ETEC 561 Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Human Performance Improvement

The idea of HPI gets me in nerdy-giddy mode for several reasons starting with I feel like my MBA might be worth the two years I invested in it, two it reaffirms my LOVE for centralized processes, and three I steadies my belief that bringing together brilliant minds, money and four walls is not enough. Professionals endure years of education preaching the best in business management, human resources, learning systems and human development theories however the emergence and melding of these is often without the "bottom's" input. For example, in the workplace the current gap is a lack of motivation, innovation and general will to exceed expectations. In other words everyone is just brushing their teeth without flossing and mouthwash. 

The possible solutions can range from evaluating staff for possible dismissal to re-organizational design to team building and incentives. My recommendation for this specific gap is to focus on the individuals and have the intervention effect each individual on a macro level. The bottom line is that people like to feel special and acknowledged. (I find this particularly true with Millennials, ask Facebook.) As a result time should be spent by supervisors to have "life chats" with employees creating an informal environment where the employee is less guarded to reveal their position's challenges, offer criticisms, discuss career goals and how the supervisor can support or coach the specific employee. I find with student employees they value this time and later reflect/act on the conversations. This action addresses more than just a "we listen, we care" mission but the time can be used to develop an evolving "safe space" for employees to communicate the next bug fix for software XYZ that may normally be out of their job scope, receive professional development or talk about the direction of the company. In the end it's not just investing the time but developing the time into something meaningful for the individual. 


If you have time (about 10 minutes) the following is a video discussing what motivates us!

Electronic Performance Support Systems

This term was coined by Gloria Gery who also provides the most comprehensive definition of EPSS, in my opinion: "an integrated electronic environment that is available to and easily accessible by each employee and is structured to provide immediate, individualized on-line access to the full range of information, software, guidance, advice and assistance, data, images, tools, and assessment and monitoring systems to permit job performance with minimal support and intervention by others." 

In comparison with other definitions Gery's creates an EPSS that offers a range or collection of solutions and troubleshooting abilities. To me this is the difference between a software package and a management system. The ability to merge the applications and streamline tasks is the big ticket. I feel as if other definitions would qualify Microsoft Office as an EPSS. 

I think the potential of EPSS and their success are minimal today but are poised to be the bread and butter in the future. I am inclined to agree with the text in terms of why EPSS is not as prevalent in business today. The first being that people are not informed of the existence of EPSS and the second that potential buyers believe it is too expensive or an unnecessary cost. In addition to these issues, as a technology buyer and consultant I often run into EPSS designers who have not studied their potential buyers, do not have content experts or cannot keep up with initial client demands. This goes for those who are 3rd party or have a homegrown EPSS. Just like email vs. postal mail a culture change takes time. I believe as the younger workforce emerges into decision making roles you will see EPSS become more prominent because it will be a basic expectation of operations. The idea of doing business with 4+ software/management systems or having to wait for Paul to "fix" something is not only inconvenient but downright silly. (Especially if YouTube can show me in less than 5 minutes.

Knowledge Management

At my current workplace we have a great, by design, public knowledge repository. Some challenges we face are a lack of contributors, editors and users. Possible blended learning solutions include having each area/department designate a contributor and editor to manage their portion of the knowledge database with a regular update schedule. To train the designee in the classroom with the basics on how to use the system (add, delete, edit and navigate). Additionally, posing the designee to be an advocate of the system to use it regularly and reference it in their work outside of training. This could potentially encourage other area/department members to utilize the source as well leading the designee in a teaching role. The designee's role is ever changing with their knowledge of the system and familiarity expanding without extensive classes or training.  

Informal Learning GOLD= #SAchat

One of my biggest sources of informal learning is #SAchat. This community is very important to me as I continue my journey working in higher education and student affairs. The purpose of #SAchat started as a structured weekly chat over a voted on topic via Twitter. You can visit the webpage to learn about the idea behind #SAchat and the week's topic. During the other hours and days of the week there are on going discussions using the hashtag to contribute to the body of knowledge within the profession or ask the community a question. This experience was very unique to me and has become my online home. It is a highly active community where I just lurked at first but as I learned the social etiquette I became more engaged and involved. #SAchat and one of it's spin-offs, #SAtech, offer in-real-life social opportunities at conferences by hosting Tweetups. My current role is both contributor and listener. There is a moderator for the structured chat however there is no designated "leader" or "instructor" for the premise of #SAchat. The idea is to decentralize learning and allow the community to guide the community (how occupy of us!). Though, by observing #SAchat you can quickly identify heavy hitters easily. 

For a chuckle...blending learning at its finest!

Millennial effect on recruiting from within

The following was inspired by Cristina Gonzalez's article titled "Colleges Should Cultivate Leaders Within Their Own Ranks".

This is not based off of research but is a collection of my personal thoughts, speaking with my peers and observations. Basically my ramblings... sources will be sited as used.

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Professor Gonzalez discusses the desire to hire from within the college system to create stability and create a cohesion of ideas and projects among higher administration. I am not going to discuss whether this is a good idea or not but point out why this desire will become increasingly difficult.

As student affairs professionals we constantly look at the characteristics that make up the Millennial generation (our current students and new professionals). The ones I would like to highlight when looking at workplace longevity are: the need to collaborate, results and achievement oriented and more selectivity & loyalty (Sweeny, 2009).

The need to collaborate

As I start to delve into the culture of student affairs on a broader scale (i.e. twitter feeds, blogs, etc.) I am able to connect with like minded peers. It would make sense that eventually I would want to pull a King James and migrate to where these great minds are in order to collaborate on larger scale projects. I have found myself and peers making lists of where we want to work in our lifetimes and field relevant mentors we want to work with. 

As more of the Millennial generation enters the workforce I expect to see this shift in job searching and acceptance. After all networking and social media is becoming a driving force in job placement and recruitment.

Results and Achievement Oriented

Sweeny's study at The New Jersey Institute of Technology states: "Millennials are interested in processes and services that really work and really speed their interactions. They prefer merit systems to others (e.g. seniority)."

To me this says two things:

1) I would rather have an awesome diverse portfolio than wait in line to be department head, Dean or Chancellor at a single institution. (Especially when I can work with my hero, a diverse group of schools, get my Ph.D. and start my own business on the road there.)

2) I would like to create these process therefore I need to work for companies that can benefit from my skill set. Being content is not satisfactory. Especially not while I am waiting in line. It has been noted that Millennials must feel their work is meaningful and important on a professional and personal level (NAS, 2006).

Selectivity & Loyalty

"Perhaps the most important Millennial behavior is their expectation for more selectivity and options. They have grown up with a huge array of choices and they believe that it is their birthright... The converse is also true: they are most unhappy with limited choices." - Sweeny

I have constantly grown up with a fear of the cubicle and I have come to believe this is no coincidence. I spent a few moments chatting up my social networks to see how many positions those of us have held post college was an average of 4.25 , the number of moves was an average of 2.6, with the longest employment at one company being an average of 4 years. 

I would love to do this as a legitimate study... humm...

While unemployment is still high 51% of millennial do not expect job offers upon graduation (NAS) baby boomers are heading towards retirement and there is a demand for skilled workers.  Millennials are no stranger to technology and professional niches in order to help market themselves and create several options for employment. Added with the characteristic of "entitlement" there are now several options which creates selectivity on which employer Millennials will choose to work with. Especially in a competitive market for skilled workers in high demand fields.

"They expect to spend no more than 18 months to 2 years in their first job; expect constant 

practical training and useful skills; want office hours with flexible schedules; are more likely to be recruited online.  61% of CEOs say they have difficulty attracting and integrating younger workers."- Sweeny

When looking at the first two characteristics I discussed and combining them with the concept of loyalty it gets tricky. Retention is already an issue with older Millennials entering the workforce and will become a larger issue with each year. Money is not a solution to increase retention as noted by several researchers. The desire to satisfy personal and professional goals is always larger. (i.e. the key to retaining your best lab researcher is not going to be a salary increase but better support staff, access to new technology, recognition/ awards, a strong mentor, a customized career path and appreciation.- NAS) 

Wrap Up

Competition among universities is not new but in order to retain the new Millennial workforce some cultural shifts will have to occur. While the NAS document is not the most up-to-date it does maintain some good pointers about retention. 

Other thinking points:

• Will higher administration positions be plentiful as colleges re-structure?
• How will the Millennial generation effect traditional offerings in higher education such as tenure?

I don't have the answer to creating a stable higher administration staff for colleges but I know I'm not going to wait around to find out. I'm just a tweet away from working with my dream mentor and a kicking technology budget.