Needs Assessment
- Needs assessment is a systematic effort to determine the difference between a model situation and the actual situation and to determine the type of performance problem or opportunity the differences indicate.
Needs Analysis
- Needs
analysis is the process of completing a root cause analysis of high
priority needs and selecting solutions based on their advantages and
disadvantages.
Connect Analysis With Intuition
- I recommend a 6-step iterative process to determine the most responsible performance intervention based on the results of needs assessment and analysis:
1: Omit non-value-added activities |
Ask this question: What is better -- cooperation or competition? Can we build cooperative competition? Can we create serious fun? |
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2: Avoid unnecessary interventions |
When there is not a lack of skills and knowledge, the gap may be a motivation problem. Approximately 60% of training interventions address motivation -- which may be a waste of valuable training time. Training may not be able to sufficiently address a motivation problem. Don't create training just for the sake of creating training. |
3: Limit analysis |
Usually we can get 80% of the information we need in the first few minutes of analysis. We quickly find out who needs to learn what. The client can assist us in making intuitive assumptions about needs, tasks, and learner characteristics. |
4: Survey the audience |
Talking to as many people in the target audience can provide insight that may not come through otherwise. One group shouldn't dictate the problem without consulting the affected parties. One problem with traditional change management: many times the directives come from the top-down. Bottom up changes may be more sustainable! |
5: Design metrics for monitoring negative consequences |
Think about this: is your cell phone a problem or a solution? More than likely, it's both. Sometimes there are no problems or solutions -- in many cases the actual state and the ideal state both have advantages? Performers may look at the actual state as ideal because they are familiar with it. One question they may ask: who designed the ideal state? |
6: Agree on metrics related to business strategies |
Keep the process as simple as possible, and relate the solution to the business strategy defined. If you can't map the prospective solution to a business need, question the need for the solution. |
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