Cambridge Business Association
First Things Fast
Book

First Things Fast

A Handbook for Performance Analysis

Allison Rossett
Pfeiffer, 2009
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

“Performance analysis” (PA) allows companies to determine their needs and assess their accomplishments based on data, not guesses or hunches. Whether you’re looking to improve your employees’ skills, upgrade your company’s support systems or forecast trends, accurate PA is the key to success. Business owners, human resources personnel and learning consultants must know how to execute PA. Clients who need PA usually want its findings quickly. Business moves so fast that any delay in PA risks making its information obsolete. But working quickly need not mean a drop in quality, argues education technologist Allison Rossett. With clear explanations, charts and testimony from “the trenches,” she illuminates the path to accurate, applicable performance analysis. getAbstract believes her insights and advice are a valuable guide for chief learning officers, organizational development staffs, and HR officers or consultants who seek to lift their workforces or clients to the next level – and who prefer to look before they leap.

Summary

To PA or Not to PA

“Performance analysis” (PA) helps you identify and reach your business objectives by measuring your firm’s progress toward its goals based on facts – not intuition or wishful thinking. PA requires human resources teams to work hand in hand with their business colleagues and mandates that consultants work together with their clients.

Effective PA shows your co-workers or customers a future direction based on solid information. The best course forward is most likely to arise from addressing one of these four areas:

  1. “Opportunities” – Can you make the most of a chance to improve? Your company might increase its productivity by teaching employees to use a new technology.
  2. “Problems” – Can you solve a dilemma or fix subpar results in some area of your business, such as sales or customer relations?
  3. “Development of a group of people” – Can you increase your company’s capabilities, perhaps by taking a department or unit up to a new skill level?
  4. “Strategic planning” – Can your leaders redirect the company to respond ...

About the Author

Training and corporate learning expert Allison Rossett serves on the faculty of San Diego State University. She also wrote Beyond the Podium.

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