Personal Inventory

This last blog post will reflect on what I’ve learned during this course, my new and current understanding of HPT, and how might continue to use the skills I’ve gained. Below, I address the following points:

1. How do you define HPT? How does your current definition differ from what you wrote in week 1?

 

My new definition does not differ much from my original post in week one. 

 

Old Definition: Human Performance Technology entails finding the proper solutions for issues beyond the lack in skills and knowledge that arise in companies or organizations that effect bottom line numbers.

 

New Definition: Human Performance Technology entails finding the proper solutions for issues beyond the lack in skills and knowledge that arise in a company or organizations’ business goals. 

 

 

2. Identify the key things you gained from this course. 

 

In week one I addressed the question of “what do you hope to gain from this course?” with the following:

 

From this course I would like to learn how to discern when standard training is not the solution for a company or organization and to learn the appropriate solutions to implement when this happens. 

 

As I reflect on what I’ve learned over the course of 8 weeks, the main thing I’ve gained from this course are the alternative interventions when a gap in skills and knowledge (training) is not the solution. For example: provision of resources, process redesign, etc. 

 

 

3. Select at least 5 areas of strength and for each, indicate why you believe this is a strength, or what personal experiences you have to build upon in this area. Select 5 areas that you believe you could improve in. For each of these, identify ways in which you can improve or briefly identify what further training or experience you need.

 

Strengths:

1.     Generous with giving credit to others – I believe that no one thing can be completely done alone, whether inspiration be drawn or input for decision-making comes from another individual, they too deserve credit for the final work or product. 

2.     Focus on the client need – I feel I don’t lose sight of the primary mission, it’s about the client that hired me.

3.     Cause-conscious, not solution-oriented – I am very analytic and systematic in my approach to multiple areas of my life, it’s only natural this same way of thinking would transfer to my work. 

4.     Conduct performance gap analyses – I believe through the various techniques of observation, interviews, surveys etc. I can perform a thorough analyses to identify gaps in performance for a client.        

5.     Sequence performance intervention outcomes – Sequencing is part of the organizing and almost like the planning of events as the interventions unfold into the process. 

Improvements:

1.     Able to maintain a system perspective – I feel I may still be short-sighted in anticipating how change in one area may affect others if I’m not familiar with the subject or environment. I’m usually able to see multiple perspectives, but as it relates to systems, I may need more practical experience to develop this skill further. 

2.     Able to sort out priorities – I feel I am able to focus and stick to business needs, but at times can be seduced by technology. I’m not sure of a future method or way to counteract this from happening. 

3.     Promote performance consulting and human performance improvement as a major approach to achieving desired results in organizations. – This will be an area of improvement for myself considering my interest in pursuing the route of ID instead of HPT. In knowing that, I feel more practice is necessary to develop the appropriate technique for consulting.

4.     Analyze the characteristics of a learning/working environment – I feel this is an area of improvement and with more experience, I would have a better idea of the appropriate questions to ask and things to look for when analyzing a learning/working environment 

 5.     Determine performance improvement projects appropriate to work on – Again, I feel              this is      an area of improvement and with more experience I would have a standard approach for determining the best and most appropriate performance improvement projects. 

 

4. Discuss how you might use these skills in your current or future roles. If you plan on working as an HPT consultant, what areas will you initially focus in? If not, how will you use the tools and techniques of HPT in your own career path?

 

The way I will use the tools and techniques of HPT within my own career path will mainly be within the analysis. Conducting a thorough analysis to discover the true needs for a client will allow me to be of better service.