Why don’t people do what I want them to do?

When I was working for the Southland Corporation, I had the good fortune to work in the Training Department with some very talented and expert trainers. During my tenure with the company, I came to learn and understand about a model for improving human performance, that is called The Performance Model. This five step model can be used to diagnose and solve human performance issues, and, if used properly, solve those issues once and for all.

The model consists of 5 steps, and while they can be used in any order, the first step, Establish Expectations, almost always should be where you begin. The remaining steps are, Providing Feedback, Training and development, Eliminating Barriers and Creating Consequences.

Establishing Expectations is the first, and often the most important part, of the Performance Model. Clear, specific and achievable expectations are essential for maximizing the performance of your people. These expectations must also be set along with your associates so that “buy in” can occur. Expectations are usually set only once a year, at goal-setting time. This is not enough for most people and you should take care to establish your expectations so that they are achievable and still provide enough clarity to be effective. Do not assume that job expectations are obvious.

Providing Feedback is also essential for your associates to be successful. Ken Blanchard, in his best-selling book, The One Minute Manger, called feedback “The breakfast of champions.” I cannot agree more. Proper feedback, given when your people most need it, will ensure success and the proper completion of tasks and work. In my over 30 years of experience, I can attest to the fact that very few managers provide enough feedback. Compare yourself to a manager or coach in professional sports and I have no doubt that you will agree that even the least successful sports coach gives their team twice the feedback you provide to your associates. Catch your people doing something right and then tell them about it. Give them appropriate “tips” right before they have to perform a difficult task and watch them successfully accomplish their goals time after time.

Train and develop your employees frequently. There are many forms of training available to your people, from online classes, to web-based programs, traditional classroom training, as well as books, webinars, seminars and self-paced courses. People perform better when they are fully educated and understand what is expected of them. Ignoring training is the same as ignoring your people. Be certain everyone on your team has the proper skills and training in order to succeed. And then give your people the time to take that training.

Eliminate Barriers to performance and be certain that nothing stands in the way of success for your team. Examples of barriers could be missing or inadequate supplies to complete work, poor tools or outdated equipment, impossible deadlines and inadequate working conditions. There can be many types and kinds of barriers to performance and a truly gifted manager will always be on the hunt for roadblocks that get in the way of your employees. Often,these roadblocks can be other employees or cumbersome rules, regulations and policies. Effective leaders eliminate, or find ways around these barriers to performance. Employees appreciate these efforts and will go the extra mile for managers who they believe are  truly interested in tearing down barriers to their success.

Creating Consequences for behavior is difficult for many managers. These consequences must be established and need to be fully understood in order to be effective. Consequences are not always negative, either. Contests, incentives, rewards and honors are also very useful tools for an excellent leader. Clearly establishing reasons for negative behavior must also be conducted by every leader. If there is no reason to behave a certain way, many employees will discover that there are no consequences for behavior and will simply just not complete that task. Giving the same amount of money to both your good and poorly performing employees is another way to defeat success. Most people will understand that there is no reward for outstanding behavior and no consequence for not meeting goals and will simply perform in an average manner. No consequences for behavior produces no results.

When people do not behave as you expect them to behave, use the performance model to analyze which steps are missing. Many people simply try to “throw some training” at the problem when your people already know how to perform the task. Rather, you should carefully analyzing all steps in the model. Most times, at least two parts of the model will be missing and will have to be addressed before performance can be maximized. Address those steps in the model and your people will begin to accomplish great things.

Using the model is not easy and takes practice for new habits to become engrained. However, once you start to view human performance as a system, rather than just a single event, you will begin your journey as a true human performance expert; achieving goal after goal and enjoying your job more every day. Understand the system and apply it and you will soon see your people becoming more successful while enjoying their work more each and every day.