Entelechy Eguide Creating Training That Impacts The Bottom Line

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ntelechy
Creating Training that

Impacts the Bottom Line
Entelechy’s Approach to Performance Consulting
Entelechy’s eGuide Series

Copyright  2018, by Entelechy®, Inc.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the
United States Copyright Act of 1976, no portion of this manual may be reproduced in any form
or by any means without the written permission of Entelechy, Inc.
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why This eGuide?...................................................................................................................1

What’s Training Good For? .................................................................................................1
What SHOULD be the Reason for Training? .......................................................................1
Do No Harm........................................................................................................................2
Bottom Line ........................................................................................................................3
Who Will Benefit from This eGuide? ......................................................................................4
What Will You Learn? ........................................................................................................4
Why Entelechy, Inc.? ..............................................................................................................5
For More Information ..........................................................................................................6
The Performance Consulting Process
Introduction.............................................................................................................................9
More on Why ......................................................................................................................9
Training Versus Performance Consulting .............................................................................. 10
Performance Consulting: Benefits and Challenges ................................................................. 11
Business-Based Performance Consulting ............................................................................... 12
Step #1: Clarify Desired Business Results ......................................................................... 12
Step #2: Define Required Performance and Behavior ........................................................ 13
Step #3: Identify Current Performance and Behavior ......................................................... 14
Step #4: Determine the Performance Gap .......................................................................... 15
Identifying Business and Performance Needs Reactively ....................................................... 17
Three Conversations .......................................................................................................... 17
Bottom Line ...................................................................................................................... 19
Gathering Information
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 23
Gathering Information ........................................................................................................... 24
Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 25
Surveys ................................................................................................................................. 26
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Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Table of Contents
Critical Incident..................................................................................................................... 27
Focus Groups ........................................................................................................................ 28
Summary............................................................................................................................... 29
Designing Performance Solutions
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 33
Performance Element Determines Solution............................................................................ 34
Clear Expectations and Feedback ...................................................................................... 35
Resources, Tools, Information ........................................................................................... 36
Work Flow Design ............................................................................................................ 37
Recognition and Motivation .............................................................................................. 38
Skills and Knowledge ........................................................................................................ 39
Blended Performance Solutions ......................................................................................... 40
Problem Solving Tactics and Tools ....................................................................................... 41
Six Tactics......................................................................................................................... 41
Specific Tools ................................................................................................................... 43
Summary............................................................................................................................... 45
Earning the Right
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 49
Developing a Memo of Intent (MoI) ...................................................................................... 50
Recommendations/Design Document .................................................................................... 51
Creating Measures of Success ............................................................................................... 53
Earning the Right .................................................................................................................. 54
Appendix
Performance Consulting Self-Assessment.............................................................................. 57

Scoring for Performance Consulting Self-Assessment ....................................................... 59
Entelechy's Return On Training Investment Calculator .......................................................... 60
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Introduction
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Introduction
Why This eGuide?

What’s Training Good For?
Training is useful for many things including:
• Getting out of work.
• Increasing your potential worth on your next job.
• Catching up on rest.
• Getting some free donuts and maybe a pen and notebook.
• Meeting others who are getting out of work while they increase their net worth for their
next job while they rest up after eating the free donuts and doodle with their free pen and
notebook.
Much of today’s corporate training continues to satisfy the demanding needs outlined above.
Unfortunately, as trainers, we tend to create environments that are safe, relaxed, and a respite
from “the real world” so it’s not surprising that we’ve created this bloated, self-absorbed
monster.
What SHOULD be the Reason for Training?

If we strip away training entirely, we end up with its essence: job performance. In business, the
goal is to: 1) produce more things faster, less expensively, and of a higher quality than our
competition; 2) sell more of them to more customers at as high a price as the market can bear;
and 3) enjoy ourselves enough to come back to do it again tomorrow. Training’s goal is to
support that effort in any way it can. Some of these ways include:
• Help people produce more things.
• Help people produce things less expensively.
• Help people produce things of higher quality.
• Help people sell more things.
• Help people sell to more people.
• Help people sell at a higher price.
• Help people enjoy their work so they come back tomorrow.
Of course, there are support functions in any organization; we may be able to:
• Help them lead (so others can produce more or sell more or enjoy their work so they will
return tomorrow).
• Help them project manage (so others can produce more of higher quality).
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• Help them market better (so others can sell more to more people at a higher price).
And sometimes we need to train people in related topics; we may need to:
• Help them follow safety practices (so they can produce more without having to stop and
go to the hospital).
• Help them not sexually harass fellow employees (which would cause those employees to
produce less or produce things of lower quality).
The point is that training is about one thing and one thing only: increasing performance. If there
isn’t a clear link between training and on-the-job, crank-out-the-widgets-production or feet-on-
the-street-sales, then training is AT BEST a waste of time and AT WORST harmful to the
organization.
Do No Harm
Let me explain what I mean when I say, “Do no harm.”
In a previous life as instructional design manager at a large high-tech manufacturer of computer
equipment, the company suffered a series of layoffs and reorganizations, each with its
accompanying wave of mandatory training. With each subsequent layoff and round of training, I
got closer and closer to the field (there were increasingly fewer of us at corporate!) and could see
that the training that seemed so right at corporate headquarters was so wrong in the field.
Issues that impacted us at headquarters – organizational structures, titles, responsibilities, span of
control, vision, mission statements – mattered not one iota to the sales rep in the field. Training
that once seemed mission critical was now distracting and negatively impacting sales – what
little sales we were mustering up at the time.
The solution? Training’s answer to the problem? STOP TRAINING!!! When trainers don’t
know what the on-the-job performance problem is, at least they should STOP TRAINING until
they figure it out. I think the best thing I did for the company during my last six months at the
sales training design helm was to stay the hell out of the way of people doing the work!
All trainers should memorize and religiously practice the medical practitioner’s Hippocratic
oath: “I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my
judgment and never do harm to anyone.”
Performance consulting is about accurate diagnosis and useful prescription. Done correctly and
repeatedly, performance consulting ensures that the “prescribed regimen” will – if followed by
the patient – result in increased performance – more stuff of higher quality produced with more
efficiency and sold more to more people at more profit.
Moreover, performance consulting will ensure that you “never do harm to anyone.”
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Bottom Line
This guide, therefore, is designed to make you a better trainer by prescribing a regimen of
business-based needs analysis, performance analysis, and gap analysis. Most importantly, this
guide may help you from harming anyone with inappropriate or misdirected training.
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Who Will Benefit from This eGuide?

This eGuide was designed to address the performance consulting needs of a wide variety of
training professionals including:
• Technical trainers
• HR trainers
• Training associates
• Team leaders
• Team developers
• Skills trainers
• Coaches and mentors
Each of these training professionals differs in the way they work with clients, their training and
non-training responsibilities, and training resources. However, they share many common
characteristics, which we build on in this training.
Sometimes, this eGuide has to take a specific perspective. In these instances, the perspective
taken was that of the Technical Trainer, the person responsible for training a specific set of skills
and procedures for a specific department. If, in reading a section or example, you say, “This
doesn’t apply to me!” it may be because of the wording. Please reread the section or example
looking for its intent and modify the wording to meet your perspective.
What Will You Learn?

Performance consulting is the unique blend of four competencies, each of which will be covered
in detail throughout this eGuide:
• Business Knowledge: Being able to speak the language of your clients; understanding
what drives them.
• Performance Knowledge: Knowing why people perform (or don’t perform) and being
able to determine best interventions.
Performance • Consulting Skill: Being able to
Business Knowledge
Knowledge provide insight outside of your
perceived role as trainer; having your
Performance Consulting opinions and insights accepted.
Competencies
• Partnering Skill: Being able to build
a credible business relationship with
Partnering Skill Consulting Skill clients; being accepted as an integral
partner.
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Why Entelechy, Inc.?

Over the years, Entelechy has provided training and performance support to hundreds of
organizations. In that time we’ve walked away from more than our share of potential business –
business where clearly training was NOT the answer or not the answer at the time. And we’ve
taken business where the resulting training or performance support was clearly different than
what the client originally envisioned.
In fact, the name Entelechy is Greek for “the realization of potential.” Our name underpins our
philosophy towards performance. Potential is desired business performance: what should and
can employees be doing more or better to help the organization. Entelechy has provided unique
performance solutions to help individuals, teams, and organizations realize their potential. And
we’ve avoided harming the same when we’ve determined through performance consulting that
Entelechy’s ability and judgment were neither necessary nor useful.
Every solution we create for clients is customized based on our initial performance consulting.
As a result of literally thousands of customized solutions over the past decade, we’ve amassed
tremendous experience in this area. In the process, we’ve identified what works – and what
doesn’t – and put our approach, our tips, and our secrets together here for you.
Entelechy can customize a performance consulting course or even a comprehensive train-the-
trainer program. Or YOU can purchase the very same core materials that we use to customize
our training programs. If you have the design and development capability and are looking for a
jump start to building your own performance consulting or train-the-trainer program complete
with Facilitator Guide, Overheads, Participant Guide, and Job Aids, contact Entelechy.
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For More Information

For more information on Entelechy’s award-winning leadership and management development
programs, visit our website at unlockit.com. Combined with Entelechy’s business-based
approach to customizing training, our programs can become your organization’s key to creating a
leadership culture within your company, while driving business results.
Contact Us
Phone: 1.800.376.8368
Email: info@unlockit.com
Fax: 1.603.424.6361
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The Performance Consulting Process
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line The Performance Consulting Process
Introduction
In this chapter, we will discuss the process of performance consulting as well as the challenges
that you may face. Specifically, you’ll learn how to:
• Move to a focus on performance.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with clients/management and identifying business
goals.
• Identify the performance required to meet business goals.
• Identify the skills and knowledge required for superior performance.
• Establish the link from training to business results.
• Develop quantitative measures that can be used to determine the impact of training on
business.
More on Why
Since its inception in 1992, Entelechy has approached training from a business – rather than a
training – perspective. The reason we’ve adopted our business-based performance consulting
approach is for one reason: clients are more willing to invest their finite budget when there’s a
clear and direct Return On Training Investment (ROTI) (see the appendix for Entelechy’s
Training ROI Calculator.)
A second reason – and one that may be equally important if you’re an internal trainer – is that
your training will be infinitely more useful AND INTERESTING to participants. We have all
experienced training that was irrelevant, boring, and generally a waste of time.
Irrelevant training comes from the assumption that one size fits all: selling to business executives
is the same as selling to end-users; customer service in the data storage business is the same as
the niche clothing retail business; Excel training for school teachers is the same as for
accountants. Irrelevant training comes when the training does not explicitly make the link
between the content and how the skills and knowledge are used by participants on the job.
Boring training comes partially as result of irrelevant training (discussed above); my attention as
participant is bound to wander if the training doesn’t address my particular need. Boring training
also comes about when an inappropriate training delivery method is used. We’ve been put to
sleep by “unlicensed hypnotists” who think that the more they talk the more participants learn.
We’ve all seen web-based training that over promises and under delivers. The fact is that each
delivery method has best uses and worst uses; designing training requires matching method with
content.
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Training Versus Performance Consulting

The differences between training and performance consulting are subtle but critical. Whereas a
trainer focuses on skills and knowledge, design, and delivery, the performance consultant
focuses on business and on-the-job performance. The performance consultant is “in the
trenches” figuring things out.
The trainer’s role is to provide the best training possible: interactive, engaging training, complete
with assessments, engaging presentations and graphics, and a training environment conducive to
learning. The performance consultant sees his or her job as improving on-the-job performance
by whatever means possible – usually the cheaper and quicker, the better!
The trainer is concerned about filling classes (butts in seats), scheduling, and making sure that
the training is enjoyable so
Training Performance participants encourage
Improvement other participants to
attend. The performance
Skills and Job performance
consultant is worried about
Focus knowledge, design, and associated
the effect that the new
delivery needs
computer application is
going to have on order
Provide superior Improve job processing, reducing
Our Role performance turnover, shortening the
training
ramp-up time for new
hires, and taking the
Filling classes;
Keeping people on employee away from the
making training
Challenges the job; focusing job for any reason –
instructionally
training including training.
sound
The performance
consultant is NOT simply worried about a bigger picture; the performance consultant is worried
about the ONLY picture – performance and how to increase it. Training becomes one of the
many tools the performance consultant uses to increase performance. Other tools include
mentoring, coaching, quick-and-dirty job aids, an email clarifying the expectations, a discussion
with the manager about the possibility of rearranging the seating to make it easier for employees
to share information, a contest to refocus effort and have some fun.
There’s a saying: “To the hammer, everything looks like a nail.” To a trainer, every problem
looks like an opportunity for training. To a performance consultant, training is only one of many
tools available to address performance problems.
Are YOU a trainer or a performance consultant? Take Entelechy’s Performance Consulting
Self-Assessment to find out if you have what it takes (see the appendix).
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Performance Consulting: Benefits and

Challenges
There are many benefits associated with taking a business-based performance consulting
approach to performance improvement.
Often, the direct result is that you – and the organization – will see quicker results. Maybe
what’s needed is NOT training, but a simple email clarifying what’s expected of everyone.
Putting out an email is obviously much quicker and simpler than developing and scheduling
training.
Second, the results may be more permanent. Performance consultants fix problems – they do not
focus blindly on symptoms. Addressing a symptom usually creates additional performance
problems.
Third, you will begin to be perceived as more than
a trainer; you will be perceived as a business Performance
partner. You will be viewed as an expert in Business Knowledge
Knowledge
human performance – how to get the most from
people. And because of your partnering and
consulting skill, you will find yourself Performance Consulting
increasingly being called on for your expertise and Competencies
opinions. Your contribution to business
improvement is by helping employees perform to
the company’s expectations and to their fullest Partnering Skill Consulting Skill
potential.
That’s not to say that performance consulting is
without challenges. One of the seminal books on the subject is Performance Consulting: Moving
Beyond Training, by Dana Gaines Robinson and James C. Robinson. They begin their book by
acknowledging the significant challenges trainers have to overcome in order to become
performance consultants, the first of which is perception:
Organizations do not ask us to deliver what they need; they ask us to deliver what they
believe we can provide…. And what we are asked to provide – training – is often
ineffective, unnecessary, and expensive. Occasionally it is even harmful. We do just
what we are asked to do – deliver training. We do not do what we are not asked to do –
improve human performance in the workplace.
Changing your business card to read Performance Consultant is not enough; you must broaden
your own knowledge of business and performance to gain the credibility you will need as
performance consultant. And get ready to get dirty; messing around with the many variables
impacting performance is messy and extremely rewarding!
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Business-Based Performance Consulting

Step #1: Clarify Desired Business Results
The first step in performance consulting
is to clarify the desired business results. Desired Business Results
Why is it important to clarify desired
business results?
Our goal as performance consultants is
to increase business. This usually
means:
• More sales (or more profitable
or larger sales).
• More profit (which means
greater efficiency or
effectiveness).
• More productivity (which
means more widgets produced and doing things faster and better).
• Less turnover (which means less churn, less training, and increased morale).
For example, let’s say that we are an inbound customer service center with a primary focus on
answering customers’ questions. Upper management may wish to increase sales and sees the
service center as the place with the most potential for increasing sales. The desired business
result would be to increase the number of sales in the customer service center by 10%.
To clarify the desired business results, we may need to:
• Interview the client/leadership team.
• Attend planning and other business meetings.
• Read planning and other business documents.
Note that business results are expressed in specific, measurable business terms.
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Step #2: Define Required Performance and Behavior

Once business results have been
clarified, the next step is to identify Desired Business Results
the required performance and
behavior. (Performance refers to
WHAT people need to do and
behavior refers to HOW need to do it.
Required Performance and Behavior
For example, a sales rep may achieve
her sales metrics (the “what”) but
may leave customer and collegial
relationship shattered (the “how”);
both the what and the how may be
important for long-term business
results!) For the organization to
achieve the desired business results,
people have to perform in a certain
way (which is different than how they are performing today).
Continuing with the customer service center example, to increase sales in the customer service
center by 10% (the desired business result), we believe that each rep should position a product
or service that may be appropriate and of value to the customer on each call and must do
so without alienating the customer. This performance requirement may have a number of
supporting performance requirements including:
• Listening for clues that would link to additional products or services (which itself would
require product and service knowledge/information).
• Probing and listening.
• Being sensitive to alienating the customer.
• Positioning appropriate products and services.
The premise of performance requirements is, “If we were to effectively do all these things, we
would achieve our desired business results.”
We identify performance requirements by:
• Interviewing managers.
• Interviewing and/or observing exemplary performers.
• Researching other companies.
Once we’ve identified performance requirements (which we believe will ensure that we achieve
our desired business results), we are ready to move to the next step.
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Step #3: Identify Current Performance and Behavior

Once desired business results and
performance requirements have been Desired Business Results
identified, the third step is to identify
current performance and behavior: how
employees are currently performing.
Required Performance and Behavior
We can identify current performance and
behavior by:
• Monitoring employees.
• Interviewing managers.
• Reviewing the results of
employee work (cases, reports,
forms, etc.). Current Performance and Behavior
Continuing with our customer service
example, we stated that we wanted to increase the number of sales in the customer service center
by 10% (business result) and that in order to accomplish that, each rep should position a product
or service that may be appropriate and of value to the customer on each call without alienating
the customer (performance requirements). By monitoring calls, we are able to determine that:
• Some reps never position a new product, sometimes even when the customer is clearly
interested.
• Most reps position a new product on fewer than half of their calls, mostly when the
customer practically insists on hearing about additional products.
• A few reps – all hired within the past three months – regularly and successfully position
new products on the majority of their calls.
At this point, we are not only looking at the end result of the performance, but we are looking at
the elements that contribute to the performance. What is the work environment like? Are
expectations clear? Do people have access to information needed to complete the task? Are they
motivated to perform as expected? Are there negative consequences for NOT performing?
We are also looking at ranges of performance. Is everyone working at about the same level? If
some people are working more/better/faster than others, what’s the cause?
And we’re beginning to see some of the obstacles that people have in performing as required.
Which leads us to our last step in performance consulting.
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Step #4: Determine the Performance Gap

We know now the desired business
results, the performance that is required Desired Business Results
for us to achieve our goal, and what
performance currently looks like. The
fourth step is to identify the gap – and the
reasons for the gap – between current Required Performance and Behavior
performance and required performance.
There are many possible reasons for the
gap, each with its own “best” ways of Performance
addressing the gap which we’ll address in Gap
the next section.
When we analyze the performance gap –
what people aren’t doing and why they’re Current Performance and Behavior
not doing it – we look at the five main
elements that impact performance:
• Clear expectations and feedback: Sometimes the reason people aren’t performing as
desired is that they didn’t know they were supposed to – expectations were never clearly
set. Sometimes they may have done it as they were supposed to but no longer are doing
it – they were never given feedback.
Clear
• Resources, tools,
Expectations information: These
& Feedback are the things people
need to have in order
Tools, to perform.
Skills and
Knowledge
Resources, Sometimes it’s a
Information
faster computer or a
job aid. Sometimes
it’s information, or
Recognition, Work Flow, easier access to that
Motivation Design
information.
Work •
Work flow design:
Environment
Sometimes
performance isn’t as
it could be simply because the way the work is carried out could be improved. For
example, reducing the number of hands involved sometimes improves performance.
• Recognition and motivation: We all work for different reasons but most of us like to be
recognized for doing the work well. We become motivated to work harder. Sometimes
the simplest solution to increased performance is a pat on the back.
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• Skills and knowledge: Sometimes, performance can only be improved by increasing the
capability of the people performing the job. Training – including instructor-led training,
web-based training, computer-based training, and self-paced training – can all be
effective in increasing the skills and knowledge of employees.
A trainer is focused on the skills and knowledge element; performance consultants see
performance as being impacted by all five elements.
Continuing with our customer service example, we stated that we wanted to increase the number
of sales in the customer service center by 10% (business result) and that in order to accomplish
that, each rep should position a product or service that may be appropriate and of value to the
customer on each call (performance requirements). By monitoring calls, we are able to
determine that most of the seasoned reps are NOT positioning new products and a few (all newly
hired) reps were positioning products regularly and successfully.
To identify the performance gap and the reasons for the gap, we interviewed the customer
service manager and conducted two focus groups – one with incumbent reps and another with
the new hires who were performing at a high level. We determined that:
• The majority of reps knew that they were expected to position products on each call.
• The majority of reps could list the products and their features and benefits.
• Many of the seasoned veterans were adamantly opposed to selling; they viewed sales as
manipulative, pushy, and obnoxious and wanted no part of it. They felt that they would
lose the customers they DID have if they tried to push a sale down the customer’s throat.
• Several seasoned veterans said that they were being measured on the number of calls they
handled and that taking time to position new products doubled their phone time – and
halved the number of calls they could handle.
• High performing reps thought that the online product information was well organized and
allowed them to quickly find what they needed as they talked to customers.
As a result of our investigation, we concluded that additional product
training was NOT needed. In fact, providing additional product training
would be futile and frustrating.
Training IS required to reshape the perspective of the reps who believe
that selling is manipulative and pushy into the belief that offering
products and services that may be of interest and value to the customer is,
in fact, an extension of their job of helping the customer.
Additionally, the incentive/compensation plan needs to be investigated
since it appears that the metrics (number of calls) directly and negatively
impacts the stated business goal.
An unknown at this point is the reps’ ability to position appropriate products; however, based on
call monitoring, it appears that most of the reps could use some guidance/refresher on listening
for clues, paraphrasing, positioning appropriately, checking back, and closing.
Note: more tips and techniques and ideas regarding the performance gap are covered in the
section entitled, Designing Performance Solutions.
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Identifying Business and Performance

Needs Reactively
The performance consulting
process that we outlined works Step 4
great when you’ve established Desired Business Results (over time)
your credibility as a business

partner and performance expert.
However, you will need to earn Required Performance and Behavior Step 2
the right to proactively address
performance issues (see the
section Earning the Right for Performance Step 1
more information). Much of the Gap
time – especially initially – you
will need to apply the process in
a reactive manner. Current Performance and Behavior Step 3
When a client comes to you for
a training solution, you are immediately in the “performance gap” step; you don’t know the
required performance/behavior or the current performance/behavior and you certainly don’t
know the desired business results. If you were to stop the conversation and ask the manager to
first clarify the desired business results, the manager may look at you as if you had two heads.
Three Conversations
Let’s look at three possible conversations with a manager/client.
How It May Happen Today (But Shouldn’t)
Manager: My reps need a refresher course on our products. The training they received just isn’t
working.
You: Okay. When would you like it delivered?
Manager: How about the 15th? We have a two-hour window available.
You: Fine. Is this for the whole group?
Manager: Hmmm… What the heck, it can’t hurt. Sure, everyone.
You: Okay. Consider it done!
How It May Happen Tomorrow (But Shouldn’t)
working.
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You: Hold on. Could you explain to me your business goals?

Manager: Excuse me?
You: Your people may not need training so I want to find out what your business goals are so
that I can suggest things besides training.
Manager: Sorry, I thought you were the training person. Is the training person available for me
to talk to?
How It Should Happen Tomorrow
working.
You: Okay. To make sure that the training is targeted to your needs, can I ask a few questions?
Manager: Umm. Okay.
You: What seems to be the problem?
Manager: Well, the reps just don’t seem to know their products. I know they went through the
training but it just didn’t seem to stick.
You: Tell me more.
Manager: Well, as you know, there’s more and more of a push to position products. And the
reps just aren’t doing that.
You: Were they ever able to position the products?
Manager: When they first came back from training, a few of them tried but it didn’t stick. Now,
only a few of them seem to be able to regularly and successfully position the products.
You: That’s interesting that a few are doing what you expect and the others aren’t; what’s
different between the two groups? What are the good reps doing that the others aren’t?
Manager: Wait, I don’t have time to answer all these questions; just put together a refresher,
please.
You: Absolutely. I want to make sure that the training fixes the problem since I know that you
don’t want your reps off the floor unless the training is going to make a difference, correct?
Manager: Well, of course.
You: It’s clear that you’re looking for your reps to position new products on all the calls and that
currently only a few of them are doing that. You’re looking for something that’s going to help
make sure that ALL reps – not just a few – are able to position products, correct?
Manager: Certainly. What are you getting at?
You: There are a couple reasons why reps might not be positioning the products. It COULD be
that they don’t know the products. Or, it could be that they don’t have the skill. Or maybe they
are afraid…. What I’d like to do as a next step – to make sure that we’re addressing the right
problem – is to monitor some of the reps on the phone. Is this possible?
Manager: Well, if it’s going to help you build the right training, then be my guest….
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Bottom Line
It is your responsibility to ask the
right questions to determine:
1. The required
performance/behavior
2. The current
3. Causes – or potential causes –
for the gap in performance
We will then determine ways to fix
the problem.
When a client comes to you for a
training solution, you are put in a
situation where you must react to the
request and provide or recommend
the appropriate interventions without
alienating your client.
See the next section for more
information about appropriate questions to ask.
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Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Gathering Information
Introduction
Gathering information is the key to performance
consulting. Your ability to quickly, efficiently, Performance
Business Knowledge
and accurately collect important information is Knowledge
key to partnering skills and consulting skills.
In this section, we’re going to look at how to Performance Consulting
gather information. We’ll consider: Competencies
• What to ask, who to ask, and when to ask
• Interviews and great questions Partnering Skill Consulting Skill
• Surveys
• Critical incident technique
• Focus groups
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A critical skill in all four steps in the performance consulting process is gathering information.
Before we look at information gathering tools, let’s first look at what information we want to get
(required performance/behavior, current performance/behavior, reasons for the performance gap)
and the source of the
information (customers,
employees, managers,
stakeholders, others).
Desired Business Results The best source of
desired business
results is obviously
upper management.
Required Performance and Behavior Most often their
direction comes in the
form of presentations,
Survey Performance announcements, and
Stakeholders Gap policies. Sometimes
you may have the
opportunity to interview
Current Performance and Behavior them for additional
insight.
The best sources of
required
are customers and managers. Sometimes literature or subject matter experts (SMEs) can also
provide guidance in this area outlining what others find – or know – to work best. The poorest
(most potentially inaccurate) sources of this type of information are employees.
The best sources of current performance/behavior information are monitored employees and
the examined results of the employees’ work. Call reports, sales orders, forms, and productivity
data, are examples of employee work that can help you determine current performance AND
possible reasons for the current performance. Managers and customers may also provide
accurate information about current performance although the information is often based on
isolated incidents rather than trends. The poorest source of this type of information is
interviewed employees.
The best sources of performance gap information are employee focus groups and managers –
and your own insight. The poorest source of performance gap information is customers.
Because we can use data gathering techniques regardless of the source and type of information,
let’s look at the data gathering techniques, their uses, and advantages.
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Interviews
Much of the performance consulting information is gathered through interviews. Interviews –
for the sake of our discussion – range from informal conversations to formal planned interviews.
We use questioning and listening skills to get the information we need.
Here are some good questions:
• Describe the problem. What do you observe?
• What should it be? What would you like it to be?
• What’s the impact? On you? On them? On others?
• If everyone did it well enough, often enough, what would it
look like? Be specific.
• How much? How many? How often? How good?
• Do the employees know that they are expected to perform the
desired behavior? How do you know? How was it
communicated?
• Do they know the consequences of not performing?
• Do employees have the tools, resources, data, etc. needed to
perform?
• How do employees get feedback regarding their performance?
• Have they been given specific feedback of when this was performed well? When it was
not? When was the last time they were given specific feedback?
• Is performance in this area demanded by management? Are there positive and negative
consequences for performance? What are they?
• Are there people who do it well? Do they do it every time it is appropriate?
• Could they do it if their lives depended on doing it?
• Have they done it before and now stopped?
• What do you recommend? Why?
• If we fixed it, are there other problems that might arise?
Still stuck? Try these suggestions:
• Use scenarios: If we had two reps, one effective and one less effective, and a customer
called, how would each respond?
• Continue probing: What do you mean by “with more confidence”? What would I see?
• Build a list of performance objectives and ask, “If they could do these things, would that
address the problem?”
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Surveys
Surveys are often used to determine the magnitude of a problem or need or to generate ideas.
Advantages
Behavior Importance Need for Training
Very Low Very High Very Low Very High
• Surveys can help gather data 1. Selling to small groups
from a large number of people. 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
in Commercial
2. Selling to mid-sized
• Quick to administer. groups in Commercial
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
• Relatively easy to compile. 3. Selling to Executive

0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
Accounts in Comm.
• Quantifiable data useful to 4. Identifying the Decision
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
justify or prioritize training Maker
needs. 5. Identifying needs 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
Concerns/Issues 6. Using brokers in selling 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
• Easy to muck with (make too big, add irrelevant questions).

• Must be piloted; what you think is clear may not be clear to others.
• Easy to fudge self-assessment inventories (i.e., responses to “How skilled are you in this
area?” may result in highly suspect data!).
• Easy to overuse.
Guidelines
• Make the survey as short as possible.

• Pilot the survey to make sure 1) you are clear in your instructions and
statements/questions, and 2) the results will help you as intended.
• For self-assessment inventories, provide anonymity.
• Show respondents how their input will be used.
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Critical Incident
Still stuck? Sometimes in an interview, even your best questioning and listening techniques
result in “fuzzy” performance requirements or current performance.
In this case, ask the person to describe a scenario to illustrate what they’re trying to describe.
For example, if we had two reps, one good and one bad, and a customer called, how would each
respond?
Continue probing: “What do you
mean by ‘more effectively’? What
would I see?”
Build a list of behaviors and ask, “If
they could do these things, would that
address the problem?” Then survey
the potential participants to see which
of the objectives they can already do.
Critical incidents are a subset of
interviewing and are helpful for
identifying the KEY skills and
knowledge required for superior
performance.
Critical incident technique is a fancy
way of describing the line that
managers, customers, and others draw
in the sand at Performance Beach.
Critical incident asks the questions,
“What was the one thing that was
most important?” “What was the last
straw?”
Use top performers: “What one or two things do you do that account for your superior
performance?”
Use poor performers (or their managers): “What one or two things do they do – or not do – that
contribute to their poor performance?”
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Focus Groups
A focus group is an effective way to interview a number of like people at once and collect a
significant amount of useful information in a short time. Focus groups are especially useful for
determining reasons for the performance gap.
Advantages
• Lots of information can be

gathered in a short time.
• Quick to administer and
relatively easy to compile.
• Group discussion can
sometimes lead to better
results.
• Priorities can be determined
at the same time.
Concerns/Issues
• Logistics (suggestion: try

teleconferencing as opposed
to face-to-face).
• Group discussion can sometimes lead to “group think”.
• More expressive people tend to dominate the discussion.
• Easy to overuse.
Guidelines
• Make the focus group as focused and structured as possible to ensure 1) representative
discussion, and 2) broadened idea generation.
• Use a balance of group discussion and individual questioning.
• Show participants how their input will be used.
• Assure anonymity.
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Summary
As we’ve illustrated, gathering information is the key to performance consulting. Your ability to
quickly, efficiently, and accurately collect important information is key to partnering skills and
consulting skills.
Knowing what to ask, who to ask, and when to ask it is key to your success as a performance
consultant as is being able to use the appropriate data gathering tools:
• Interviews and great questions
• Surveys
• Critical incident technique
• Focus groups
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Designing Performance Solutions
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Designing Performance Solutions
Introduction
We’ve asked the questions. Now it’s time to make some recommendations to address the
performance gap.
As we stated earlier, performance is affected by five elements:
• Clear expectations and Clear
feedback Expectations
& Feedback
• Resources, tools,
information
• Work flow design Skills and
Tools,
Resources,
Knowledge
• Recognition and Information
motivation
• Skills and knowledge
Recognition, Work Flow,
If performance is not what it Motivation Design
should be, you can be certain that
it is the result of one or more of Work
the elements above. Environment
In this section, we’re going to

determine the “best” intervention to address particular performance elements. We’ll discuss the
tradeoffs between interventions and discuss the power of blended performance solutions.
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Performance Element Determines Solution

While it is impossible in a guide such as this to outline all of the possible performance solutions
for all of the performance gaps, we CAN suggest appropriate performance solution types. We
will tie solutions to the performance elements that we introduced in a previous section.
When designing performance solutions – NOT JUST TRAINING – consider solutions that
specifically address each of the five elements impacting performance:
• Management Communication
• Coaching Training
• Resource
Clear Recommendations
• Instructor-Led Expectations
• Web-Based & Feedback • Information
Architecture
• Multimedia-Based
Resources, • Job Aids/
• Self-Paced Skills and
Knowledge Performance Tools, Quick Reference
Information
• Reference-Based Gap
• Embedded Help
• Train-the-Trainer • Structured
Recognition, Work Flow, Documentation
Motivation Design
• Executive Coaching • Process Design

• Management Training • Work Flow Recommendations
We’ll discuss each element in more detail in this section. However, at this point, you should
realize that there are many, many options to address any given performance gap. Specifically,
you should realize that training is NOT THE ONLY solution. In fact, training may not be the
BEST solution and, in some cases, may actually be the WORST solution!
There’s a saying in Minnesota where I grew up in a small farming community: “Don’t even TRY
to teach a pig to sing; you’ll end up driving yourself crazy and it seems to annoy the pig.” There
are three relevant points here:
• First, training is not a cure-all; training is one of dozens of interventions (and perhaps the
most costly!).
• Second, sometimes, expected performance may not be possible. Make sure that your (or
your client’s) expectations are realistic.
• At least one person actually tried to teach a pig to sing in spite of the obvious futility (and
I swear it wasn’t me!)
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Clear Expectations and Feedback

One of the most
frequent causes for • Management Communication
less-than-desired • Coaching Training
performance is less- • Resource
than-clear • Instructor-Led Clear Recommendations
Expectations
expectations. Often • Web-Based & Feedback • Information
managers and Architecture
leaders assume that Resources, • Job Aids/
their thoughts and • Self-Paced Skills and
Information
wishes are • Reference-Based Gap
• Embedded Help
telepathically • Train-the-Trainer • Structured
communicated to – Recognition, Work Flow, Documentation
Motivation Design
and understood by
– employees. Yet, • Executive Coaching • Process Design
when you share
with employees the
expectations, they
act as if they’re hearing them for the first time – and they MAY be!
If you recall from our previous section on gathering information, we interview managers to
determine the performance requirements and we interview employees to help determine the gap
(and shed light on the reasons for the gap). The reason we interview both parties is to first make
sure that performance expectations are clear. Often, clarifying expectations is enough to address
the performance gap.
Management communications are critical to performance. Sometimes the communication need
is a well-crafted document or memo. Sometimes it’s a well-designed presentation delivered live
or via the web. Sometimes it’s a matter of increasing the communication or coaching skill of the
manager to help him or her communicate more effectively with employees.
Feedback is a special type of expectation-setting communication. It has the dual advantage of
clarifying expectations AND motivating – IF done correctly.
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Resources, Tools, Information

Often people simply • Management Communication
need better tools or • Coaching Training
resources or
• Resource
information to help • Instructor-Led Clear Recommendations
Expectations
them do their jobs or • Web-Based & Feedback • Information
do them better. Architecture
In conducting your • Self-Paced Skills and
Information
performance analysis, • Reference-Based Gap
• Embedded Help
use focus group • Train-the-Trainer • Structured
sessions with Motivation Design
employees as an
opportunity for • Executive Coaching • Process Design
employees to give • Management Training • Work Flow Recommendations
suggestions for resources, tools, and information that would help them do their job better.
Conducting research into best practices at other companies may also provide ideas for the types
of resources, information, and tools that would enable employees to do their jobs better.
Suggest resources – another person, a person in another department, contacts outside the
company – that will help increase performance.
Create job aids and quick reference tools that are especially suited for quick refreshers or to
ensure that no steps are missed. Perhaps people perform a task infrequently; rather than force
them to memorize the steps, a job aid ensures higher performance.
Similarly, structure information that employees need – typically found throughout the company
in many departments in many formats – so they can access that information to do their jobs
easily and quickly.
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Work Flow Design

Sometimes performance isn’t as it could be simply because the way the work is carried out could
be improved.
Use employee focus
groups to invite • Management Communication
suggestions for • Coaching Training
improvement. You may • Resource
want to ask new hires for • Instructor-Led Expectations
their insights – what • Web-Based & Feedback • Information
Architecture
seems to be the most • Multimedia-Based
troublesome part of the • Self-Paced Skills and
process – since they have • Reference-Based Gap Information
• Embedded Help
not yet acclimated • Train-the-Trainer • Structured
themselves into standard Recognition, Work Flow, Documentation
Motivation Design
operating processes.
After asking new • Executive Coaching • Process Design
employees for their • Management Training • Work Flow Recommendations
opinions, ask incumbent
employees for their insights and perspectives.
Research best practices in other companies (usually this information is available through on-line
forums or by conducting an Internet search) and determine if there is a better way.
Based on your analysis, recommend improvements to the work flow; if you don’t feel
comfortable making recommendations, suggest that the work flow be investigated by someone
better qualified.
Sometimes simple changes to “who does what” can have a significant positive impact on the end
result.
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Recognition and Motivation

“It’s so easy when I want to and so hard when I have to.”
People WORK for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to earn money and be around
people. People PERFORM for a single reason: they are motivated.
Motives are a personal thing.
What motivates one person • Management Communication
may not motivate another • Coaching Training
person. And what motivates
• Resource
someone this week may not • Instructor-Led Clear Recommendations
Expectations
be motivating to that person • Web-Based & Feedback • Information
next week. Consider the Architecture
• Job Aids/
following points: • Self-Paced Skills and
Performance
Resources,
Tools, Quick Reference
Knowledge
Information
• Reference-Based
•
Gap
Motivation is an • Embedded Help
intrinsic (internal) Documentation
drive to achieve. It’s Motivation Design
a personal choice
based on the belief
that the payoff is
worth the effort.
(Note that the payoff is often intangible: Recognition, self-satisfaction, etc.)
• People are either motivated to DO something – such as striving to reach sales goals and
be recognized for superior achievement – or to AVOID DOING something – such as
refraining from making phone calls for fear of rejection.
• Motivation is a combination of desire and belief. Motivated people WANT to achieve
and BELIEVE that they can achieve.
• Motivation can be triggered or influenced by external factors.
• Motives compete with each other. For example, a person may be motivated to meet
aggressive sales numbers and simultaneously motivated to avoid rejection.
The key to motivation is understanding and tapping into people’s individual motives – finding
out what motivates them and giving it to them. Successful managers know how to form that
bridge between employees’ motives and their work.
Provide executive coaching to help individual executives increase their leadership capability –
including their ability to infuse a culture of performance throughout their management team.
“Catch someone doing something right – and tell them!”
Provide a variety of motivational techniques to address each person’s unique motives.
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Skills and Knowledge

Often, people need training in order to perform better. Training is appropriate when skill or
knowledge needs to be engrained so the processes or principles can be applied in a variety of
situations.
Training – including instructor-led training, web-based training, computer-based training,
mentoring, and self-paced training – can be effective in increasing the skills and knowledge of
employees.
While this is NOT an eGuide to help you design training (Entelechy has one of those!), it is very
important that you make a distinction between skills and knowledge when you consider training.
Knowledge MAY require group discussion, problem solving, and other activities where
interaction and even face-to-face time is helpful; often, however, knowledge can be gained
outside of the classroom
working independently. • Management Communication
Skills, on the other hand
• Resource
REQUIRE direct human Clear Recommendations
interaction for • Information
• Web-Based & Feedback
demonstration and Architecture
observation as well as for Resources, • Job Aids/
practice and feedback. If Knowledge Performance
Information
• Embedded Help
you want to ensure that
people are able to perform Recognition, Work Flow, Documentation
a skill – making a Motivation Design
presentation, handling an
angry caller, interviewing
a candidate, lubing a car,
etc. – you MUST build in
face-to-face time for practice and feedback. Note that this face-to-face time DOESN’T have to
be in a classroom; it could be on-the-job coaching by a trainer, coach, supervisor, or peer.
Behind every skill is a ton of knowledge – facts, concepts, processes, procedures, principles –
that can – and arguably SHOULD – be introduced outside of a classroom. However, making
sure that the knowledge comes together into a repeatable skill requires face-to-face time.
Build training that ensures that participants are able to immediately apply their skills on the job
tomorrow and over time. Follow a proven instructional design, include abundant experiential
activities for skill building, provide opportunities for practice and feedback, and embed your
company’s products, services, policies, and other unique details to ensure that the training is
transferable to the field.
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Blended Performance Solutions

A blended performance solution – from Entelechy’s perspective – means choosing the most
effective solutions to address all of the five performance elements. You and your client may
determine that:
• The manager will
conduct a short
meeting with the • Resource
group to outline the • Information
• Web-Based & Feedback
expectations, Architecture
incentives, and Resources, • Job Aids/
logistics of the new Knowledge Performance
Information
• Embedded Help
performance (clear
expectations). Documentation
•
Motivation Design
To help with the first
week of • Executive Coaching • Process Design
implementation, we’ll • Management Training • Work Flow Recommendations
have one person
designated as a roving mentor to help with the process (resources, tools). In addition,
we’ve created a job aid to help you with the process (information).
• We’ll set some goals that are aggressive but achievable and use the previous week as our
benchmark for improvement (recognition, motivation).
• We’ll also meet at the beginning of each week to share what worked, what didn’t, and
tips for others to use (skills and knowledge).
THIS is a true blended performance solution (even if we didn’t touch all five performance
elements) and one that is guaranteed to be successful.
Note: Entelechy distinguishes between blended performance solutions and blended training
solutions. Blended performance solutions are outlined above. Blended training solutions use an
effective mix of training approaches (e.g., instructor-led training, web-based training) to provide
the most effective training solution. This training solution might be one component of the
overall performance solution. For more information on blended training solutions as well as
designing effective instruction, contact Entelechy at info@unlockit.com or call 800.376.8368.
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Problem Solving Tactics and Tools

We examined the performance solution types that work best depending on the element impacting
performance. Now let’s look at problem-solving tactics and tools that we can use to help
identify the performance gap and solution.
Symptoms
Six Tactics
Sometimes the problem is clear; most often, however, you
encounter a few symptoms of the problem as denoted in
the graphic on the right.
Often we can readily identify the symptoms since they’re
poking us in the eye. However, the real problem may be The Real Problem
hidden and require careful investigation.
In their book Figuring Things Out: A Trainer’s Guide to
Needs and Task Analysis, Ron Zemke and Thomas
Kramlinger suggest six tactics in analyzing performance
issues:
1. Always work from a model of human performance. It is important to work from an
organizationally relevant model of human performance. Throughout this eGuide, we
have referred to the Business Needs, Required Performance/Behavior, Current
Performance/Behavior, and Performance Gap model as a way to look at performance; we
use the Performance Gap Star to identify five elements that impact human performance.
We have used this model successfully in many organizations since clients and
stakeholders at all levels find it plausible and logical. (See the Page 43 for another useful
model developed by Robert Mager.)
2. Start the study as high in the organization as possible and work your way down. Not only
is buy-in and participation important at the highest levels, Entelechy’s model of
performance requires that you identify business needs first. Of course, having the CEO
support your work makes setting up meetings with managers and staff easier….
3. Always know who you are studying. Are these high performers or low performers? Are
they experienced or inexperienced? Have they had previous training or other
interventions? Comparing the behaviors between groups can be telling. However, make
sure to apply common sense in your comparison. It is sometimes easy to get mired in
meaningless detail.
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4. Never use just one information-gathering technique. Every technique has advantages and
disadvantages. Each is good at something yet may miss elements critical to your
analysis. Using a variety of techniques allows you to avoid gaps AND will confirm
information gathered using other techniques.
5. Let line managers make the critical decisions. What may look like a critical performance
issue to you may not be perceived that way by a manager. Twenty percent turnover may
not only be acceptable, it may be desired!! Present the facts and ask the managers to
identify the real issues and priorities. Managers are paid to make the tough decisions; let
them!
6. Remember the KISS principle: Keep It Short and Simple. In our experience, simple
studies are just as effective as big studies. Simple studies can usually begin impacting the
organization more quickly than big, complex studies; in today’s competitive
environment, there simply isn’t time for multi-year studies. Additionally, unless your
goal is to address ALL of the performance issues, even the simplest study will identify
the one or two biggest challenges – the 20% that, if addressed, will cure 80% of the
problems.
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Specific Tools
Mager and Pipe’s Human Performance Model
(adapted from Analyzing Performance Problems, Robert Mager and Peter Pipe)
Describe
performance
discrepancy
No
Ignore Important?
Yes
Yes
Skill deficiency?
Arrange No No Performance Yes Remove

formal Used to do it?
punishing? punishment
training
Yes
Non-
Arrange Yes Yes Arrange
Used often? performance
feedback rewarding? consequence
No
Arrange Does No
No performance Arrange
practice Simpler way? consequence
matter?
Yes
Change Yes
Yes Remove
job Has potential? Obstacles? obstacles
No
Arrange
on-job Select
training best
solution
Transfer or
terminate Implement
solution(s)
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Force-Field Analysis
Force-field analysis pictorially represents opposing forces and gives you a tool for making
changes. The technique first introduced by Kurt Lewin is based on the fact that every situation
exists with balanced forces supporting and opposing the situation. As an example, a force-field
analysis on losing weight might include the following reasons for attempting to lose weight:
• Look better
• Lower my cholesterol levels
• Can do more with my kids
• Can fit back into my wardrobe
• Feel better about myself
At the same time, there are equal forces resisting changing the status quo. Forces that keep me
from losing weight might be:
• Discipline/willpower; I can’t do it alone
• Easy access to junk food
• I look good in sweats
• My cholesterol isn’t THAT bad…
• No time for exercise
Pictorially, the current situation may look like the
Forces For Forces Against
graphic on the right. The forces FOR losing
weight (on the left) are balanced with the forces Look better S Willpower
AGAINST losing weight (on the right). They are t
a
in equilibrium. To change the status quo, Lower cholesterol t Cholesterol OK
therefore, you must INCREASE the forces for u
s
and/or DECREASE the forces against. Kids Time!!
For example, if your doctor told you that your Q

Wardrobe u Sweats!!
cholesterol level was posing a significant health o
risk, the need to lower cholesterol would increase Feel better Access to junk food
in the above graph motivating you to lose weight.
And if your insurance company refused to
continue your disability insurance because of the high cholesterol levels, surely the thinking that
your cholesterol is okay would diminish. Similarly, reducing the access to junk food would
cause the equilibrium to shift as would finding a buddy to help you with the discipline.
The value of the force field analysis is two-fold. First, it helps you identify all the factors that
are impacting the current situation AND it forces you to think about the forces for and the forces
against. Second, you have many options for changing the status quo; you can decide to increase
forces for OR decrease forces against OR both!
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Summary
While your skill in designing effective performance interventions comes with experience, time,
and collaboration with peers, there are certain general guidelines that you can use to create
performance solutions that increase the likelihood that they will be effective.
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Earning the Right
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Earning the Right
Introduction
Like Rodney Dangerfield, we as trainers “don’t get no respect.” Face it, supervisors and
managers often look at training as a “nice-to-have” rather than as a “need-to-have” function.
Historically, we’ve been our own worst enemy. We have created a mystique around our craft
and filled it with jargon and instructional-ese. In the process, we’ve alienated many of the
people we are trying to help.
Just look at your company. Where on the organization chart does training fall? Is it a
department reporting to HR? At many companies, training is considered a human resource
function. However, the bulk of HR’s role is around policy and practice – making sure that as a
company we are legally compliant, internally consistent, and functionally able to operate as a
well-oiled machine. HR is NOT about building a new machine – it’s NOT about increasing
performance per se but about ensuring that performance can occur.
At other companies, training reports within the particular function it supports, such as sales. At
these companies, training is moved closer to the performer but continues to operate as a
fulfillment type of activity. New product? Build training. Dip in sales? Build training. Slow
sales? Build training. New pricing? Training. Any problem? Train.
At the best companies we’ve worked with over the years, training is
decentralized and reports directly to a business unit within a function.
In this role, training acts as a link between the business and the world
of training. Training is like the auto racer’s pit crew – able to change
wheels, refuel, and otherwise keep the performance machine operating
at top efficiency with minimal but timely intervention. (We
understand that this type of decentralized training results in possible
inefficiencies and inconsistencies, but to us that’s a small price to pay
when it comes to on-the-job performance.)
Training sits in on the planning meetings. Training goes out on calls.
Training can be found on the floor. Training is providing real-time
tips. Training is a pair of hands. Training is an expert in changing
behavior.
At these organizations, training has earned the right. How do YOU
earn the right to work as an integral business partner? The answer is
simple; implementation is more challenging.
In this section we’ll look at specific things you can do to earn the right to be considered an
integral business partner including:
• Developing an implementation contract.
• Creating measures of success to help link your efforts to business results.
• General tips to help you earn the right.
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Developing a Memo of Intent (MoI)

One of the surest ways to earn the right is by being clear in your communications and setting
realistic expectations. A memo of intent (MoI) does both.
An MoI is an agreement between you and your client. A MoI should include:
• Description of the required performance.
• An overview of the current performance (and your information sources).
• A list of possible reasons for the performance gap.
• Suggested next steps for data gathering and validation.

• Optionally, suggestions for addressing the gap including possible:
o Deliverables
o Dates
o Timelines
o Responsibilities
o Expected results
o Contingencies
It is important that the client has work to do that will require some commitment on his or her
part. Without the commitment, the chances for the success of your activities greatly diminish.
Most likely, there are activities and responsibilities that fall into your client’s area of
responsibility or expertise. These could include some type of communication, review of the job
process, acquiring additional equipment, providing recognition and feedback to employees, etc.
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Recommendations/Design Document
While the MoI is intended to outline your understanding of the situation before gathering
information, the Recommendations/Design Document is intended to outline your
recommendations and training design based on your observations, data gathering, and insights.
A well-written Recommendations/Design Document helps the stakeholder make a business
decision about the options and recommendations you propose. It includes the following
elements:
• Background – This information can be lifted directly from the MoI; it explains the
impetus for the decision to contact training, the stakeholder’s perception of the problem
and potential solutions, and business impact.
• Information Gathering and Insights – This section lists the results of your information
gathering AND your insights from that information gathering. If you did more than one
type of information gathering (and you SHOULD HAVE!), keep each activity separate –
spelling out what you saw and your interpretations/insights for each activity. At the end
of this section, clearly summarize your conclusions.
• Recommendations – This section lists all of your recommendations for improving
performance. The goal of this section is to provide a list of options that are both feasible
and effective. Consider the five elements impacting performance when outlining your
recommendations.
• Resource
• Web-Based & Feedback • Information
Architecture
Information
• Embedded Help
Motivation Design

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• Training Design – It is likely

that the recommendations
will include training.
Therefore, it is important to
include a training design.
The training design should
clearly outline the objectives,
preliminary instructional
strategy, and approximate
times. See the table on the
right for an example.
• Project Timeline – The
project timeline outlines the
deliverables (including
reviews/client inputs),
timeframes, and resources
required to create the
training. It is critical to
establishing credibility
that you meet your
scheduled deliverables,
so choose carefully.
When planning your
timeline, consider the
following:
o Unless you
project manage
for a living, your estimates will be low. It will take longer than you think! Build
in some extra time.
o State whether the deliverable is due at the beginning of the business day or by the
close of business (COB).
o Be specific about client review dates. Clients need to plan for this extra activity.
o Explain to the client that if they want to include others in the review, 1) it will
take additional time, and 2) suggest that the client manage that input process
including consolidating the feedback to avoid conflicting messages.
o Schedule a walkthrough of the training with the client to ensure a meeting of the
minds.
The Recommendations/Design Document – when formally approved by your client – becomes
your roadmap for design, development, and implementation, so – while it seems like a lot of
work now – the Recommendations Document saves significant time down the road. More
importantly, it transparently sets forth the expectations you have of the client and the client has
of you, avoiding problems associated with differing goals, assumptions, and miscommunication.
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Creating Measures of Success

The result of your efforts is improved business results: an increase to the business bottom line –
which happens to be the top line of the performance consulting model!
How will you determine if your interventions had the positive impact that you thought they
would? The time to think of making this link is before you implement the solution. The time to
consider evaluation is now.
How would you, for example, determine if training a) transferred from the classroom to the job,
and b) had the positive impact you hoped it would? To determine if the skills and knowledge are
being applied on the job, you could:
• Observe employees: Are they doing what they were taught? Are they using the new
tools? Are they using the job aids? Are they using the new skills effectively?
• Ask the manager to observe employees and provide feedback to you.
• Review the documents and reports that you used to determine current performance. Has
performance – as indicated in these artifacts – improved?
End-of-course feedback forms (i.e., smile sheets) don’t indicate whether business results
improved; even in-class tests and assessments only tell you whether participants can answer
specific questions or whether they can demonstrate a skill in class. The proof of the pudding – as
we mix our metaphors – is when the rubber meets the road. You – as performance consultant –
MUST get performance information directly from the source.
The benefit from this final step is that you close the performance consulting loop (you started
here, remember!) AND you build credibility with your client. Additionally, if your performance
solution DOESN’T work – and they sometimes don’t – you are the first to know and address it!
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Earning the Right

If you’re a trainer who sees the value in acting as a performance consultant, you may be asking
yourself, “How do I earn the right to
proactively address business needs?”
Face it, you may be considered a
phenomenal trainer in the eyes of your
manager and others throughout the
organization, but you may never have
been considered a business partner or
consultant.
Suggestions for building credibility
and value include:
• Do your own research; learn
about the business!
• Start small and training related
(perhaps a job aid).
• Make subtle distinctions
between training and non-training issues (educate the client).
• Do well in training (if you can’t do YOUR OWN job well, you will not have much
credibility at someone else’s job).
• Follow-up to the training to uncover business issues.
As you can see, being a great trainer is a subset of the overarching role of performance
consultant.
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Appendix
Creating Training that Impacts the Bottom Line Appendix
Performance Consulting Self-Assessment

Rate yourself in each of the areas to determine your area(s) of greatest need for development in
performance consulting. Read the statement as it applies to you and your job. Rate your ability in
this skill from low (1) to high (4). Then rate how important this skill is to your success. Make
notes or comments as you go along.
Ability Importance
Performance Consulting Skill Low High Low High
1. I am able to read the organization’s reports (i.e., annual report, quarterly business 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
status report) and understand them.
2. I am able to discuss knowledgeably with managers and others in the organization the 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
financial ratios used to measure the operational health of the organization.
3. I am able to interpret data from various sources (i.e., auditing, sales performance 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
records, service reports) and discuss their meaning with managers.
4. I know the primary forces outside the control of the organization (i.e., competition, 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
economy, market forces) that will challenge the organization’s ability to meet its
business goals.
5. I am able to discuss strategies and actions being taken by competitors and the 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
implications of those actions for the organization.
6. I can use the terminology of the organization. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
7. I understand the compensation system in place in the organization. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
8. I am able to describe how incentives are intended to motivate people to achieve 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

desired business goals.
9. I am able to distinguish possible reasons why people aren’t performing as expected. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

These reasons could be: lack of clear expectations, lack of resources, lack of positive
consequences for desired performance, lack of skills and knowledge, etc.
10. I am able to recommend non-training solutions (e.g., setting clear expectations) to 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

managers as the most practical way to address their performance issues.
11. I am able to meet and work with managers; they give me the time and effort I need. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
12. I have ongoing business relationships with the managers in the organization I 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
support.
13. I meet regularly with key organization personnel to discuss business strategies and 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
challenges, and the impact on human performance.
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Ability Importance
Performance Consulting Skill Low High Low High
14. I network skillfully throughout the organization and outside the company to increase 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
my ability to help increase performance in my organization.
15. I can act as broker helping managers find the resources they need; in fact, I provide 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
as much non-training support as training support.
16. While I sometimes act as an extra “pair of hands” to managers, I am mostly regarded 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
as a collaborative business partner.
17. When managers discuss their needs with me, it is usually in the form of a problem- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
solving session. Rarely do managers say something like, “I want you to schedule
some of that training you’ve got; my people really need it.”
18. I feel comfortable in requesting that managers perform certain tasks or gather specific 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
information I need.
19. I am able to get the manager physically involved in creating and implementing the 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
performance solution.
20. I feel comfortable in establishing a contract with the manager outlining what is 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
required from both of us to increase performance.
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Scoring for Performance Consulting Self-Assessment

Determine your Ability for each
competency area by adding your
Performance
Business Knowledge responses for the questions
Knowledge indicated; do the same with
Importance.
Performance Consulting Then subtract your combined
Competencies Ability from your combined
Importance to determine the
difference/delta. The higher the
number, the greater the difference –
Partnering Skill Consulting Skill and the more you should focus your
development in this particular area.
Competency Area Ability Importance Importance-Ability
Business Knowledge: Being able to

speak the language of your clients; 1+2+3+4+5+6 = ____ 1+2+3+4+5+6 = ____
understanding what drives them.
Performance Knowledge: Knowing

why people perform (or don’t 7+8+9+10 = ____ 7+8+9+10 = ____
perform) and being able to determine
best interventions.
Partnering Skill: Being able to build

a credible business relationship with 11+12+13+14+15 = ____ 11+12+13+14+15 = ____
clients; being accepted as an integral
partner.
Consulting Skill: Being able to

provide insight outside of your 16+17+18+19+20 = ____ 16+17+18+19+20 = ____
perceived role as trainer; having your
opinions and insights accepted.
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Entelechy's Return On Training Investment Calculator

Use this worksheet to help determine the return on investment for your training.
Client: ___________________________________________________________________
Audience: ________________________________________________________________
Business Objective: _________________________________________________________
Business Objective Measurement: _____________________________________________
Performance Discrepancy: ___________________________________________________
Symptoms of Performance Discrepancy: ________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Performance Discrepancy Caused by Insufficient Skills: ____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
Performance Discrepancy Caused by Insufficient Support: __________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
Performance Discrepancy Caused by Insufficient Motivation: _______________________

_________________________________________________________________________
Increased Sales (per year):

$_______________ Additional sales per employee due to larger opportunities
+ $_______________ Additional sales per employee due to more wins
+ $_______________ Additional profit per employee due to increased margins
+ $_______________ Additional sales per employee due to ____________________
= $_______________ Total additional sales revenue per employee
x _______________ Number of employees trained
= $ _______________ Sales revenue produced by training
x %_______________ Average margin (expressed as a percentage of sales)
= $ _______________ Sales Profit Produced By Training
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Increased Productivity (per year):
%_______________ Percent increase in productivity due to increased efficiency
+ %_______________ Percent increase in productivity due to fewer resources required
+ %_______________ Percent increase in productivity due to ___________________
= %_______________ Total percent increase in productivity
x $ _______________ $ amount attached to productivity per employees (throughput)
= $ _______________ $ Attributed to Increased Throughput Resulting From Training
Reduced Errors (per year):

$ _______________ Average cost per error due to __________________________
= $ _______________ Total cost of errors
x _______________ Number of errors avoided per employee
= $ _______________ Error Costs Reduced By Training
Qualified New Opportunities (per year):

_______________ Number of additional opportunities qualified per employee
x $ _______________ Average revenue per opportunity
= $ _______________ Additional Sales Profit from New Opportunities
Installed Base Retention (per year):

$ _______________ Average revenue per client
x _______________ Number of clients retained per employee attributable to training
= $ _______________ $ Installed Base Profit Protected Through Training
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Employee Retention (per year):
$ _______________ Average cost of new employee (training and lost productivity)
x _______________ Number of employees retained
= $ _______________ $ Employee Attrition Costs Reduced By Training
Total Profit and Cost Savings Attributable to Training Per Year

(From Previous Calculations)
$ _______________ $ Sales Profit Produced By Training

+ $ _______________ $ Attributed to Increased Throughput Resulting From Training
+ $ _______________ $ Error Costs Reduced By Training
+ $ _______________ $ Additional Sales Profit from New Opportunities
+ $ _______________ $ Installed Base Profit Protected Through Training
+ $ _______________ $ Employee Attrition Costs Reduced By Training
+ $ _______________ $ Other Profit or Cost Savings Attributable to Training
= $ _______________ $ Total Profit and Cost Savings Attributable to Training
Return on Training Investment (ROTI)

(From Calculations Above)
$ _______________ $ Training Investment (per year if appropriate)

 $ _______________ $ Total Profit and Cost Savings Attributable to Training Per Year
x ___12 months____
= _______________ $ Return On Training Investment (in months)
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Qualitative Return on Training Investment

(Significant Return that is Difficult to Quantify)
It is often difficult to quantify some important effects resulting from training. To determine the qualitative return on
training investment, work from left to right; circle the relative importance (5 is high; 1 is low) of the
behavior/characteristic, the estimated current performance, and the projected performance. Complete the equation
and total the results.
Projected Current
Performance - Performance x Importance Behavior/Characteristic
______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ___________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in morale
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in professionalism
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in teaming and collaboration
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Growth in the learning organization
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in initiative and motivation
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in __________________________
54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = ______ Increase in __________________________
= ______ Qualitative Return On Training Investment
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Entelechy Eguide Creating Training That Impacts The Bottom Line

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Creating Training that

Entelechy’s Approach to Performance Consulting

Entelechy’s eGuide Series

Why This eGuide?...................................................................................................................1

The Performance Consulting Process

Designing Performance Solutions

Earning the Right

Performance Consulting Self-Assessment.............................................................................. 57

Why This eGuide?

What SHOULD be the Reason for Training?

Who Will Benefit from This eGuide?

What Will You Learn?

Why Entelechy, Inc.?

For More Information

Training Versus Performance Consulting

Performance Consulting: Benefits and

Business-Based Performance Consulting

Step #2: Define Required Performance and Behavior

Step #3: Identify Current Performance and Behavior

Step #4: Determine the Performance Gap

Identifying Business and Performance

your credibility as a business

How It May Happen Today (But Shouldn’t)

How It May Happen Tomorrow (But Shouldn’t)

You: Hold on. Could you explain to me your business goals?

How It Should Happen Tomorrow

• Relatively easy to compile. 3. Selling to Executive

Concerns/Issues 6. Using brokers in selling 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4

• Easy to muck with (make too big, add irrelevant questions).

• Make the survey as short as possible.

• Lots of information can be

• Logistics (suggestion: try

In this section, we’re going to

Performance Element Determines Solution

• Executive Coaching • Process Design

Clear Expectations and Feedback

Resources, Tools, Information

Work Flow Design

Recognition and Motivation

Skills and Knowledge

Blended Performance Solutions

Problem Solving Tactics and Tools

Arrange No No Performance Yes Remove

For example, if your doctor told you that your Q

Developing a Memo of Intent (MoI)

• Suggested next steps for data gathering and validation.

• Executive Coaching • Process Design

• Training Design – It is likely

Creating Measures of Success

Earning the Right

Performance Consulting Self-Assessment

6. I can use the terminology of the organization. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

7. I understand the compensation system in place in the organization. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

8. I am able to describe how incentives are intended to motivate people to achieve 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

9. I am able to distinguish possible reasons why people aren’t performing as expected. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

10. I am able to recommend non-training solutions (e.g., setting clear expectations) to 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Scoring for Performance Consulting Self-Assessment

Competency Area Ability Importance Importance-Ability

Business Knowledge: Being able to

Performance Knowledge: Knowing

Partnering Skill: Being able to build

54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = Increase in ____________________

54321 - 54321 x 5 4 3 2 1 = Increase in ____________________