Personal Inventory

Defining HPT after EDCI 528

HPT is a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex performance issues in the workplace. A successful intervention plan starts by asking probing questions to get to the root of the problem. Before I began this course, I was likelier to suggest training as my primary method to solve performance issues. The coursework I completed in EDCI 528 has expanded my breadth of knowledge concerning performance consulting and provided a more nuanced perspective on engineering effective performance systems.

My major takeaways from EDCI 528

Early in this course, I learned the relationship between internal and external environments and how behaviors result in accomplishments, forming a feedback loop by which HPT consultants measure the need for interventions. This course also reinforced an important lesson I learned from previous classes: customers often ask for training, thinking it will solve all their problems without fully considering the underlying cause of poor performance. Gilbert’s behavior engineering model altered my understanding of how environmental factors are much more likely to be the root cause of performance issues than individual issues such as poor training.  

My Strengths and Weaknesses in HPT Competency Areas

I feel competent in the following areas at this time:

1. Conduct a performance gap analysis
   1. This skill underpins the entire performance improvement process. I believe in maintaining a continuous improvement mindset in my professional and private life.
2. Analyze the structures of jobs, tasks, and content
   1. I am a naturally systematic thinker who appreciates structure and order. This tendency helps me analyze and reverse engineer processes in simpler constituent parts.
3. Sequence performance improvement outcomes
   1. My background in mechatronic systems has guided me toward thinking in linear terms of operation. This is beneficial in this context but may impede my creative process.
4. Create a performance improvement implementation plan
   1. It is essential to articulate a performance plan to the client that is effective and easy to follow during the implementation phase.
5. Organized, rigorous, and prudent
   1. Hard data collected from valid sources is necessary to make informed decisions. I am confident in collecting and analyzing data to discover meaningful patterns.

I have room to grow in the following areas at this time:

1. Capable of involving others
   1. I have yet to gain significant experience consulting and solving problems within a large, diverse team. I plan to find opportunities to involve a more extensive and diverse stakeholder group in future projects.
2. Able to sort out priorities (technology seduction)
   1. Being a fan of technology may affect my decision-making. I may convince myself that a technological solution is needed when an inexpensive, less complex solution may yield better results.
3. Demonstrate appropriate consulting skills
   1. I currently consult for two entities. These entities are within the same industry and share similar structures and objectives. If I plan to expand my consulting business outside of my current industry, I am confident I will encounter new challenges.
4. Bends to pressures and constraints
   1. I am occasionally guilty of thinking within a bubble and resistant to changing my mind once I have identified a path forward. Like many individual contributors, maintaining an open mind may not be our first instinct, but operating successfully in a team environment is necessary.
5. Determine resources appropriate for performance improvement activities
   1. Estimating how much time a task should take can be challenging. When developing an implementation plan, I must account for a reasonable time for change without rushing the process.

I have no intention of working full-time as an HPT consultant. However, the lessons learned during this course have certainly altered my viewpoint on making measurable changes in my current role. Before this course, I treated performance issues as an opportunity to develop a training program. Now, I see that solving performance problems is a much more nuanced, complex discipline requiring skill sets in various fields. I plan to spend more time analyzing the performance environment before suggesting training interventions. If an intervention is indicated after analysis, I plan to select and develop appropriate interventions. Finally, I will closely monitor the outcomes and measure the ROI/ROE of the process to demonstrate value to my organization.