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Back to the Performance Improvement Journal Home PageMarch, 2006 Editor's Notes: Get Radical, Get Results Executive Summaries |
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Executive Summaries
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| Throw Out Learning Objectives! In Support of a New Taxonomy by Sharon L. Gander, CPT, MEd This article abstracts characteristics of a proposed solution for overcoming the misuse of learning objectives. Delving into original research of the 1950s and 1960s, the author extrapolates a new taxonomy describing advancement in proficiency and applies it to the science of performance improvement to create a working model of learning that seeks to go beyond historical use of learning objectives. The proposed taxonomy of proficiency is defined. Recommended uses for this new taxonomy indicate that this tool can move performance out of the classroom and the classroom-based limitation of learning objectives and into the workplace, where true proficiency occurs. This is the first of two articles. Peer Professional Development for Workforce Development in Arizona: A Grassroots Capacity-Building Initiative by Susan Schmidt, John Morales, and Sheila E. Murphy, PhD A grassroots initiative representing workforce development organizations in the state of Arizona has developed a peer capacity-building assessment initiative to review comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers as major delivery vehicles for publicly funded workforce development services at the local level. The primary purpose of the initiative was to strengthen performance capability at each center. Eight organizations representing urban, rural, and tribal communities in Arizona participated in the design and refinement of the initiative. The partnership commitment, systems emphasis, value added, and evaluation of performance technology standards resulted in a process based, systematic, and welcome approach to upgrading professional capacity in workforce development statewide. Among the most valuable initial benefits of the peer reviewer process is the building of relationships among workforce development professionals, who have indicated that sharing new and valuable methods of doing business is vital and helpful in the statewide development of One-Stop services to clients. Face-to-Face or Online? Choosing the Medium in Blended Training by Stephen Yelon, PhD When planning a blended training course--a combination of face-to-face and online instruction--how should a performance technologist decide what methods to arrange in the classroom and what methods to put on the Internet? This article explains and illustrates a systematic process to choose an effective combination of media: focus on instructional methods, assess motivation to restructure, judge the suitability of the medium for the method, and assess resources for development and delivery. It becomes clear that, if designed thoughtfully, there may be many possible effective combinations of media in a blended course. Elements and Principles of Training as a Performance Improvement Solution by Chong Tek Aik and Duane C. Tway, PhD Training is generally considered more context and job specific than education, with training being skills based while education is knowledge based. However, that distinction is not as clear cut as some believe. This is because both knowledge and skill are acquired when learning occurs in the workplace. To effectively use training as a performance improvement solution, the design elements and principles have to be focused more directly on application and problem-solving capacity. Training programs or solutions must integrate the learner-centered education (andragogy) and instructor-centered education (pedagogy) to achieve ultimate organizational advantage. Measuring Relevant Things by D. Keith Denton, PhD Despite all the available potential performance measures, most manufacturing companies do not give serious attention to what and how they measure. This article identifies the risk of poor performance measurement, including the risk of focusing solely on monthly or quarterly numbers, to the exclusion of all other performance indicators. The article advocates the use of non-financial measures and an information system that contains rules and procedures to govern the collection, analysis, and distribution of performance information in the organization. Anyone wanting an organization to function as a cohesive unit will need to identify key performance measures. This article can help you identify the right, relevant, and specific things to measure as a performance improvement professional. International Projects: Some Lessons on Avoiding Failure and Maximizing Success by Daniel J. Kealey, PhD, David R. Protheroe, Doug MacDonald, and Thomas Vulpe Performance improvement for companies and governmental agencies involved in international projects is a major challenge of the new century. Business joint ventures, subsidiaries of multinational corporations, aid projects, and similar international projects have been multiplying in recent decades and have had spotty records of success, understandably in view of their inherent difficulty. The authors summarize the lessons of their experience and research in improving the success of international projects, identifying 10 causes of international project failure, and the corresponding steps to success. Two broad areas of performance improvement are highlighted. First is the upgrading and broadening of competencies for personnel who are undertaking international assignments. The second area focuses on organizational capacities for project articulation and management, particularly in the areas of partner selection; headquarters commitment and support; clear, realistic, and phased goal or performance target setting and achievement; consulting and building consensus to integrate local concerns and management practices; and assessment and management of the project environment. This article could be seen as a checklist of essential to-dos for top managers who wish to ready their organizations for undertaking a successful international project. |
