Who are the superior performers, and what do they do differently from the rest?
The Causes	What are the obstacles to performance improvement? Causes may lie in all three categories. Skills? Are employees able to perform the task, solve the problem, or make the decision when commanded to do so? If not, could they develop the required skills if given the right kind of help? Work environment? Can the process be simplified? Does equipment work properly and satisfy the demands of the process? Are tools, equipment, and supplies readily available when needed? Are work instructions, procedures, or guidelines readily accessible when needed? Motivation? Are employees rewarded for the right things? Do they have sufficient authority to act and decide? Do individuals realize how their work impacts enterprise results
The Solutions	If causes lie in two or more categories, all must be addressed or performance may not improve. Training is an expensive, and often ineffective, solution. If people need information and direction, give them job aids, work instructions, or written guidelines rather than training. Whenever possible, imbed job intelligence in the job rather than only between the ears. Training should be used where people need help forming new mental models, or need practice with tasks, problems, or decisions. Instructional design should focus on what the *learner* must do during the learning process. Support must be available at the right time and place, and in the right form, to enable the individual to perform the task, solve the problem, or make the decision on the job.