This Article was Published by Both the National
and the Local Kansas City Chapter 
of The American Society for Training and Development
Excerpts Reprinted with the Permission of the American Society for
Training & Development, Alexandria, Virginia

 

By Jan Kuyper Erland

 


 
 What Is High Performance? What Will It Mean To Me?

The High Performance Workplace has increased employee productivity, that includes greater efficiency, better results outcome, and has improved work and environment practices.  Big order?  How do we go about this?
 
Business theory defines work processes, setting and achieving objectives and goals, and which teams or work positions to select for accomplishing this.  We become mired down.  We professionals, with careers in HRD, Training and Development, wonder how we fit into all of this.
 

We must look at our:

 
  • intellectual abilities for increased communication skill and for creating new methods and technologies that solve training problems
  • creativity
  • productivity on the job
  • ability to manage change
  • response to diversity
  • interpersonal capabilities for enhanced team work
  • accountability for quality results
Donald Kirkpatrick has a four level evaluation model that comes into play for determining outcome based results. (Kirkpatrick, D., January 1996, ASTD Training and Development, "Program Evaluation, Evaluation Instruments:  Great Ideas Revisited").

 
  • Determine Client satisfaction through Surveys and Needs Assessments.
  • Conduct pre- and post-test measurements.
  • Create generalization evaluations -- how does the training actually transfer on the job to improved performance and productivity.
  • Evaluate training cost benefits -- Return on Investment. (ROI)

    • New Training Directions
     
    Many business leaders say that many training professionals often do not fully understand the mission and business of the companies they work in. (Bassi L., Genson, G. & Cheney, S., November 1996, ASTD Monthly Journal, "The Top Ten Trends").  
     
    HRD and training professionals will need to close this gap between senior management and training professionals.  These are some of the challenges:

    • how to insure successful customer satisfaction
    • how to move from training to performance improvement (transfer of training into actual applications.  The Dept. of Labor reports that less than 30% of all training transfers to a better job performance. (Robinson, James C. & Robinson Dana G., 1995, The American Society of Training and Development, "Organization and Placement, High Performance Work Systems:  Performance takes Training to New Heights).
    • how to keep of the pace of re-engineering
    • how to manage and train current and new employees
    • how to attract qualified workers
    • how to maximize training technology
    Technology is changing the training field.  Trainers will be e required to enhance their hard and soft skills knowledge, and also learn how to use new hardwired platforms.  The employee of the future must adapt quickly, and learn new technologies rapidly. You may have to reinvent yourself, and if you don't, you will be left behind.  Staying well informed is your best ammunition.
     

    Jan Kuyper Erland, M. S. Intervention Consultant
    Mem-ExSpan, Inc.
    The Bridge To Achievement ®
    Tele: 785-749-5402
    email: jan@memspan.com