Improving Employee Performance

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 1990. Jossey-Bass. Francisco: San . Chart Organization the on Space White the Manage to How Performance: mproving I A. Brache, & G. Rummler, from: Adapted

additional training, development, coaching, or mentoring may be the answer. answer. the be may mentoring or coaching, development, training, additional

If the employee desires to perform, but lacks the requisite job knowledge or skills, then then skills, or knowledge job requisite the lacks but perform, to desires employee the If (Training): D Quadrant 

needed, and a transfer, modification of responsibilities, or discharge might need to be considered. be to need might discharge or responsibilities, of modification transfer, a and needed,

improperly placed in the position. A modification in employee selection or promotion processes may be be may processes promotion or selection employee in modification A position. the in placed improperly

If the employee lacks both job knowledge and a favorable attitude, that person may be be may person that attitude, favorable a and knowledge job both lacks employee the If (Selection): C Quadrant 

job tool and/or technique, or other problematic resources, processes, and/or environment(s). environment(s). and/or processes, resources, problematic other or technique, and/or tool job

supervisor or manager may identify a lack of resources or time, a process bottleneck or difficulty, an outmoded outmoded an difficulty, or bottleneck process a time, or resources of lack a identify may manager or supervisor

attitude, but performance is unsatisfactory, then the problem may be out of control of the employee. A A employee. the of control of out be may problem the then unsatisfactory, is performance but attitude,

Quadrant B (Resource/Process/Environment): B Quadrant If the employee has both job knowledge and a favorable favorable a and knowledge job both has employee the If 

factors (see analysis tool, below). Alternatively, the selection process for the role may be flawed. be may role the for process selection the Alternatively, below). tool, analysis (see factors

adjustment may be made. Please note that motivational issues can involve compensation, feedback, and other other and feedback, compensation, involve can issues motivational that note Please made. be may adjustment

adjusted. The employee might not realize the consequence of his or her actions, and a simple interview and and interview simple a and actions, her or his of consequence the realize not might employee The adjusted.

motivational problem may be involved. The consequences (rewards) of the person's behavior will have to be be to have will behavior person's the of (rewards) consequences The involved. be may problem motivational

If the employee has sufficient job knowledge but has an improper attitude, a a attitude, improper an has but knowledge job sufficient has employee the If (Motivation): A Quadrant 

Performance Analysis Matrix Analysis Performance

for improvement focus. focus. improvement for

and then assigning a numerical rating between 1 and 10 for each answer, a manager can then focus on the quadrant(s) quadrant(s) the on focus then can manager a answer, each for 10 and 1 between rating numerical a assigning then and

Does the employee have adequate job knowledge? (Quadrant D) (Quadrant knowledge? job adequate have employee the Does 

Is the employee cast in a role in which s/he can be successful? (Quadrant C) (Quadrant successful? be can s/he which in role a in cast employee the Is 

job/role? (Quadrant B) (Quadrant job/role?

Does the employee have the resources to do the job and is the environment conducive to performing the the performing to conducive environment the is and job the do to resources the have employee the Does 

Does the employee have the motivation to perform the job? (Quadrant A) (Quadrant job? the perform to motivation the have employee the Does 

The Performance Analysis Matrix helps identify areas for improvement. By asking four questions questions four asking By improvement. for areas identify helps Matrix Analysis Performance The Improving Employee Performance Employee Improving

support to monitor and and monitor to support Management Management 

Is there adequate human human adequate there Is 12. Provide human support human Provide support human of Lack  

Emotional 

Administrative 

Physical 

of desired performance? desired of environment

Is the environment supportive supportive environment the Is 11. Redesign the environment the Redesign supportive of Lack  

performance? materials

reference materials to facilitate facilitate to materials reference systems, or reference reference or systems,

performance-support tools, or or tools, performance-support performance-support performance-support performance facilitate

Are there adequate job aides, aides, job adequate there Are 10. Provide job aids, aids, job Provide to materials support of Lack  

Timing 

correctly? scheduling Amount 

Is there time to perform perform to time there Is 9. Provide sufficient time or or time sufficient Provide time sufficient of Lack  

Quality 

available? or supplies or Quantity 

Are materials and supplies supplies and materials Are 8. Provide adequate materials adequate Provide supplies or materials of Lack  

Unsafe 

Inefficient 

Unreliable 

tools readily available? readily tools equipment or tools or equipment unavailable

Provide adequate adequate Provide tools or Equipment and equipment required Are 1.  

R T ESOURCES AND OOLS

comprehensible

Clear and and Clear d. Unclear 

to-date out-of-date

Accurate and up- and Accurate c. Inaccurate or or Inaccurate 

Timely b. Not timely Not 

Easy to access to Easy a. Hard to access to Hard 

required information? required information information

Do workers have access to to access have workers Do 7. Provide access to required required to access Provide required to access of Lack  

not personal not

Work-related, Work-related, d. Task focused Task 

corrective corrective

Confirming or or Confirming c. Confirming or or Confirming 

Specific b. Specific 

Timely a. Timely 

Do workers receive feedback? receive workers Do 6. Develop a feedback system feedback a Develop is: that feedback of Lack  

attainable standards

Reasonable and and Reasonable b. Unreasonable Unreasonable 

measurable standards

Clear and and Clear a. Immeasurable Immeasurable 

performance standards performance standards? performance standards performance

Lack of clear, measurable measurable clear, of Lack performance there Are 5. Specify or modify modify or Specify  

Inaccessible role models role Inaccessible performance? desired of 

Lack of appropriate models appropriate of Lack models role adequate there Are 4. Provide role models role Provide  

and constraints? and

Expectations unattainable Expectations resources, capabilities, given 

Expectations unacceptable Expectations achievable expectations Are 3. Modify expectations Modify  

Conflicting priorities Conflicting expectations? expectation conflicts expectation 

Conflicting expectations Conflicting over conflict any there Is 2. Resolve or eliminate eliminate or Resolve  

Clearly received Clearly b.

In reception In sent Clearly a. 

In transmission In communicated? expectations 

Lack of clarity of Lack clearly expectations Are 1. Clarify communication of of communication Clarify

 

I NFORMATION

Recommended Actions Recommended Factor Gap Findings Question

Before concluding that Education and Training are the answer to a performance issue, further analysis may be needed. be may analysis further issue, performance a to answer the are Training and Education that concluding Before Diagnosing Performance Issues: Analysis Synthesis Tool Synthesis Analysis Issues: Performance Diagnosing

3 with feedback with proficiency maintain and skills apply to opportunities

Provide periodic practice practice periodic Provide to opportunities of Lack sufficient have workers Do 22.  

Hesitant 

feedback Slow performance? their in “fluent” 

Provide practice with with practice Provide fluency performance of Lack and smooth workers Are 21.  

Self 

Others 

feedback performance performance?

discrimination training with training discrimination poor and good between poor and good between

Provide performance performance Provide discrimination of Lack discriminate to able workers Are 20.  

Task specific Task 

technical

Advanced or or Advanced 

Basic adequately? perform 

knowledge to knowledge and skills essential

Provide training Provide and skills essential of Lack the possess workers Do 1.  

S K KILLS AND NOWLEDGE

By customers By 

By co-workers By 

management

By By 

performance performance incorrectly? performing

Are workers rewarded for for rewarded workers Are 19. Eliminate rewards for poor poor for rewards Eliminate undesirable for Rewards  

By customers By 

By co-workers By 

management

By By 

performing correctly? performing desired performance desired performance

Are workers punished for for punished workers Are 18. Eliminate punishments for for punishments Eliminate desirable for Punishment  

scheduled appropriately? scheduled incentives and rewards and incentives rewards

Are incentives and rewards rewards and incentives Are 17. Redesign timing of of timing Redesign and incentives of timing Poor  

Unfair 

Inadequate 

and career advancement? career and performance advancement

between superior performance performance superior between opportunities with with opportunities career and performance

Do workers see a relationship relationship a see workers Do 16. Link career advancement advancement career Link between relationship of Lack  

Unfair 

Not valued Not 

non-existent

desired performance? desired recognition or Insufficient 

incentives or recognition for for recognition or incentives pay incentives or or incentives pay incentives

Are there meaningful non-pay non-pay meaningful there Are 15. Provide meaningful non- meaningful Provide non-pay meaningful of Lack  

administered

Poorly Poorly 

distributed

Unfairly Unfairly 

Unfair performance? 

rewards desired for rewards financial rewards financial

Lack of appropriate financial financial appropriate of Lack financial appropriate there Are 14. Provide appropriate appropriate Provide  

unfair

Perceived as as Perceived 

competitive

Not Not performance? desired 

Inadequate compensation Inadequate for adequate compensation Is 1. Adjust compensation Adjust  

/C I ONSEQUENCES NCENTIVES

Not clear Not 

Not sound Not 

Not available Not performance? desired processes, or procedures or processes, 

processes, or procedures or processes, of supportive procedures supportive policies, policies, supportive

Lack of supportive policies, policies, supportive of Lack or processes, policies, Are 13. Provide or redesign redesign or Provide  

Co-workers 

Specialists performance? 

or supervisory or desired encourage

Exploit or accommodate for accommodate or Exploit events External that occurring events there Are 31.  

desired performance? desired

for competitive factors competitive for of attainment affect that

Counter or accommodate accommodate or Counter factors Competitive factors competitive there Are 30.  

Health-related 

Physical 

political, or social or political,

Cultural, Cultural, performance? 

Economic desired of attainment 

for external factors external for performance desired affect that workplace

Counter or accommodate accommodate or Counter inhibit that factors External the outside factors there Are 1.  

F E ORCES XTERNAL

interfering tasks interfering

Eliminate or reassign reassign or Eliminate Conditions performance?  

conditions Tasks desired with interfere 

Eliminate interfering interfering Eliminate Interferences that tasks perform workers Do 29.  

I T NTERFERENCES ASK

Equity 

advancement

equity practices equity Career 

Demonstrate fairness and and fairness Demonstrate assignments 

are treated fairly? treated are practices Work 

Do workers perceive that they they that perceive workers Do 28. Eliminate discriminatory discriminatory Eliminate fairness of lack Perceived  

Environment 

Co-workers 

their work? their threatening conditions threatening Management 

Do workers feel threatened in in threatened feel workers Do 27. Eliminate threats and and threats Eliminate conditions work Threatening  

overconfidence

consequences due to to due consequences Under-confident 

Provide examples of of examples Provide Over-confident  

perform as desired? as perform and support support and confidences

Are workers confident they can can they confident workers Are 26. Provide credible models models credible Provide of level appropriate of Lack  

Over time Over 

Initially 

performance? performance

Do workers value the required required the value workers Do 1. Demonstrate value Demonstrate desired for value of Lack  

M OTIVATION

Other 

Education 

disabilities

Health or or Health 

from performing as desired? as performing from limitations Family 

inhibit desired performance desired inhibit them prevent that limitations resources to overcome overcome to resources

Personal imitations that that imitations Personal personal have workers Do 25. Provide accommodation or or accommodation Provide  

capacity to perform correctly? perform to capacity linguistic requirements linguistic

linguistic capacity capacity linguistic linguistic or cultural, political, political, cultural, or or cultural, political,

Lack of political, cultural, or or cultural, political, of Lack appropriate possess workers Do 24. Select for appropriate appropriate for Select  

Experiential 

Technical correctly? experiences 

Educational perform to pre-requisites train or provide seasoning seasoning provide or train 

Lack of pre-requisites of Lack required possess workers Do 23. Select for pre-requisites; pre-requisites; for Select  

Physical 

Management 

Inter-personal 

Emotional with job requirements job with 

Intellectual or tasks to match capacity capacity match to tasks or 

Personal traits Personal correctly? perform to capacity procedures; shift personnel shift procedures; 

Lack of capacity to perform to capacity of Lack required the have workers Do 1. Revise selection criteria and criteria selection Revise  

C APACITY

Lack of variety of Lack 

frequency proficiency?

Lack of of Lack maintain to knowledge 

Adapted From: Stolovitch, Harold D. and Keeps, Erica J. “Selecting Solutions to Improve Workplace Performance.” Elaine Beich, Ed. ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press, 2008. 2008. Press, ASTD VA: Alexandria, Professionals. Learning Workplace for Handbook ASTD Ed. Beich, Elaine Performance.” Workplace Improve to Solutions “Selecting J. Erica Keeps, and D. Harold Stolovitch, From: Adapted

results?

affect attainment of desired desired of attainment affect external events external