In a demanding and fast-paced work environment, it is tempting to skip ahead and start working on training designs to fix business results. For many business managers and supervisors, training seems like the right response to most problems, but with a little diligence and research, training delivery can be reserved for opportunities that have real impact and not wasted on nontraining issues. With this in mind, consider putting much more emphasis into the investigation of core issues prior to building the solutions.

What it is

Without a solid understanding of the performance drivers, there is no guarantee that you are hitting the target or that you are even pointed in the right direction. A key component for working through performance gaps is collaborating with internal resources to dig into issues and opportunities.

Guidelines

Once you have the leaders and subject matter experts together, consider working through the following five primary performance-influencing factors to identify core issues and opportunities. Ask yourself the following questions to determine performance-influencing factors.

Is there a knowledge gap? This factor often is taken for granted, but it is important to determine if the performance gap is really related to a knowledge issue. Get this out on the table prior to starting a deeper dive into the other factors that might influence performance. In many situations, knowledge gaps can be assessed easily if there has been a recent introduction to a new task or procedure.

If the performance concept or process is brand new, it is likely that training and communication strategies can be used to fill the knowledge and performance gaps. The same would be said for an existing process that has undergone a significant change. If that is the situation, you can move directly to training, coaching, and communication solutions to increase performance.

However, if the initial assessment leads you to believe that it is not a knowledge gap, you will want to keep working on the identification of the real performance-influencing factor.

Do employees clearly understand expectations? Once you have determined that the performance gap is not related to knowledge, you will want to consider performance expectations. A lack of understanding or confusion concerning performance expectations can be reflected in performance gaps as well. In that case, a clear communication strategy built with feedback from employees can help you to ensure that they know what is expected of them.

For example, if the goal is to manufacture 20 widgets per hour with zero defects, but that has not been clearly communicated, there should be no surprise when those metrics are not met. Expectation issues can be less obvious in some cases or even subtle, but a baseline goal and expectation must be set and understood for employees to achieve them.

If you find that the performance expectation is clear, but there is a lack of understanding about how to reach them, it's time to develop a step analysis and a potential training solution, along with coaching and communication.

Are performance incentives aligned to organizational goals? We may assume that employees always want to perform at their best, but if there is no clear incentive for them, training generally will not change their performance outcomes. In fact, there may be opposing incentives influencing employees to make decisions about which task to prioritize.

An example would be setting a call duration expectation for call center employees while also setting a customer satisfaction goal. Although these goals may not be mutually exclusive, opposing incentives could push employees to sacrifice one for the other. An incentive-related performance issue does not require a training solution, but does require an evaluation of incentives and clarification of performance priorities through a communication strategy.

Are employees experiencing process breakdowns? Process breakdowns can affect performance based on the tools and methods for completing work. It could be a system issue that has been overlooked or something in the process that increases the potential for errors.

If that is the case, it is important to work with the performers to identify and eliminate these defects. Often the frontline worker is aware of these issues and will have suggestions for potential solutions.

Finding and removing barriers can produce instant performance gains and build credibility with employees. Performing quality checks and observations can identify inefficiencies and provide insight for changes that will improve performance.

Once the process issues are identified, the solutions developed can be assessed to determine if they are significant enough to require formal training or additional communication strategies.

Are employees in the correct assignment? Employee assignment can be one of the most difficult performance issues to work through. Employees may not have the aptitude or attitude to meet the performance expectations, or an employee just might not be suited to the job. In some cases, it may be possible to evaluate the strengths of the employee and move him to a more appropriate job; in other cases, it may not be an option.

Attitude or engagement can be a major hurdle related to performance as well. The employee may be bored, disgruntled, or overwhelmed. There are no simple solutions for solving engagement issues, but you might start with developmental path conversations to determine if the employee is suited to the role.

Aptitude and attitude generally are not going to be solved with training solutions, but by investing time and energy in employee development you can help them become more engaged in their current positions or develop a path to a new role.

Results

Training can be an extremely valuable tool and it is critical to continuous organizational improvement, but it is not always the correct solution. By investigating performance influencing factors, you will be more apt to increase and influence performance outcomes that help your organization reach business goals.

Through the exploration of performance issues and analysis of core gaps, you also will be able to make better training and nontraining recommendations. It takes constant focus to develop solid performance solutions that have real impact, but with diligence and collaboration the end result will be worth the time spent getting to the real core issues.

It is critical to determine the root cause behind performance issues, and when training is not the answer.