Executive development programs teach various skills deemed important in future leaders and help shape future leadership and its performance. However, they are often excessively focused on competencies required for dealing with internal issues and relationships. They do a much less admirable job preparing future executives for the unique skills…

This is a case study describing the application of the traditional ISPI [International Society for Performance Improvement] human performance technology (HPT) model at CHWK, a campus television channel broadcast from a southeastern American university cable system. CHWK's issues with delivery options, labor-intense work flow, and continual staff…

Typically the human performance technology (HPT) process is regarded as a tool for use when analyzing performance gaps in functional or larger organizational units. This case study demonstrates the application of the HPT process in a one-to-one relationship between a manager and a direct report. Specifically, the process is used to analyze the…

This commentary is part of an ongoing dialogue that began in the October 2011 special issue of "Performance Improvement"--Exploring a Universal Performance Model for HPT: Notes From the Field. The performance improvement/HPT (human performance technology) model represents a unifying process that helps accomplish successful change, create…

Long-term care is a key public issue that affects all of us in some way at some time of our lives. Nowhere is performance improvement and quality management more imperative. Through an 8-month field study and follow-up case study, we discuss how using an integrated approach to individual leadership development, employee engagement, and customer…

In early 2011, the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) invited three universities--University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Purdue University; and Wayne State University--to participate in the third annual University Human Performance Technology (HPT) Case Study Competition. Each university put together a team of three or four…

This case study describes the step-by-step application of the traditional human performance technology (HPT) model at a premier kayak company located on the coast of North Carolina. The HPT model was applied to address lost revenues related to three specific business issues: misinformed customers, dissatisfied customers, and guides not showing up…

Managers are often faulted for not managing performance; when performance issues surface, they first look to training as a possible solution. But without correctly identifying the cause of a performance problem, they can choose the wrong solution. The behavior engineering model (BEM) helps diagnose performance problems as well as engineer a…

Higher education institutions struggle with planning for future needs, growth, and, sometimes, contraction. As student populations expand and as faculty members adopt new technologies, universities struggle to support these needs. To the casual observer, it may seem that the technology planning process is haphazard. This article details a process…

Although the need for project objectives is obvious, their value and role are much broader than most think. In this article, we explore the need for higher levels of objectives, along with tips and techniques to develop them properly. More important, we examine the benefits of objectives from many perspectives. In today's competitive environment,…

Those involved in training know that creating instructional materials can become a tedious, repetitive process. They also know that business conditions often require training interventions to be delivered in ways that are not ideally structured or timed. This article examines the notion that learning objects can be reused and adapted for…

Discusses the use of action planning to measure the return on investment (ROI) for use with performance improvement interventions. Describes how this process is used and presents a case study showing how one organization built evaluation into the performance improvement process and positioned action planning as an application tool. (Author/LRW)

Considers Thomas Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model as a tool for systematically identifying barriers to individual and organizational performance. Includes a detailed case study and a performance aid that incorporates gap analysis, cause analysis, and force field analysis to update the original model. (Author/LRW)

Discusses work-related documents in organizations that can be useful to performance analysts and evaluators and provides an overview of three types of document analysis useful to performance technologists: tracking, content analysis, and case study aggregation analysis. Describes the advantages and limitations of document analysis and how it is…

Discusses the application of performance technology to improve the performance of people and processes and shows ways to extend the influence of the performance analyst to investigate and improve core processes within an organization. Describes the performance analysis model and presents four case studies based on hospital performance issues. (LRW)