1. The History of Human Performance Technology (HPT): It’s Evolution, Contributions, & Impact
Judith A. Hale, Ph.D., CPT
ibstpi Fellow
President of ISPI
Hale Associates
Skype: Judith Hale
(c) Hale Associates 2011

2. Human Performance Technology-HPT
Performance is the goal - it is doing worthy work efficiently, effectively, and ethically
Human – performance is accomplished through human behaviors
Technology – the application of a systematic process that examines the workplace, work, and the workers so people can perform

3. Drivers for HPT
Information Age - started with the development of the transistor
Today we see:
Flatter structures with more information being pushed down into he organization
Greater decision making at each level
Changed the balance of information, now have a need for knowledge management – just in time not just in case;
Increased reliance on informal learning and a need for knowledge workers who know more about their job than the boss
Resulted the need to look at the workplace, work, and work to optimize resources
Human
Physical space
Technology

4. Impact of the Information Age on Work* *Art Isaacs
Products & systems
Increasing Complexity of Work
Simple Stand alone
Systems New Materials
Miniaturization Computerization
Workers & contractors
Increasing Diversity of Worker Skills
Unskilled
Skilled
Technical Specialization
Mixed skills
Multi skilled
Government supplier customer
Increasing Interface
Work is more complex than ever before. Requiring more sophisticated design of work & work processes. Requiring more complex multi-skilled workforce. Organization are collaborating across supply chains; suppliers playing bigger role
Requiring professionals (HPT) skilled at diagnosing the work, workplace, and worker requirements for organizations to be competitive in the coming century; HPT thinking in terms of value chain, societal and governmental impact
Directive
Collaborative
Quality approach
Increasing Quality
1930
Craftsman
Inspection
1960
Quality control
Quality assurance
Total quality
(c) Hale Associates 2011

5. Evolution of Training to Performance
Measures
Increasing Demand for Return on Investment
Norm
Criterion
Transfer & Sustainability
Impact
Technology
Increasing integration of computers – work & learning
Programmed
Video
Computer-based
simulations
Web-cast
Work design
Increasing Use of Performance Supports
Simplified tasks
Job-aids
EPSS
Total design
Workplace
Increasing Role of the Work Setting on Performance
1930
Design of tools
Leadership
1960
Integrated leadership- human capital
Organizational Structure
Reengineer jobs
(c) Hale Associates 2011

6. Complexity of the Work Type One Type Two Type Three Type Four
Repetitive Projects
Know what complete looks like and how to get there
Type Two
Quasi-experimental Projects
Have well described methods
Type Three
Complex Projects
Know what success looks like, but no universally agreed on way to get there or don’t know how to get there
Type Four
Catastrophic Projects
Not sure what success looks like and don’t know how to get there
First half of last century, Trainers expected to prepare people to do Type One work; the development of computer technology and space exploration gave rise to the need to prepare people to do types Two and Three work. This opened the door for people with an HPT back ground
Examples of Type Three - Chilean mine disaster, BP oil spill, Space Exploration;.
(c) Hale Associates 2011

7. HPT’s evolution over past 50 years
Moved from training to performance
Appling more sophisticated measurement practices
Increasingly use computers to both deliver content and support on-the-job performance
Increasingly help design work processes to support performance
Increasingly help design work environments that support the desired change in work behaviors
Increasingly work with organizations as integrated open systems

8. Evolution Milestones: 1940-1950
Clients saw need to measure learning against criteria instead of norms.
Military and manufacturing required people to do task to standard
Getting 70%, 80%, 90% did not work; wanted 100%
This in turn forced trainers to design instruction based on meeting standards and testing both knowledge retention and application

9. Evolution Milestones : 1950-1960
Concept of programmed learning developed
Tried “teaching machines”
Chunked learning
Built in feedback systems
Moved from instructional objectives to learning objectives to learning outcomes
Instructional technology was introduced

10. Evolution Milestones: 1960-1970
Trainers started looking at how to support learning back on the job:
Introduced job aids
Started building in performance supports into the job setting or job itself
Started questioning the role of the supervisor and importance of reinforcement
National Society for Programmed Instruction (NSPI) was established

11. Evolution Milestones: 1970-1980
The term “performance” introduced into professional vocabulary
Trainers were asked to prove training was being applied on the job,
Trainers started looking at the workplace and how it supports the new behaviors
Recommended performance supports
Recommended reinforcement by the boss
Began to question the importance of job incentives and performance management systems.
NSPI became the National Society for Performance and Instruction

12. Evolution Milestones: 1980-1990
Trainers started referring to their work as “Performance Improvement”
Trainers became more sophisticated in the use of delivery technology:
Video
Computer assisted, computer-based, simulations
Language of “Human Capital” introduced

13. Human Capital
“…human capital, defined as 'skill, dexterity, and knowledge' of the population, has become the critical input that determines the rate of growth of the economy and the well-being of the population.“
Boyatzis

14. Evolution Milestones: 1990-2000
More complex solutions were developed to support and improve performance
Training combined with performance support
Incentive systems based on job deliverables
Reengineered work processes combined with more sophisticated technology.
Measurement:
Increasingly expected to measure how well performance improvement programs (training, job design, alignment of incentives, improved infrastructure, etc.) affected:
Retention – done through testing
Application – transfer to the job; new behaviors on the job
NSPI became ISPI – International Society for Performance Improvement
First Handbook for Performance improvement published

15. Evolution Milestones: 2000-today
HPT increasingly:
Applies more sophisticated measures:
Time to and cost of proficiency
Business Impact – contributions to and effect on the organization’s competitiveness
Societal impact – contributions to and effect on social and environmental issues
Assesses how jobs are designed and workplace variables affect performance
Certified Performance Technologist and HPT Standards introduced

16. HPT’s Contributions for Tomorrow
ISPI:
Building strategic alliances with key industry groups
Building strategic alliances with international partners
Developing credentials to recognize organizations, performance improvement programs, and learning solutions
Members doing more strategic work in key industries (education, healthcare, military, international development)

17. Work & Workplace Challenges
Work being done virtually
Carried with you
Organizations using global virtual teams
A result is managers have an Increasing span of control over virtual/global workers
Workers have an increasing reliance on sophisticated & integrated information & communications technologies
People where ever there is WiFi
At home or at Starbucks
People work out of their car carrying IPods, PDA’s, cell phones, laptops, and more.
People wear head sets and collaborate
(c) Hale Associates 2011

18. Current Workforce Challenges
Aging workforce – loss of tacit knowledge
Generational differences in expectations
Increasing reliance on multi-national workers for math and science skills
Continual need to re-skill or up-skill
Increasing need for skills in solving complex problems and innovation
Increasing need for self-directed learning
(c) Hale Associates 2011

19. Consequence of these challenges
New players offering solutions
Architects and interior designers
Information technology vendors
Quality consultants
Training vendors
Financial and business consultants
All offer partial solutions that do not take into consideration the whole system

20. HPT’s Position
HPT the only discipline that applies a systematic process that examines the whole system -
Marketplace
Workplace
Work
Workers
While
Staying focused on actual and desired outcomes or results
Being systemic is its approach and solutions
Seeking to add value in the process
Partnering or collaborating with all stakeholders

21. Summary HPT as a profession will continue to:
Make smart use of technology
Develop efficient ways to evaluate its contributions to organizations and society
Build strategic alliances with clients and stakeholders
Develop standards to recognize organizations and individuals who exemplify the adoption of HPT
Become more sophisticated in how to increase its level of influence
(c) Hale Associates 2011