Performance Consulting — A Process to Ensure Skill Becomes Performance
What is Performance Consulting?
Performance consulting is a process that requires professionals to focus on results (that is, on performance change and business impact) and not only on solutions (that is, training). I define performance consulting as a process in which clients and professionals partner to achieve the strategic outcome of enhanced workplace performance in support of business goals.
What does it take to "do" performance consulting? Performance consulting requires that you, as a professional, practice two things in your day-to-day performance:
Operate from a mental model that supports a holistic and systemic view of any request or situation in which you are involved. This mental model requires that you seek root causes for a given problem or situation, using a learning solution only when lack of skill and knowledge is a root cause.
Partner with clients as you follow the four-phased performance consulting process.
The Need Hierarchy
1) Business needs describe the operational and strategic goals for an organization or some unit or department within it. These needs are what the organization must accomplish if it is to be successful over the long term. Business needs are measured quantifiably. Growing market share is an example of a business need; it can be measured in terms of the percentage of market share, the number of new customers, and the revenue generated. Other examples of business needs are to increase customer satisfaction, increase operational efficiency, retain talent, decrease operational costs, and increase profit. Each of these is a goal for an organization or business unit and has one or more numeric measures that can be used to establish the goal and to assess current results.
Business needs are the highest order need in this hierarchy because all other needs should emanate from them. If business needs go unmet for some protracted period of time, the future of the enterprise is threatened. The term business need is typically used within for-profit organizations. In a nonprofit organization, the term is often changed to organization or operational need. A governmental organization may use the term agency need. Note use of the term need rather than goal or problem. This is a term that is broad enough to encompass all types of situations from a business shortfall to a business opportunity. Likewise, performance need is broad enough to include desired performance, a performance problem, or a performance gap.
2) Performance needs describe on-the-job accomplishments and behaviors required of individuals who are performing within a specific job or role and who contribute to achieving the business goals through their performance. Performance needs identify what individuals must do more, better, or differently if business goals are to be achieved; these needs are described in behavioral terms. Examples of a performance accomplishment and behaviors for customer service representatives are that they must successfully resolve customer complaints (accomplishment) by asking questions, evidencing empathy, and taking responsibility for ensuring the problem is addressed (behaviors).
3) Work environment and capability needs are in the center box of the need hierarchy. These factors have a direct effect upon the performance of people in workgroups. Work environment needs refer to the infrastructure in an organization, including the work processes, information, and incentive systems that are present. Capability needs refer to the skills and knowledge people must have if they are to perform as required. Any of these factors can work as a barrier or an enhancer to desired performance. The factor will be an enhancer if it both encourages the on-the-job performance and supports business results that are desired. The same factor can be a barrier if it discourages the required behavior and business results. For example, if coaching is done effectively, it is an enabler to performance; if absent, it is a barrier.
What is Performance Consulting?
Performance consulting is a process that requires professionals to focus on results (that is, on performance change and business impact) and not only on solutions (that is, training). I define performance consulting as a process in which clients and professionals partner to achieve the strategic outcome of enhanced workplace performance in support of business goals.
What does it take to "do" performance consulting? Performance consulting requires that you, as a professional, practice two things in your day-to-day performance:
Operate from a mental model that supports a holistic and systemic view of any request or situation in which you are involved. This mental model requires that you seek root causes for a given problem or situation, using a learning solution only when lack of skill and knowledge is a root cause.
Partner with clients as you follow the four-phased performance consulting process.
The Need Hierarchy
1) Business needs describe the operational and strategic goals for an organization or some unit or department within it. These needs are what the organization must accomplish if it is to be successful over the long term. Business needs are measured quantifiably. Growing market share is an example of a business need; it can be measured in terms of the percentage of market share, the number of new customers, and the revenue generated. Other examples of business needs are to increase customer satisfaction, increase operational efficiency, retain talent, decrease operational costs, and increase profit. Each of these is a goal for an organization or business unit and has one or more numeric measures that can be used to establish the goal and to assess current results.
Business needs are the highest order need in this hierarchy because all other needs should emanate from them. If business needs go unmet for some protracted period of time, the future of the enterprise is threatened. The term business need is typically used within for-profit organizations. In a nonprofit organization, the term is often changed to organization or operational need. A governmental organization may use the term agency need. Note use of the term need rather than goal or problem. This is a term that is broad enough to encompass all types of situations from a business shortfall to a business opportunity. Likewise, performance need is broad enough to include desired performance, a performance problem, or a performance gap.
2) Performance needs describe on-the-job accomplishments and behaviors required of individuals who are performing within a specific job or role and who contribute to achieving the business goals through their performance. Performance needs identify what individuals must do more, better, or differently if business goals are to be achieved; these needs are described in behavioral terms. Examples of a performance accomplishment and behaviors for customer service representatives are that they must successfully resolve customer complaints (accomplishment) by asking questions, evidencing empathy, and taking responsibility for ensuring the problem is addressed (behaviors).
3) Work environment and capability needs are in the center box of the need hierarchy. These factors have a direct effect upon the performance of people in workgroups. Work environment needs refer to the infrastructure in an organization, including the work processes, information, and incentive systems that are present. Capability needs refer to the skills and knowledge people must have if they are to perform as required. Any of these factors can work as a barrier or an enhancer to desired performance. The factor will be an enhancer if it both encourages the on-the-job performance and supports business results that are desired. The same factor can be a barrier if it discourages the required behavior and business results. For example, if coaching is done effectively, it is an enabler to performance; if absent, it is a barrier.
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