The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Awards of Excellence program is designed to showcase the people, products, innovations, and organizations that represent excellence in the field of instructional and Human Performance Technology.

Outstanding Human Performance Intervention
The Human Performance Intervention is a comprehensive award category recognizing outstanding human performance interventions.

The ProManagement intervention helps Caterpillar Pan American Dealerships focus on performance, rather than just skill-building, as it systematically uncovers performance gaps, identifies the causes of those gaps, and generates solutions. The intervention utilizes EPS’ Total Performance Approach™ to link daily performance to business results. This ensures that employees are working on the right things to drive dealership success before investing in analysis and solutions. Current performance of those daily tasks is then analyzed to uncover skill deficiencies, inappropriate consequences, unclear expectations, and missing or inadequate tools and resources. Intervention results include improvements in productivity, profit after direct expenses, morale, proficiency, and commitment.

The Ford Motor Company “On the Lane” (OTL) Performance Selling and Consumer Handling Performance Intervention uses a holistic approach to implement effective, consumer-focused point-of-sale and post-diagnostic selling processes in a Dealership Service Department setting. In addition to training Service Advisors, the intervention employs dealer financial incentives, four-level performance measures, and Service Management support to achieve performance improvement. To address declining consumer satisfaction and service sales, the Human Performance Intervention consists of four major areas: Dealer Incentive, Training, Sustainment, and Dealership Management Development and Support.

Sales Acceleration Team Sun Microsystems

The Sun Microsystems Sales Acceleration Team (SAT) was formed in September 1990, with the mission to identify issues and obstacles inhibiting the productivity of the U.S. sales force, and to lead performance improvement activities on high-potential projects. Two specific projects, Sales Revenue Credit Assignment (SRCA) and Partner Sales Analysis (PSA), are described in detail. The SRCA project resulted in tangible annual savings of $1.5 million. The immediate results of the PSA project were the documentation of 18 processes for the first time and recommendations for high-payback executive actions. The overall result of the SAT effort was the authorization to expand the concept to cover Sun's worldwide sales activities.

Outstanding Performance Aid
This award recognizes results achieved through the design and implementation of an intervention used on the job to assist the performer in accomplishing a task.

CD-ROM-based Performance Support Tool Marcel Ouellet, Louise Leone, & Charles Normandeau, Imperial Oil Limited; Gina Walker, Valerie Quirk, and Victor Aronoff, Harold D. Stolovitch & Associates, Ltd.

Stay Ahead of the Game is a post-training performance support tool in CD-ROM and floppy disk format that allows retailers to retest their knowledge of facilities management and to access resources and references required to perform this aspect of their jobs. The CD-ROM was designed with an interactive format, which allows the user to test his or her knowledge of facilities management in a fun yet challenging way. The Retailer Facility Management Manual (RFMM) is also included on the CD-ROM and is linked to the self-test activities for reference purposes, which provides quick and easy access to the company’s standards and best practices. In addition, the program includes two 5 1/2" floppy disks, which contain task lists, site inspection forms, and log forms that can be customized to each site.

Outstanding Instructional Product or Intervention
This award recognizes outstanding results derived from instructional products and interventions developed through systematic approaches to human performance problems, needs, or opportunities.

Compaq EVO™ D300v Service and Maintenance Web-Based Training (WBT) Compaq Computer, Development Team (listed alphabetically): Greg Herr, Project Evaluator; Alice Jacobson, Training Program Manager; Chuck Julian, WBT Developer; Ray Laurencelle, Graphic Designer; Mary Roche, IPS Program Manager; Jim Syiek, WBT Developer; & Sandi Williams, Project Leader

The Compaq Evo™ D300v Service and Maintenance WBT provides field service and call center engineers with information needed to service and support the Compaq Evo™ D300v desktop personal computer. The course describes standard configurations, features, and options; it also and provides technical instruction on diagnosing and troubleshooting.

• Narrated videos demonstrate the installation and removal of field-replaceable components.
• The animated Parts Locator allows learners to manipulate a three-dimensional graphic model of the computer.
• A detailed Teardown Lab provides step-by-step instructions for disassembling and reassembling the machine.

Videos and animated graphics not only enhance the learning experience and maximize the transfer of training but also serve an important performance support function. Because the training is web-based, engineers on service calls can access it via the Internet and obtain critical information when and where it is needed most.

Integration Curriculum Training Program TD Canada Trust, Learning & Development

Integration Curriculum Training Program describes the processes used to plan, assess needs and performance gaps, design, develop, implement, and measure outcomes of a training initiative in support of merging two large financial institutions. The training helped prepare 23,000 employees, from coast to coast (in 30 different job functions), to be confident and competent, provide a comfortable customer experience, while implementing two new sales and service systems, and a new suite of products.

The initiative blended training solutions that involved the use of online and paper-based training and job support materials, with on-site coaching, regional and site training leads, and buddy branches.

Employees’ feedback:

• 95% confident they could apply new skills
• 90% able to apply new skills on the job as a result of the training

Business results during integration:

• 21 basis points market share increase
• 2% increase in Customer Satisfaction Index

Outstanding Instructional Communication
This award recognizes an outstanding communication that enables individuals or organizations to achieve excellence in human performance technology.

The 5-Star Sales Training Program illustrates a successful transition in Helzberg Diamonds’ training from a content-heavy, knowledge-based training program to an adaptable performance improvement tool. 5-Star Sales Training achieves measurable, bottom-line results company-wide by improving Sales Associate performance in the challenging learning environment of a retail store.

Content, structure, and format provide the flexibility required to meet the training needs of all Sales Associates, both new and experienced.

Content: Learning model includes a built-in assessment method allowing managers to quickly and accurately determine results.

Structure: Consistent use of the 5-Star Sales Process on four successive levels of skill—Orientation, Foundation, Achievement, and Excellence—provides organization for the program.

Format: Easy-to-use card format allows flexible implementation for managers and associates.

It is time to re-think about online events as replicable models for engaging learners. America’s Kids Connect 2000 was a Presidential Trivia game that over 720,000 students, parents, and educators played in an 18-hour period, jointly developed by two technology teams located in Minneapolis, MN and Houston, TX. Students from Eagan High School, Eagan, MN were responsible for designing and producing the 30-minute show distributed via local cable and the Internet. Local and national political leaders appeared as guest moderators. Over $3.2 million in technology prizes was distributed to 125 schools in 35 states across the United States.

Conquering Organizational Change: How to Succeed Where Most Companies Fail by Pierre Mourier and Martin Smith, PhD CEP Press

With a failure rate of over 70%, organizational change is a daunting prospect for everyone involved—from the training and performance improvement professionals responsible for implementing change to the employees whose jobs will be affected. However, large-scale change efforts can be successful, and they can prove instrumental in helping organizations achieve their strategic business goals. Conquering Organizational Change, by Pierre Mourier and Martin Smith, PhD, is an invaluable tool in making such success a possibility. Based on exhaustive research, the book provides practical advice on what to expect and, more importantly, what to do when approaching a change project.

The Business of Winning: How to Build a Championship Team at Work by Robert Evangelista CEP Press

Team building is an often-overlooked area of human performance. Yet effective teamwork plays a critical role in helping organizations achieve their strategic business goals. The Business of Winning draws parallels between the sports world and the business world, offering a fun, practical, and highly effective way for managers to coach their work teams to success. The book includes four easy-to-follow tools designed to help managers maximize the competitive advantages of human performance at a team level. In the fast-paced, global environment of today’s business, such an advantage is invaluable.

Making an Impact: Building a Top-Performing Organization from the Bottom Up by Timm J. Esque CEP Press

One of the greatest challenges facing training and performance improvement professionals is the sustainability of the solutions they implement on their clients’ behalf. Because of the ever-changing business world, their solutions rarely eliminate the clients’ performance problems entirely—the problems may subside temporarily, or change form, but rarely do they vanish completely. Making an Impact, by Timm J. Esque, offers a viable alternative to conventional performance consulting—a Self-Sustaining Performance System. This innovative approach provides performance improvement specialists guidance on how to implement a system that allows the organization itself to monitor and adjust its own performance.

The author of Creating Evaluation Instruments to Predict Behavior Transfer: A New Theory and Measures in Training Evaluation introduces a new training evaluation model and measurement tools that predict whether trainees will transfer their skills from training to the job. Readers learn how to create: reactionnaires and self-efficacy instruments that collect useful data and predict behavior transfer; external control measures that illustrate environmental problems preventing trainees from transferring behavior; attitudinal measures that contribute to behavior transfer, subjective norms instruments that measure supervisor support; behavioral intentions and actual behavior instruments; and, return-on-investment calculations.

Beyond the Podium: Delivering Training and Performance to a Digital World Allison Rossett & Kendra Sheldon

The digital age is infiltrating the training profession faster than most of us can stay breast of it. In Beyond the Podium, get you up to speed on the new directions in training and development while also refreshing your understanding of the fundamentals. The book examines the opportunities presented by e-learning, informal learning, independent learning, knowledge management, globalization, object-oriented design, wireless technologies, and more, while revisiting what makes great training, how to do an analysis, and evaluation strategies and tools. Beyond the Podium redefines the nature and function of training and trainers by offering:

• A tour of the possibilities: The effect of e-business on training and development, new learning theories, what knowledge management is and how it applies to training.
• A guide to professional development: Every chapter presents references, examples of presentation slides, experts’ favored resources, and resources.
• Answers to questions: How is my job going to change? How might my unit think about its strategy and value differently?

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Outstanding Communication Product

This award is given to chapters whose communication vehicles support their objectives and strategic plan.

ISPI Chicago Chapter
CISPI reinvented its newsletter and website to better provide members with HPT and ISD content and current and accurate information on events. The changes included reducing newsletter publication to bi-monthly, while improving on-time delivery and increasing content from 8 to 24 pages across more than 10 regular columns and features. The website was expanded to include more than 85% new content and is kept current through scheduled monthly updates, resulting in more than 30 hits per day.

The above were achieved by building a dedicated volunteer team, defining and segmenting tasks, and by dedicated planning and management. The membership has clearly noticed.

ISPI Golden Circle Chapter
Contributing individuals: Dan Topf, Awards Chair & Penny Thompson, Assistant Awards Chair

Five years ago, the Golden Circle Chapter of ISPI was founded in Des Moines, Iowa. To lend credibility to our chapter we decided to make yet another submission for the Chapter of Excellence Award. At first it seemed like quite a bit of work, but since we’d been awarded Chapter of Excellence last year, we knew how to handle it. After reviewing the criteria again, we found them to be a good framework in which to take our chapter to the next level. In essence it helped us to strengthen our chapter and become a better organization for our members. It took us two years to achieve the goal and now we have strong guidelines and procedures in place in which to operate. The criteria established by International helped us grow and make the changes necessary to continue to be a successful chapter.

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Outstanding Educational Program

This award is given to chapters that spread the performance improvement message to others in academic and non-academic settings.

ISPI New Mexico Chapter, Pushing Peak Performance: Strategies and Practices
Contributing individuals: Michelle Fromm-Lewis & Jodi Case, Workshop Committee Co-Chairs, & Cheryl Lackie, 2001 Chapter President

The New Mexico Chapter’s Winter Workshop 2001 was a special educational event for chapter members and others in the performance improvement and training community. The event took place on February 22-23, 2001. Gretchen Gemeinhardt, representing the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) presented Best Practices of Fortune 500 Companies, and Jay Phipps and Karla Shireman presented Engaging Every Learning Style: Applying the Experiential Learning Cycle Model.

ISPI Michigan Chapter

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