A Practical Approach to Performance Interventions and Analysis: 50 Models for Building a High‐performance Culture

Citation

Wilson, J.P. (2013), "A Practical Approach to Performance Interventions and Analysis: 50 Models for Building a High‐performance Culture", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 No. 3, pp. 185-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197851311320621

Performance is the root of success or failure and it stands at the heart of all management operations. This book, as the title describes, is a practical one which uses a model derived from the work of Gilbert who identified two main performance dimensions: environmental factors and worker behaviour. The “environmental factors”, i.e. areas that can be influenced by management decisions and alterations to the working environment are what Fusch and Gillespie, the authors, describe as the “hard side of management.” “Worker behaviour” is under the control of the workers and this they describe as the “soft side of management.”

Both environmental factors and worker behaviour each possess three sub‐categories: information, instrumentation and motivation. For environmental factors, information includes the communication and data needed by the worker to optimise performance. Instrumentation refers to necessity of ergonomic work conditions and equipment. And, motivation refers to the fact that the worker requires motivation and incentives in order to perform.

For worker behaviour, information involves the worker's knowledge and ability to absorb useful information and effectively perform tasks. Instrumentation concerns the worker's need for psychomotor capabilities and skills to perform the tasks. The final sub‐category is motivation, which is totally within the worker's control.

The authors, Gene Fusch and Richard Gillespie possess a wealth of experience regarding organisational performance and this gives authority to their writing and guidance. They consider themselves cultural anthropologists who explore and describe the operations of organisations.

Significantly, from a training perspective, the authors argue that Gilbert's model provides a scientific framework to analyse worker behaviours and encourage leaders to consider factors other than just training as a means to cure all ills in workplace performance. They use a quote from Robert Mager who wrote the classic Preparing Instructional Objectives and who states, “If I put a gun to my subordinate's head, will he or she still be unable to perform as I would like?” Now that is one approach to identifying skills gaps!

Fusch and Gillespie extend Gilbert's model to consider vision, mission and strategy and external factors. In addition they also incorporate real‐time measures of performance so that swift changes in practice can be implemented. These are all then systematically applied to all operational areas in the various chapters in the book. They suggest that there should be a clear specification of the desired end results which then enables everything to be worked progressively backwards. They use a 21‐point inventory or questionnaire to decide on a specific intervention to address performance gaps.

The book is divided into ten chapters all of which are written so that they can be explored independently. The prose is sometimes a little staccato which may be due to the enthusiasm of the authors to get out the information as briefly and accurately as possible.

This book describes itself as a practical approach to performance interventions and this certainly is a handbook which will take the reader through all the necessary considerations for improving performance. It will almost certainly provide more than a return on the investment of its purchase.