There are various ways of collecting information about levels of performance:
Semi-structured interviews (perhaps using techniques such as the repertory grid or critical incident review)
Participating in the action
Quantitative data
It is always very useful to collect information in numerical form. For example:
- how often something happens
- how many mistakes are made each day
- levels of customer complaints, etc.
Such information is less dependent on personal opinions and comes in very useful if you try to carry out any evaluation.
Ask around to find out where such information is available. IT systems often collect a vast amount of quantitative information about how the systems are being used.
Semi-structured interviews
Talking to people involved in the target groups can provide a lot of information about how they do the job and what problems they find with it. Make sure you talk to:
- the people actually carrying out the performance
- their line managers
- people affected by the performance
- any others that seem relevant.
Conducting effective interviews is a skill that needs practice. People provide more information when they feel relaxed, which happens most easily when you can conduct the interview as if it were a conversation.
This is more likely to happen if you plan your interview and create a loose structure for it. Think about what you need to find out and what questions you will need to ask. Keep a note of these questions in front of you as you conduct the interview so that you can refer to it easily. One way to do this is to write the questions on a Post-it® and stick this to one edge of your notepad.
One danger with relying on interview information is bias that you as the interviewer or the interviewee may have. Interviewees may be reluctant to say something that they feel will show them in a bad light.
To minimise the effects of bias you should triangulate your questions. You can do this by asking:
- the same people different questions about the same subject
- different people the same questions about a subject
Comparing answers will identify areas of agreement and inconsistencies.
Questionnaires are useful for collecting information from a large number of people. However, if the information collected is to be meaningful the questionnaires must be designed and tested very carefully.
Questionnaire design is a complex subject and is beyond the scope of this course, but you can find more information in "Training needs analysis and evaluation" by Frances and Roland Bee, published by the Institute of Personnel and Development.
If the situation allows it, trying to do the performance yourself can provide information about:
- what is easy
- what is difficult
- what is influencing your performance.
It can also be useful to watch people carrying out the performance.
You must, however, remember that people tend to behave differently when being watched. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Hawthorne effect, after studies carried out in the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company in the 1920s and 1930s.
A critical incident is something that has a significant impact on the organisation. This may be something positive, such as having to meet a new order or deal with a new major customer, or something negative, such as an accident or a downturn in business.
Whatever the nature of the incident, disruption that it causes will provide a lot of useful information about the performances that it affects.
The repertory grid is a useful technique for gathering information about complex performances, such as in managerial positions. You as the analyst will work with someone who knows the performance of the target group well, such as a line manager.
This person identifies three people from the group who perform well, three whose performance is average and three whose performance is below average.
You then write their names on separate cards and place them in a 3 x 3 grid in front of you.
Choose three cards at random and ask the manager to select two of the people whose performance is similar.
Then ask what is different about the performance of the third person.
Make a note of this, then choose another three cards and repeat this questioning.
Repeat this until you cannot find any new information.
This technique makes it easier for someone to identify
subtle differences in behaviour that are affecting a performance.
|
|
(C) Bryan Hopkins, 2005