innovative hpt practices in data analysis, collection, and measurement
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Performance Improvement, vol. 46, no. 9, October 2007©2007 International Society for Performance ImprovementPublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) • DOI: 10.1002/pfi.158
ED I TOR ’S NOTES
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTOFFICERS
Jeanne Farrington, PresidentMatthew Peters, President-electClare Elizabeth Carey, Past PresidentJim Fuller, DirectorMiki Lane, DirectorDarlene Van Tiem, DirectorTimm Esque, DirectorMary Norris Thomas, DirectorRichard D. Battaglia, Executive Director
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTEDITORIAL GROUPRichard D. Battaglia, PublisherHolly Burkett, EditorApril Syring Davis, Associate ExecutiveDirector
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INNOVATIVE HPT PRACTICES IN DATA
ANALYSIS, COLLECTION, AND MEASUREMENTHolly Burkett, CPT
JACK AND PATRICIA PHILLIPS begin this issue with the first of a two-part series thatdescribes the value shift toward increased accountability in performance improvementwork. In today’s organizations, stakeholders and project sponsors are placing moreemphasis on the monetary value of workplace learning and/or HPT projects and chal-lenging those who have responsibility for project success to demonstrate how their ini-tiatives contribute to improved organizational performance. This first feature describesthe return-on-investment methodology and highlights how performance improvementprofessionals can use it to meet accountability demands, add value, get results, and ulti-mately, position themselves as a strategic business partner.
Achieving desired performance results with an HPT intervention begins with a link-age to clearly defined needs. Innovative practices for needs assessors are provided byMary Lanigan in a feature that explores how the conventional use of interviews, surveys,and focus groups to collect data can often lead to limited results. To illustrate contempo-rary modifications to focus group procedures and survey data, Lanigan uses a case studyapproach to show assessors how to specify concrete benchmarks in order to obtain indis-putable evidence of optimal performance.
Donald Winiecki follows with a discussion about the foundational assumptions ofperformance improvement. He contends that these assumptions come from a single-minded economic and engineering orientation that arises from a concern for maintain-ing and enhancing other forms of value. Through ethnographic research and itsprinciples, models, and theories, the author promotes this other form of value as animportant and even essential component of the future of performance technology andits practitioners’ knowledge and skills.
Next, Abhay Padgaonkar describes an award-winning case study in which a holistic,employee-centered approach was implemented by the leadership team of a serviceorganization in order to engage personnel in the drive to deliver outstanding perfor-mance results. Despite the challenges of complacency, geographical diversity, organiza-tional newness, cultural differences, and limited resources and investment, stakeholdersfound that the performance improvement strategy significantly raised customer satisfac-tion and improved employee morale.
Anne Marrelli closes this issue with the ninth article in the Performance Technologist’sToolbox series. This feature explores how to enhance data collection methods through theuse of unobtrusive measures. These measures offer a diverse set of methods to eliminatemeasurement reactivity, which has long been a concern in the social and behavioral sci-ences. The advantages and disadvantages of employing unobtrusive measures are pro-vided, along with basic guidelines for their use in all aspects of performance technology:performance analysis, performance assessment, learning needs analysis, applied research,organizational change and development, and program evaluation.
May the HPT concepts and strategies described in this issue add value to your profes-sional growth and help you in achieving your own desired results.