February, 2002
Volume 41 / Number 2
by Stephen L. Cohen and Damian Payiatakis
To E or not to E? That is the question. But is this really a question to be answered or merely a rhetorical one? Isn't "E" here to stay, like it or not? If this is true, our job as human resources professionals is to support its effective use and implementation in harnessing the hype into a reality that delivers on its promise. So just what is this promise? And how will we be able to evaluate whether e-learning delivers on it? These are the real questions we need to address. This article defines the promise, determines if it is a real or an empty one, and presents the factors that need to be in place to implement an effective e-learning package for both organizations and their employees.
A Comparison of HPT and Traditional Training Approaches
by Richard Kretz
This article focuses on the comparative use of training from human performance technology (HPT) and traditional training perspectives. With this discussion we learn that both systems have a taxonomy comprised of five taxa-business drivers, analysis, design, development, and delivery-and integrate end-to-end, closed-loop evaluative metric feedback. The business driver taxon both identifies performance issues and stimulates a perceived need or request for a training intervention. The analysis taxon considers training's viability and needs. The design taxon provides the structural blueprint for the training program. The development taxon applies to the training program being written. The delivery taxon measures training's efficiency and feeds into measurement of organizational effectiveness as a business driver. Using side-by-side comparisons in each taxon, we see that the primary difference is a holistic systems performance improvement approach by eliminating barriers with HPT versus reaction or response to a set of business objectives in traditional training.
Assessing and Evaluating: Differentiating Perspectives
by Ryan Watkins, PhD, and Roger Kaufman, PhD
The results of systematic data collection can be useful to organizational leaders as they make decisions that result in positive consequences. Unfortunately, however, the results of data collection are often not used in decisionmaking. When they are used, they are usually incomplete representations of reality. Whether this is due to an intimidation by quantitative reports or to inadequate decisionmaking models, many of today's organizational leaders are pursuing technology fads and making decisions without a set of valid, useful, clear, and measurable objectives in mind. For many leaders, available data are more commonly used for blaming than for guiding the organization toward useful results and contributions. But for the performance technologist, data for decisionmaking are an essential foundation for success. This article examines two similar yet distinctive perspectives by which the performance technologist can assist organizational leaders in making difficult decisions based on valid and useful data.
Building Fluent Performance in a Customer Call Center
by Carl Binder and Lee Sweeney
There is great potential for improving training and coaching program effectiveness by using fluency-development methods. Fluency is accurate, nonhesitant performance, or true mastery. Revision of a new-hire training program in a customer call center applied a fluency-based approach to reduce training time by one-third, accelerate productivity readiness, and enable newly hired representatives to surpass benchmark productivity levels by about 60% within two weeks on the job. The program focused on core fundamental knowledge, devoted more than half the program time to fluency practice activities, and built fluent performance in an energetic "learning gymnasium" environment. The business unit manager and his senior supervisor managed a team of lead representatives to revise and deliver the program, rather than relying on a separate training group. Program results illustrate the power of fluency-based performance development methods, extending previous research and application in sales training and other fields to customer service performance.
The Place of Process
by Alan Ramias
Process improvement has become the weapon of choice for many performance technologists in addressing some of industry's most vexing problems in quality, timeliness, and cost reduction. The results are troubling. While some organizations have achieved phenomenal increases through a focus on process, just as many spectacular failures have occurred, and the reputation of process has gotten a little tarnished. But there are reasons for the successes and failures. Like other performance improvement tools, process improvement does not fit every situation. And it seldom works by itself in a complex organizational system. Recognizing that process is only one variable in performance, performance engineers need to re-establish process improvement as an approach that is right for some occasions but is used most effectively in conjunction with other performance tools and concepts.
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