Discussing Training and Development Techniques

Performance Improvement Analysis:
Effective managerial coaching is integral to ongoing employee development. Whereas training is typically focused on acquiring and/or strengthening specific skills within a short time-frame either on-the-job or in a classroom setting, development is embedded in the relationship between the manager or team leader and his/her staff or team members, and involves an iterative process through coaching and feedback over time.

The central key to effective coaching is that of assessing the performance situation in order to determine the most appropriate and effective approach to the performance deficiency (or deficiencies). In this Module 2 case, please return to the background readings to review the article entitled "When Employees at Work Don't Get It: A Model for Enhancing Individual Employee Change in Response to Performance Feedback" by Silverman, Pogson, and Cober (2005). Although this article was published in 2005, it remains highly relevant today. Moreover, the article is derived from the The Academy of Management Executive, one of the most highly regarded organizational management journals available.

Conduct a Coaching and Performance Improvement Analysis
1) Please read the journal article above very carefully, and then prepare a 5-6 page paper (not including cover and reference pages), responding to the following requirements:

Step 1. Introduction (1 page) - briefly describe the following:
• Person who will be the focus of your analysis (without specifically identifying who they are; the person can be a teammate, staff member, or even your manager or boss, but must be someone who you work with and/or observe in their work on a regular basis);
• Nature of your work relationship and experience with that person, and
• General nature of the performance problem that you believe needs to be assessed.

Step 2. Now, using the "Individual and Organizational Precursors Scale" (IOPS) shown in Table 1 (p. 140), rate the individual according to each of the five Individual Precursor items (e.g., Awareness, Sense of Necessity, etc). Critically discuss and assess the person's willingness and ability to change using each one of the five (5) Individual Precursors. Be sure to include the score you have assigned each item beside your discussion of that item (1 page)

Step 3. Next, compute a total score, and assign the individual to one of the three categories (i.e., Unaware, Developers, or Enlightened). Discuss how you believe the person's performance has been consistent with the characteristics of this category. Explain. (one-half page)

Step 4. Now, using the IOPS shown as Table 2 (p. 142), please assign a score to each of the five Organizational Precursor items (e.g., Organizational Alignment, Organizational Feedback Environment, etc). Critically discuss and assess how each one of the five factors are consistent with the organization's characteristics. Be sure to include the score you have assigned each item beside your discussion of that item. (1 page)

Step 5. Compute a total score, and assign the organization to one of the three categories (i.e., Static, Developing, or Learning-Oriented). Please comment briefly as to how the organization fits the characteristics of this category. (one-half page)

Step 6. Finally, create a performance improvement action plan in which you identify the most salient areas that should be addressed, and identify specific actions you would take, or recommend be taken in order to address them (1-2 pages). Please discuss the following:
• Whether any training-related actions are required, and if so what
• Any non-training and development related actions, and if so what
• Any employee development-related actions that may be required, and if so what
• Whether you believe that actions taken (based on the assigned IOPS individual category) will be successful relative to remediating the performance deficiencies identified
• The extent to which the organization (based on the assigned IOPS organizational category) will support or hinder a performance action plan
• The collective effect of individual and organizational precursors - i.e., how will these come together to assist in success of the plan (or not)?