Mager+and+Pipe+book+notes

Part 1 **They're not doing what they should be doing/we think we have a training problem Chapter 1 What is a human performance discrepancy?** Discrepancy definition: performance difference/mismatch/ between what people are actually doing and what they should be doing. Page 10 Discrepancies, (action that is desired is not the action or less than what is produced), also known as "sins of omission or substitution", causes someone grief, money, etc.can be found in personal interactions-(like not keeping desk neat although boss prefers it so) clashes with policy-(like turning in late assignments) unacceptable work practices (like safety rules that are ignored)

There are discrepancies that are caused by "too much performance" too many accidents, attempts to improve facts in reports, acting too quickly when a situation deserved greater review.

Page 11 The author states it not best to begin with blaming or knee jerk reaction solutions or training/motivating/teaching but to ask questions that identify the in terms of what people aren't doing then plan a course of action to reduce the discrepancy between what is and is not desired. Page 12 **Whose performance problem are we talking about?** 1-It is essential to identify that the problem is in fact a people performance problem 2-Also critical to identify //whose// performance rather than "they" and in what environment as conditions dictate different considerations ask: What would happen if we left the situation alone? If the answer is serious consequences will follow, then further analysis is in order. page 20-Are our expectations realistic? Should we ignore the situation? What will happen if we succeed? The author gives an example of a manager who expected over 100 employees to submit monthly articles for newsletter, and was annoyed that few responded. It was brought to his attention that if every staff member submitted, it would cost time and money to process the submissions. Page 22 **How big is it?** Discepancies can be costly in terms of money, good will or tarnished image so it is important to decide how much time and money a discrepancy is worth to correct. The question of "what might happen if" the discrepancy causes the worst possible scenerio, or the potential costs of the worst possible scenerio, is very complicated because it can be blown out of proportion or be unwarranted because it might not be likely to occur. The answer the author offers is to add the actual cost of the discrepancy to the estimated cost of the potential reasonable consequences. Possible costs from a discrepancy-page 24 insurance premiums-increase? calculate it in Before proceding with a full analysis to remedy the discrepancy, there are simple fixes that may work because sometimes People don't know what is expected of them-if you ask them what is expected can they verbalize it? There are inadequate supplies of tools/resources so they are caught short and not able to perform? Inadequate performance feedback-they think they are doing what is expected-ask how they find out Ensure that the desired actions do not result in punishing actions Try to see the situation through the eyes of the performers and ask-what is the result to them for doing as the boss desires...will the performer suffer in any way by performing as the boss desires?
 * Chapter 2** Is it worth pursuing?
 * Money-direct loss calculate loss per year
 * Time-lost from material shortage/lateness/slow services etc-calculate loss per year
 * Material waste/scrap-does it cost money to process? Is it wasted resource? calculate loss and what it takes to get rid of it too
 * Equipment damage-calculate costs of repair and annual process slow down
 * amount of work completed-calculate the annual difference between actual and desired
 * Accidents-add hospital stays, lost workdays, damaged equipment, increased insurance premiums
 * Lost business- harder to quantify but valid to consider
 * Duplicated effort-what is it costing in time and money annually?
 * extra supervision-more security? double checking? what is it costing in time and money annually?
 * Other costs-will elimination of the discrepancy lead to lawsuits/complaints?
 * Chapter 3 Can we apply fast fixes?
 * Chapter 4 Is desired performance punishing?**

Mager 4-Is the desired performance punishing the worker? Does it create more work for them/if they don’t perform does it matter? The desired performance has to be relevant, make sense and not be an additional/unrewarded task for the worker to have to contend with. Perception is important; whenever people aren’t doing what they should be doing, look for consequences the performer sees as punishing. When people experience criticism, frustration, boredom, failure or increased workload of uninteresting tasks that have no benefit to them directly, they will purposely avoid them. Common scenarios: Workers who perform so well that they are loaded with more work without adequate reward… “You are so good at this we know you will do it better than/faster than anyone else…from know on you can do the…” Or the workers who won’t work overtime-because the money is taken in taxes… Or adult children who won’t go visit their elderly parents because when they do they are subjected to guilt trips or boredom or fighting…if they don’t visit they aren’t subjected to it… Or managers who decrease spending, perform under budget and then have their budgets cut the next year… Ask these questions: What is the consequence of performing as desired? Is it punishing to perform as expected? Does the person perceive desired performance as geared to penalties? Would the person’s world become dimmer by performing this way? Chapter 5 Is undesired performance rewarding? Is the cause of performance discrepancy because poor performance is rewarding? Ask these questions: What does the person get out of the poor performance in the way of comfort, attention, status, or prestige? Is the person unable to handle the task mentally or physically? Common scenarios: Misbehavior that gets attention, while “good” behavior goes unnoticed/unrewarded-“squeaky wheel gets the grease” Athletes who train while they are injured, may be perceived as heroic Women who cause deformities in their feet but wear shoes that are a small size or starve themselves or take drugs to be very thin even though it causes health problems…

People who withhold training or information so they must be consulted (to feel important/powerful) rather than make information readily available

Chapter 6 Are there any consequences at all? Sometimes performance discrepancies exist because there are meaningful consequences or rewards. People don’t just perform because someone thinks they should want to perform. If you hear “Our image will suffer if they don’t…” “What will the neighbors think if you don’t..” “It’s the patriotic thing to do” It’s the professional/right/adult/Christian/thing to do” You are hearing descriptions of situations in which the consequences or results are probably not having the effect on those at whom the finger is being pointed. When you are dealing with a situation in which performers are not being rewarded or punished for doing it right, or punished for doing it wrong, then arrange for consequences that do one or both. Make it matter. Are there other causes? Is it a skill deficiency? Could they do it if they really had to? If they cannot, ask, “What might you learn to make your job easier?” Chapter 8 Could they do it in the past? Is it a skill that EXISTED but was forgotten or never existed? This will determine the amount of training. Sometimes people learn a new task, but do not have opportunity to use it for an extended period, or maybe they never really LEARNED it at all, so they need training. Chapter 9 Is the skill used often? Is there regular feedback? How does the person know if they are doing a good job?

If the skill is used frequently, but has deteriorated despite regular use, maintain the level of performance by providing regular feedback If the skill is used infrequently, provide regular practice with feedback

Chapter 10 Can the tasks be simplified? Even when the genuine skill deficiency exists, any solution to the problem should be weighed against the possibility of changing some aspect of the job thereby overcoming the effect of the skill deficiency. Opportunities to incorporate one or more kinds of performance aid (checklists, instruction sheets, signs, labels, color coding, ) can almost always be found. If training is the only remedy OJT on the job training may be easier and cheaper than formal training. How to do it: Ask these questions: Can I reduce the standards of demands? Can I improve performance by adding a job aid? Does the workplace need to be redesigned for efficiency? Should job pressure be reduced? Should someone else be doing some of these tasks? Chapter 11- Any Obstacles remaining? Before we look for solutions, look for subtle impediments to performance.. Lack of authority? Poorly placed or poorly labeled equipment? Bad lighting or uncomfortable surroundings? Lack of direct information of what to do and when to do it? Competition of secondary tasks?... The “nobody told me” problem… Ask these questions: What prevents the person from performing? Does the person know what is expected? Does the person know when to do what is expected? Are there conflicting demands on a person’s time? Are there restrictive policies that need to be addressed? Could the problem be caused from upstream where consequences be felt?

Chapter 12 Do they have what it takes? Does the person have the capacity to do the job; does he fit the job mentally and motivationally? Does he have the potential to do the job? Is the person over qualified? Do they want to do the job, and do they like the environment? If not suitable, consider suggesting replacement.

Chapter 13 Which solution is best? What do I do know? Collect all potential solutions Determine /estimate costs of implementing solution Chapter 14 Select solution that will add most value for least cost/effort Draft action plan that describes how it will be put into action. THEN ASK… Have all potential solutions been identified? Does each solution address one or more problems? What are the costs of potential solutions? Have intangible costs been addressed? Which solutions are most practical? Which solution will add most value for least effort? Which remedy interests us most? Have I drafted an implementation plan?