Performance support is anything that enables and/or accelerates speed-to-sustainable-performance, or speed-to-impact, or speed-to-productivity, or speed-to-competence, or speed-to-actionable-insight, or speed-to-any-damn-thing-that-drives-measurable-business-value.
Unleash the Impact beast, but not before the workforce has a firm grip on their own leash to control the Impact that yields sustained performance and positive business outcomes. We all know how IT spends countless dollars to optimize systems before launch and then more dollars and support to maintain those same systems to keep them optimized. Do we apply the same level of diligence across the ecosystem when it comes to optimizing and maintaining our workforce?
If L&D spent half the time enabling human performance at Point-of-Work in the operation of new systems as IT spends in fine-tuning and optimizing the systems prior to GoLive, think about how much more productive the workforce would be…with little to no learning curve to overcome…not to mention how the Help Desk would fare with 40-50% fewer distress calls
Momentum to accept the validity of performance support has been a long time coming as evidenced by a dramatic increase of articles advocating more L&D attention targeting performance outcomes. Unfortunately, the attention given is still largely skewed toward innovative learning solutions in the training environment. Methinks part of that dilemma is a result not of the discovery questions asked, but those unasked.
LMS Market Trends revealed 48% of organizations desire a “new or different learning technology” and nearly half (47%) are at least seeking to “revise their current learning strategy”. Why does dissatisfaction exist? Why revise learning strategy? Given the report was focused on LMS I wondered if “learning technology” was code for LMS and performance support technology would remain separate and apart from learning strategy. Then my mind’s eye flashed to a herd of lemmings dashing over the same cliff as their predecessors. I really hope for the sake of L&D organizations everywhere that I’m wrong.
A Training Needs Assessment is NOT going to deliver the mail; however, a Learning Performance Assessment targeting role-specific/task-centric challenges at PoW will reveal sources of frustration otherwise overlooked…defaulting to explanations of failure based on the inability of training to equip the performer to perform…the quality of training…the poor training experience…yada…yada. So…what should we do? Where do we look for answers?
A common misconception is treating DPS as a technology solution and finding some application(s) where to apply it. Finding a “fit” is important, but DPS is only the enabling technology to a cultural shift and mindset that ground zero for building and sustaining performance is found at the Point of Work. What must come first is establishing a “human infrastructure” capable of wielding several key components:
Who “woulda thunk it” possible to be swept up…or is swept out more appropriate…into the chaos of three corporate downsizing events in less than seven years? Could that even happen to the same guy? Oh, but yes it can…and it has. You’re reading his words right now. January 26th is when I will be jettisoned through the window of opportunity. Bring it! It’s time to go Ninja!
I am deeply buried in HR right now and steeped in the HR discipline, but I am, however…a Performance Ninja. I know who pays the rent. I know I am part of a cost center…an expense…and I know if I’m not contributing to solutions that generate revenue for the organization I have no room to bitch when the next down-sizing happens and I am once again hurled through the window of opportunity.
The call-to-action for L&D is to have staff capable of operating comfortably and effectively in the domain of the Point-of-Work exclusive of being a SMEOEDT…SME of Every Damn Thing. This mission… should you choose to accept it…is to seek out individuals possessing the expertise of a performance consultant. Find one or develop one. Methinks having one in the mix is no longer an option if the L&D function has a prayer of breaking free of the limiting blinders of the traditional Training Paradigm.