Life after 9/11: Applying Performance Analysis to the
New Security Issues Facing Today's Organizations

Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., organizations around the globe are scrambling to develop and implement new security measures. From airports to power plants, from sports arenas to mailrooms, businesses and governments alike are spending billions on new training programs to deal with the potential threat of future terrorist attacks.

While training is an important tool for improving human performance, it can only resolve performance issues stemming from a lack of skill or knowledge. Training does not address other common performance inhibitors, such as a lack of motivation, insufficient resources, or unclear or inconsistent policies and procedures. Without addressing all of the obstacles that are keeping your employees from performing as required, you run a high risk of implementing a partial solution that will fail to produce the measurable performance improvement results your organization needs. And with respect to security issues, the consequences of ineffective performance could be devastating.

One of the quickest and most effective ways of ensuring that you identify and eliminate all barriers standing in the way of required performance is to conduct a performance analysis. Developed by Dr. Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe - two of the leading figures in the training and performance improvement industry - performance analysis is a proven, systematic process that will help you:

• Identify the true causes of performance problems (most people find that performance problems result from a combination of factors, few of which are training related)
• Derive feasible, cost-effective solutions to eliminate all the problems (including "fast fixes" - solutions that are quick and easy to implement)

Below is a summary of the major steps involved in conducting performance analysis.

1. Identify the performance discrepancy. A performance discrepancy exists when there is a difference between what someone is doing and what he or she should be doing. First, identify the person or persons whose performance is felt to be lacking. Then describe the performance discrepancy in terms of what is actually happening and what should be happening.
   
   
2. Determine if it is worth solving. If serious consequences would follow if you left the problem alone, then you have a performance discrepancy that calls for further analysis. If, however, the only consequence is that it annoys the person who brought the problem to your attention, it probably isn't worth pursuing.
   
   
3. Explore "fast-fix" solutions to the problem. Before spending time and resources on further analysis, you may find that a quick-and-easy remedy is all that's needed to solve the problem. Check to see if there are any obvious obstacles to performance, such as missing work tools, an inadequate work environment, performance standards that are unclear or not communicated, etc.
   
   
4. Check to see if there are consequences for desirable/undesirable performance. Actions produce consequences, and those consequences, whether favorable or unfavorable, shape how people will act in the future. Upside-down consequences, such as punishing people when they should be rewarded, are common. When you find such negative effects, eliminate them or reduce their effect and do all you can to create positive consequences. If poor performance is being rewarded, then you must remove the incentives for performing poorly.
   
   
5. Identify the causes of the performance discrepancy. If you've identified possible solutions and feel the performance discrepancy still won't be resolved, the next step is to determine if the discrepancy is due to a genuine skill deficiency or a motivational or environmental obstacle. To do so, consider the following question: Could the person perform the job if his life depended on it? If the answer is "yes" (and it often is), then you need to find out what obstacles are getting in the way of desired performance. If the answer is "no," then you can infer that he doesn't have the adequate skills for the position, which would suggest a training solution (assuming the person has what it takes to acquire the needed skills).
   
   
6. Decide on the best solution. Based on the causes of the performance discrepancy, list the possible solutions and determine or estimate the cost of implementing each solution. Then select the solution(s) that will add the most value (solve the largest part of the problem for the least effort), and draft an action plan describing how the solution(s) will be put into practice and by whom.

To find out more about performance analysis, check out these valuable CEP Press resources, available online through www.ceppress.com or by calling us toll-free at 1-800-558-4CEP …

1. Analyzing Performance Problems, by Dr. Robert F. Mager & Peter Pipe, CEP Press: Atlanta, GA, 1997, $22.95 U.S.
2. Solving Performance Problems Software, an interactive version of Mager & Pipe's Performance Analysis Flowchart & Worksheet, $154 (email us at info@cepworldwide.com for a free demo!)
3. Performance Analysis Flowchart & Worksheet, $68 for a package of 24
4. Performance Analysis Job-Aid/Quick Reference Guide, $38 for a package of 24 ($4 for individual orders)
5. The Solving Performance Problems Package, containing all four of the above resources, for only $233, a $50 savings!

CEP also offers a one-day Solving Performance Problems Workshop to teach the renowned performance analysis process and effective consultative techniques to training and performance improvement professionals.

Upcoming Dates/Locations: