Performance Architecture
provides a way to organize information you already know into terms, models,
tools that can facilitate your work in performance improvement. It is the
integration of:
• The
worker (people)
• The
work (processes)
• The
workplace (enterprise)
• The
world (society)
Architecture
The word “architecture”
often conveys a sense of structure, strength, experience, even beauty, but most
of all a sense of creativity. When paired with “performance” the connotation is
also one of a creative and a comprehensive approach to achieve results.
Building Architects take a
broad view. They are not just concerned with the physical design of the
structure but also with its heating, cooling, and other energy requirements.
They consider the flow of
people through the structure, the ease of maintenance, emergency access, wind
deflection, and a whole range of other factors.
They view the entire
structure as a dynamic system that must be considered in terms of all its
parts. Architecture goes far beyond what kind of widows we install.
Performance Architects also take a broad
view, but of the organization.
They are not just
concerned with one aspect like the business processes, the strategy, the
structure, he culture, the leadership,
job performance, or the marketplace.
Performance Architects
view the organization as a dynamic system. Most importantly, they work from the
perspective that the best way to obtain the desired results requires that the
whole system be aligned to produce those results.
Performance Architects are
those that consider the full organization in all its aspects to design and
align all the parts to best achieve the desired results.
Of course, both building
and organizational systems need repair, and both kinds of architects may
provide repair solutions. But the main job of all kinds of architects is to
create and design effective systems that provide a valued experience for their
constituents.
There are professions that focus on repair. Plumbers fix broken pipes
and Six Sigma people fix “broken” processes.
There are also disciplines
that have deep expertise in particular components of the organizational system.
There are specialists for strategy, marketing, financial, business process,
leadership, measurement, and project management.
There are probably many
more that could be identified. Just as in the building trades, where there are
a host of experts in various aspects of construction that the Building
Architect can draw on, so too, the Performance Architect can draw on a variety
of supporting organizational experts.
History of Performance
Architecture
Performance Architecture grew out of the field of Human
Performance Technology (HPT).
A focus on creative
designs and broad-based system analysis were inherent in the very first
applications of HPT. But since practitioners were most often called into
existing organizations that were having a problem, the field developed many
applications that dealt with limited areas of “repair” focused on closing the
“gap” between their existing and their potential performance.
Today there are many “gaps” specialists within
the field of HPT. There are those that focus on developing job aids, doing
process improvement, designing instruction in a variety of media, performance
management, job analyses, and so on.
The Landscape
Basic Principles: RSVP+
• Focus on
Results
• Systems
viewpoint
• Add Value
• Partner
with clients and other performance improvement professionals
• + Solution
Neutral – Solution Appropriate
Integration
• World:
Society
• Workplace:
Organization, Enterprise
• Work:
Process, Operations
• Workers:
Individual, Teams
Culture and Economic
Performance
In Corporate Culture
and Performance (1992), Kotter and Heskett suggest, “corporate culture can
have significant impact on a firm’s long-term economic performance. Companies
with a strong culture that fits their industry and business plan significantly
outperform their competitors
Culture Factors
• Vision
• Mission
• Values
• Beliefs
• Management
Practices
• Line-staff relationships
• Power and
status
• Policies and
procedures
•
Communication
•
Motivational systems
• Stories
and legends
• Corporate
identity
• Branding
• Physical
workspace
Competence
• Skills
• Knowledge
• Abilities
Confidence
•
Accomplishments
• Behavior
• Attitudes
•
Contributions
References
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