With just a few applications remaining to be processed, more than 800 individuals from the United States and around the world took advantage of the Grandparenting provision and received the Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) designation. Additionally, the International Society for Performance Improvement gained many new members through the certification process. To view a full list of CPTs, visit www.certifiedpt.org.

Certification represents a major step in the evolution of performance technology as a true profession. There are a number of organizations now using the Standards of Performance Technology to select and develop their performance improvement professionals. Some have gone so far as to imbed the CPT certification process into their personnel development plan. And, several colleges and universities have adopted the Standards as the underlying structure for their performance improvement curricula.

In meeting standards and criteria as performance improvement practitioners, CPTs demonstate an understanding of what it takes to produce desired, measurable results through a systematic and reproducible process. The certification credential enables Certified Performance Technologists to distinguish themselves in the marketplace to employers and clients.

In an effort to spread our message to other audiences, ISPI has formed an alliance with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) to make the CPT designation available to their 450 member organizations. By special arrangement, we have extended the Grandparenting provision for APQC until October 1, 2004. In addition, ISPI has made a similar agreement with the U.S. Navy to support their transition to performance technology.

The current CPT application has two provisions. The first is for those with three or more years experience in the field of performance improvement or related fields such as instructional design, organizational development, and human resource management. Applicants under this provision must demonstrate their use of the first four Standards three times and the remaining six Standards twice. Those applicants with more than 10 years of experience may apply under a new provision that allows them to qualify for the designation by documenting their experience and demonstrating how their work exemplified use of the 10 Standards. The cost for applying under either provision is the same, $895 for ISPI members and affiliated member groups and $1,195 for non-members.

For those of you interested in joining our growing list of CPTs, you can get more information by visiting www.certifiedpt.org. Questions may be directed to certified@ispi.org.

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by Karen VanKampen, CPT

A competency is a behavior or set of behaviors that describes desirable performance in a job, department or function, or organization. Competencies are used in a variety of ways—everything from hiring qualified employees to evaluating job performance to developing training.

From many years of experience in this business, I have seen competencies of every size, shape, and form. Some competencies are described as a characteristic, as in “Accepts responsibility.” Others are described in terms of a skill or knowledge, as in “Prioritizes goals.” But in virtually all cases, the competencies I’ve seen are far too general to help clients improve performance consistently across specific jobs or functions.

When competencies are communicated to employees in general terms, it’s usually up to the job performers to interpret if and how the competencies affect their jobs. This can lead to a wide variation in behaviors or actions, leading to inconsistent performance.

At the same time, broadly based competencies produce broadly based training. One of the deceptively attractive attributes of a generally stated competency such as “Be a good leader” is that it easily lends itself to any off-the-shelf training product having to do with leadership. Unfortunately, it is difficult for a generic product to provide learners with the skills and knowledge they need to perform to their organization’s expectations.

For this reason, I’m often called upon to help clients drill down to the level of detail needed to turn general competencies into specific performance measures that can drive workforce improvement. Here are some ways to help you make existing competencies more useful:

A Case in Point
Consider the following example of an Account Representative who must “accept responsibility.”

By following these steps to further clarify competencies, you will find it easier to:

• Develop a targeted training solution or locate an appropriate off-the-shelf product that provides the specific skills, knowledge, and characteristics employees need to meet the organization’s needs.
• Provide needed tools to support the performance of the competencies.
• Evaluate job performance against the competencies.
• Assess the skills, knowledge, and characteristics of job candidates.

  Karen VanKampen is director of consulting for CEP. As director, she plans, directs, and manages performance-based training projects designed to assist organizations in achieving their workforce performance goals. Karen has spoken at a number of ISPI conferences and local chapter meetings. She may be reached at kvankampen@cepworldwide.com.

NOTE: Reprinted with permission of The Center for Effective Performance, Inc. from CEP’s e-newsletter, June 2003, Issue 3.3, © 2003.

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by Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan, CPT

As ISPI’s 42^nd Annual International Performance Improvement Conference & Exposition draws closer, conference organizers are busy adding finishing touches to the program. Presenters are preparing their sessions. Vendors are getting their exhibits ready. And, the keynoters are polishing their scripts. What are you doing, as a participant, to get ready for the 2004 ISPI conference?

I went to my first NSPI conference in 1968 in Washington, DC. Since then, I have missed only one NSPI/ISPI conference. That’s a total of 34 conferences. You may think that I’m a slow learner, but the funny thing is that every time I attend an ISPI conference, I learn faster and better. It must be because I have learned how to learn from the conference. Here’s a strategy I use:

Blend planned activities with the unplanned. Select conference sessions by systematically matching your needs with session objectives. Once a day, however, close your eyes and open to a random page of the conference program. Attend the first session listed on that page—even if it makes no sense to you. Attend the session with an open mind and the conviction that the new knowledge and skills will significantly improve your professional and personal performance. Go ahead and surprise yourself. 

You probably have your own strategies for getting maximum benefit from conference attendance. I have designed an OQ page for sharing conference attendance strategies. 

Click here to go to this month’s OQ page and record your suggestion(s) for improving the return-on-investment of conference participation. After you have finished, click around to read other people’s ideas. Then, select a personal set of strategies to take with you to Tampa to maximize your experience.

On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, Neil Rackham, author of the best-selling book SPIN^® Selling, will address attendees at ISPI’s 42^nd Annual International Performance Improvement Conference & Exposition, but this month he sat down with ISPI President, Guy Wallace, CPT, to discuss his take on Human Performance Technology.

Neil, I’ve been following your work since the early 1980s and was surprised several months ago to discover your roots with ISPI and HPT. For our readers, can you share with us your personal history with NSPI/ISPI and with Human Performance Technology (HPT)?

I was very much involved in the early stages of HPT’s evolution and worked with the early thinkers such as Geary Rummler, Tom Gilbert, Earl Rose, Roger Harrison, and Dave Berlew in formulating approaches to performance improvement that have evolved to today’s versions. One of my first organizations was a company I named “Performance Improvement,” and it existed in the early 1970s, before that became a much more familiar term.

How would you personally define HPT? 

HPT is the systematic analysis of performance to produce validated models of effective performance that are teachable and lead to worthwhile, superior performance improvement. It is a “technology” because it is systematic, measurable, and has methods. HPT is “worthwhile” because it is teachable and leads to superior results compared to most non-HPT approaches.

What do you see as the Value Proposition of HPT?

I see two elements of the Value Proposition of HPT: Lower Costs and Superior Results for human development. Using HPT will result in lower costs for performance development due to the use of validated performance models and focusing on the right behaviors in the first place. Superior results are due to the use of HPT’s measurement methods of performance and improvement results.

How have you used and contributed to HPT in your career and your research orientation?

Perhaps what I’ve done is highlight the importance of and develop methods of “Behavior Analysis” research for understanding high performance, and how to build validated models of high performance.

When I started, the current methods included interviews and surveys, which do work for simple tasks, but don’t for complex skills. High performers don’t know what it is they do to make their performance superior. You have to observe them in action and analyze what is different.

And, you should not compare high performers to low performers because all you end up with is an anatomy of poor performance. Instead, one should determine the differences between average performers and high performers. My methods for Behavior Analysis provide tools and techniques for observing, measuring, and documenting the differences.

My best known work in this regard was the research I led over a 12-year period in the sales arena for Xerox and IBM, where we observed more than 35,000 sales calls and systematically measured performance behaviors and results. In today’s dollars that study would cost in the $30 million range.

However, measuring sales performance is much easier than, say, supervisory and managerial performance. But, we have done that as well. In the 1990s, we produced HPT-type models of high performance that both Xerox and Motorola used in their successful submissions for the National Malcolm Baldrige Award.

Where do your HPT philosophies and various applications such as in “Win-Win approaches,” “S.P.I.N. Selling approaches,” and “Partnering approaches” fit in for the typical HPT practitioner?

Whenever you are trying to improve performance, you are working toward a model of high performance. Your first issues are: Where did your model come from, and is it valid? If you don’t have a valid, research-based model, you won’t create significant performance improvement results.

For example, common in most sales training is teaching the importance of sales people asking open questions versus closed questions. This concept was first introduced by E.K. Strong in the 1920s. This has been taught to generation after generation of sales staff. But is it valid?

Research shows there is no measurable difference between high-performing sales personnel and average performers when looking at the use of open and closed questions. It does seem to make “common sense” that open questions are more powerful than closed questions. But it doesn’t prove out in the research.

If you can’t do the research yourself, because you can’t afford to do it or take the time to do it, read what is already available. Don’t believe the responses to questions in interviews and surveys of high-performing sales people. They don’t really know what they are doing to achieve their superior results.

The second part of this interview with Neil Rackham will appear in the February issue of PerformanceXpress. For more information on his presentation in Tampa, click here.

I had a mentor who helped me become proficient in my profession. My mentor was not a man who blazed trails. He was not a creator of the theories or models we use to do our jobs. He did not write books. He was at the heart and soul of all we do in performance technology—he was a doer. He loved sharing his knowledge and experience to help others grow, and he made an investment in me. He gave generously of his time and energy and shared his knowledge and skills to help me achieve my goals. He allowed me to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. My mentor taught me much about our craft—how to do it in a way that involved learners and how to transfer that learning to the workplace. I use the skills he taught me every day. They were his view of our profession—a combination of theory and his experience—simplified so even a beginner like me could understand.

It was he who taught me the power of sharing knowledge. He told me that the more I helped others and gave away what I learned, the more I would learn. In today’s highly competitive information age, where power is knowledge, imagine being told to give your knowledge away. And he was right, the more I gave, the more I learned. I was learning to make an investment in others.

Not only did my mentor guide me in my craft, but he mentored me in ISPI as well. He encouraged me to get involved in my local ISPI chapter. He introduced me to many people and expanded my professional network. Under his guidance and encouragement, I volunteered on committees, presented at conferences, and applied for awards. He encouraged me to stay involved and to continue learning. He was always making an investment in me.

There is great satisfaction in helping others to become successful. You do not have to be a pioneer or a trailblazer to make a difference. Mentors make great investments in others and ask for nothing in return. They are the ones listening and quietly guiding new people into our profession and our Society. They are helping others to grow.

I challenge each of you to become a mentor and make an investment in others and in our Society. All you have to do is share a little of yourself, your knowledge, your successes, and even your failures. All you have to do is help just one person get involved in ISPI and make them feel comfortable in their professional home. Ask yourself, “Are you up to the challenge?” Then, become a mentor.

The Nominating Committee has announced the slate of candidates for the upcoming 2004-2006 Board of Directors election. This year the membership will elect a President-elect and three Directors. They will join the President, two continuing Board members, and the non-voting Executive Director who make up the eight-member Board.

The slate was developed by the Nominating Committee, which received nominations from the membership and determined the willingness of those nominated to run. All the candidates meet the qualifications and criteria of the positions. For further information on the qualifications and criteria, click here. In mid-December, members can view the Candidate Statement from each nominee on the ISPI website.

For the first time, ISPI will hold its annual Board election electronically, and active members will vote for candidates to the Board online. Since your link to the “voting booth” will be sent via email in mid-January, it is important that ISPI has your most current email address on file. To review your record, visit www.ispi.org and click on My ISPI to login. Or, you may call us at 301.587.8570.

The candidates for the 2004-2006 Board of Directors are:  

by Todd Packer

Happy holidays! Through our “I-Spy” column, we hope to offer some useful leisure-time reading for our readership through relevant, interesting, and useful websites for performance technologists. Each month, we take readers to off-the-beaten-path sites that help them find similar thinkers, resources, work, new ideas, and sometimes just plain old fun.

Quick recap: Every month, three sites, one theme. While far from comprehensive, hopefully these sites will spark readers to look further and expand views about human performance technology (HPT). Please keep in mind that any listing is for informational purposes only and does not indicate an endorsement either by the International Society for Performance Improvement or me.

These are the general categories I use for the sites featured:

1. E-Klatch: Links to professional associations, research, and resources that can help refine and expand our views of HPT through connections with other professionals and current trends
2. HPT@work: Links to job listings, career development, volunteer opportunities, and other resources for applying your individual skills
3. I-Candy: Links to sites that are thought provoking, enjoyable, and refreshing to help manage the stresses and identify new ideas for HPT

The theme for this month’s column is “With joy.” In a season of celebration, we can take time to reflect on our year—our successes, our challenges, and our hope for a better future. As many cultures emphasize in diverse holiday traditions, we find that joy can be a powerful tool for human performance improvement. So, bring your spirit of inspiration and oversized, floppy shoes along as we hunt for happiness on the web beneath a gentle blanket of stellar dendrites.

E-Klatch
Where can we find joy in HPT? One arena is workplace well-being. A visit to the Canadian Centre for Management Development provides several articles and resources on improving life, satisfaction, and well-being at work. Check out the interesting stats and tips on workplace satisfaction.

HPT@work
When I first told a good friend about ISPI and human performance improvement, his comment was “Are you people with a circus?” Well, judge our performance affinity for yourself as you peruse the joyful performance site of the World Clown Association. Learn about clowns, print pages to color, and consider preparing a performance for their annual convention in March 2004. If you’re seeking work in the global performance arena, tumble to Australia’s National Circus and Physical Theatre Association, complete with a job listing for Training Manager and Circus Trainers!

I-Candy
Of course, there is nothing like the joy of snow for the holidays in the northern hemisphere or on your local mountaintop. But a PTer isn’t satisfied with merely catching snowflakes on the tongue. We need a sophisticated analytical coding system about these chilly crystal fractals. Well, shiver on over to Snowcrystals.com designed by Kenneth G. Libbrecht, a professor of physics at California Institute of Technology, and learn more than enough information about these complex ice crystals. Cool photos and pattern categorization (including stellar dendrites) abound on this site.

Until next time, may your holiday season be filled with warmth, peace, and joy. See you and “e” you in the new year of PerformanceXpress!

When he is not Internet trawling for ISPI, Todd Packer can be found improving business, non-profit, and individual performance through research, training, and innovation coaching as Principal Consultant of Todd Packer and Associates based in Cleveland, Ohio. He may be reached at toddpacker@usa.net.

by Carol Haig, CPT

When did you last update your résumé? Been awhile, has it? Feel squirmy just thinking about it? You are not alone. Most of us find updating our résumé a miserable chore. And, most experts tell us we should do it every six months. Groan...

Easy Update
While I cannot make your résumé update itself, I can suggest the next best thing: a painless process that will enable easy tune-ups in the future accompanied by that wonderfully satisfied feeling of a job well done.

Let’s assume you have a serviceable, error-free résumé that helped you land your last job, and that you have significant achievements to showcase for your next career move, whenever that may be.

Résumé Bones

Good “bones” underlie the longevity of gorgeous models, handsome buildings, and effective résumés. Which of these does yours have?

• Current contact information, including email
• A succinct skill summary of no more than three or four sentences
• Chronological work history including: employers, locations, job titles, dates, brief statements of job responsibilities, examples of accomplishments
• Education and training, including: degrees earned, schools and locations (with dates, unless you are over 40), relevant in-service training, advanced coursework
• Professional affiliations, including: associations, offices held, and dates
• Publications

Is your résumé two pages or less in length? Be sure to keep it that way as you tune it up.

Whether your résumé is chronological or functional (this is a separate discussion) start by updating the mechanical items from the list above, such as your skill summary, new jobs or employers, training, professional activities, and publications.

With that out of the way, you have already completed much of your tune-up, and you are ready to confront the challenging part of this task: your accomplishments. Let’s assume you have some sprinkled throughout your old résumé. You will probably need to streamline and re-focus those and then add more recent examples. Making the time and effort to thoroughly document the results you have achieved in your work will, I promise you, significantly set you apart from your fellow professionals and enable you to clearly express in writing and in interviews how your expertise adds value.

On a separate pad of paper, and starting with your current position, list all the accomplishments you can recall. Do this for your entire work history, position by position. It will be worth it. Aim for two to four solid examples for each job.

PARs

But how? I hear you moan. Drake Beam Morin, the respected outplacement experts, teach clients an effective process for pulling accomplishments from their memory bank in a succinct and compelling way that is perfect for résumés. Called PARs (^©Drake Beam Morin), for Problem, Action, Result, they help you capture clear statements of the problem or opportunity you resolved, the actions you took, and the (measurable—usually in money earned or saved, or time decreased) results you achieved.

Let’s try one. Problem: the sales people in your company were not meeting their cross-selling goals. Action: you created an automated tool to prompt them with cross-sell possibilities and trained them to use it. Result: the cross-sell ratio for the trained group increased, raising revenues 25% in the first six months post-training.

Your streamlined accomplishment statement might read: Raised revenues 25% in six months (R) by creating an automated cross-sell prompt (A) that enabled sales people to exceed their production goals (P). If you have figures for the production increase, so much the better. Placing the result first captures the prospective employer’s interest and enables him or her to quickly learn what you can do.

Future Tune-Ups
Accomplishments become easier to describe as you work with the PARs formula. One of the best things you can do for your professional self is to keep a log in an accessible place on your computer. When you finish a project, get in the habit of assessing your accomplishments and adding them to your PARs list. In six months, you’ll be ready for your next résumé tune-up. And, it will take you no time at all.

Carol Haig, CPT, leads Carol Haig & Associates, a consulting firm that helps organizations improve employee performance to meet business goals. In addition to her corporate engagements, Carol assists individuals with their résumés, brochures, and related marketing collateral. You may reach her at carolhaig@earthlink.net.

NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Fall 2003 edition of the Wilkins Group Tool Kit.

by Bob Bodine, CPT, 2004 Conference Chair

In 2004, we would like to introduce, and reintroduce, more of your colleagues to ISPI’s 42^nd Annual International Performance Improvement Conference & Exposition, April 18-23 in Tampa, Florida. This is why we are offering the Bring-a-Colleague rate once again. When you register, before February 13, 2004, for the full conference at the member or delegate rate, you may also register a colleague for only $350—provided your colleague has not attended an ISPI Annual Conference in the past three years (2001-2003). Here is a taste of what you will experience in Tampa:

The event starts with ISPI’s two HPT Institutes on April 18-20: Principles & Practices of Performance Improvement and Making the Transition to Performance Improvement. In addition to the Institutes, the conference offers attendees the opportunity to participate in half-, one-, and two-day workshops on April 19-20. These workshops come with a money-back guarantee and are delivered by experts in the HPT field. Registration is limited to ensure you have a close learning relationship with the presenter(s).

On Tuesday, April 20, the conference, themed Partnering for Performance, will start with an opening session that will set the tone for the partnering, connecting, and learning that will carry you through the next three days. Neil Rackham and Joseph Sener, Vice President for Business Excellence, Baxter Healthcare, will be the Keynote Presenters. For more information on Neil, read Guy Wallace’s interview with him found in this issue of PerformanceXpress.

The Masters’ Series program is designed to provide conference attendees with an in-depth analysis of the trends and issues facing human performance improvement practitioners. These speakers are personally selected by the ISPI President because of their expertise and accomplishments in HPT. The presenters for 2004 are: Dale Brethower, John Coné, Belia Nel, Tim Johnson, Geary Rummler, Ray Svenson, and Klaus D. Wittkuhn.

The conference program will include more than 200 concurrent sessions. In response to feedback from 2003 conference attendees, we expanded the number of concurrent session time slots and reduced the number of sessions per slot to give greater access to the presentations.

I’d like to take a moment to recognize and thank the 2004 track chairs: Partnering for Performance, Ireta Ekstrom & Jordan Brun; Interventions: Processes or Tools, Jean Strosinski & Paul Cook; The Business of HPT, Eileen Banchoff; Interventions: Instructional, Ina Federal; Academic Forum, James Pershing; The Future of HPT, Ron Ryan; Evaluation & Continuous Improvement, Jeanne Strayer; Analysis of Needs, Problems or Opportunities, Steve Villachica; International Forum, Jolanda Botke; Interventions: Organization Development & Strategic Alignment, Erika Gilmore & Laurie Hoover; Cracker Barrel, Steven Wagner-Davis & Bob Bodine; and Poster Sessions, Jeff Kaminski.

In addition, 13 Encore Presentations will enhance the conference program. These sessions were selected based on attendee feedback from the 2003 Annual Conference as being worthy of repeating.

The Exhibit Hall, scheduled from the April 20-22, gives attendees an opportunity to meet and talk with leading vendors in the field of HPT. You can survey products, gain in-depth product information, and compare approaches in one venue.

This conference is the result of a collective effort by the Steering Committee, Track Chairs, Proposal Reviewers, presenters, vendors, and of course, ISPI leaders and staff. The 2004 Annual Conference is posed to continue the tradition of being the premier performance improvement event of the year. All we need to make it complete is YOU! Mark your personal and professional development calendar now so you can attend this event. One final suggestion: as you are making your new year’s resolutions, make one more: Become involved in your professional organization. It will bring you years of rewards. See you at the conference! Click here to register today!

When fact-finding during an interview in support of a performance assessment, use a thoughtful, engaging opening statement and turn irritating inquisitions into invigorating explorations. A more fruitful approach to eliciting information from others is one of being less of an inquirer and more of an explorer. More openness occurs in an exploration than in an inquisition. People tighten up during an inquisition, but open up during an exploration. Inquisitions are abrupt and blunt, whereas explorations are more diplomatic. Fact-finding should not be a painful struggle.

Begin the session by explaining that what is about to occur is an exploration, that everyone involved is on the same team, and that everyone is eager to accomplish the mission. This sets the stage for a meaningful and open exchange. The following generic opening statement paves the way for a stimulating exchange:

“In order to identify the areas in which we can improve performance, we should think of this meeting as a concerted effort to explore the present and desired levels of performance as we work together to improve performance.”

Examining the above statement, the very first phrase of concerted effort has the effect of raising the level of effort applied to the endeavor while promoting harmony among the participants. The next part of the statement, to explore the present and desired levels of performance evokes a desire not only to get the facts, but also to be sure that they are relevant to performance. Following that with the assurance as we work together to improve performance amplifies the desire to identify the relevant causes for the performance gap in a team-like spirit. These words also instill a keen interest in contributing to the endeavor. The above opening statement, while it is a mouthful, resonates with zeal. If yours does the same, you’re sure to enjoy the ensuing exhilarating exploration.

By their very nature, explorations result in greater cohesiveness among participants than do inquisitions, but explorations may turn into intrusive inquisitions if not careful. While it is important to start out each session with an opening statement to the effect that what is about to occur is an exploration, it is nevertheless paramount to continue in that vein. Employing the phrases of “now let’s explore…” and “explore with me now if you will…” throughout the discussion continues the quest for exploration as opposed to inquisition. Including phrases such as “not wanting to leave any stone unturned, let’s now explore…” and “the next path we have to explore is…” further involves the participants in exploration as opposed to inquisition. Some questioning, of course, is natural and desirable, only the focus should remain on pursuing energizing explorations rather than grueling inquisitions fraught with mundane questions.

Explorations as opposed to inquisitions leave participants with more of a sense of accomplishment, particularly when the participants’ explorations make a significant impact on the outcome. In any event, a thankful, positive, concluding statement about the ramifications and implications of the exploration experience justifies the extra effort made in pursuing explorations. In addition, the more exhaustive explorations usually reduce the need for follow-up sessions. However, if needed, previous participants generally are much more approachable after experiencing an enlivened exploration than experiencing an annoying inquisition. So start your exploration today!

An Information Technology Security Analyst with Spherecom Enterprises, Inc., G. Robert Michaelis analyzes an organization’s security posture and recommends solutions to the myriad of threats posed in the IT arena. Mr. Michaelis also owns a performance consulting home-based business, Intrifest, Inc. He may be reached at mike@intrifest.com.

by Guy W. Wallace, CPT, ISPI President

On my way to the September Board meeting, I participated in several ISPI events that I would like to share with you.

The three-day, Principles & Practices Institute at Chicago’s Palmer House was attended by 36 individuals who represented a wide spectrum of industries and U.S. geographies. I attended their final lunch on Wednesday and sat with five people, of which four of them were fairly or completely new to ISPI. They were excited by what they were learning at the Institute. That evening, the Chicago ISPI chapter (CISPI) held a Cracker Barrel session.

On Thursday morning, I had the pleasure of making the opening remarks at ISPI’s Fall Conference on Performance-based Instructional Systems Design. The feedback I heard throughout the three days was extremely positive. Negatives were: “too many good sessions, I can’t choose!” This is why ISPI offers a CD-Rom of all sessions’ audio and visuals!

The ISPI Executive Committee meeting began just after the kick-off of the Fall Conference. Board member and treasurer Barbara Gough joined president-elect Don Tosti and myself to review and modify the proposed budget for the next fiscal year (October 1, 2003-September 30, 2004). We were to amend as needed, and then approve a budget recommendation for the full Board, to be presented at the Board of Directors meeting beginning the next day.

The Board of Directors (BoD) meeting dealt with the budget, the emerging strategic and operational plan (S&OP), several smaller items, and a new alcohol policy. This last item was addressed because the Board felt strongly about protecting the Society, while not embracing total abstinence. This new policy puts some control on all alcohol at ISPI events. We are attempting to minimize liability issues such as under-age drinking, unlimited consumption, and dissatisfaction issues such as long lines or subsidizing other’s drinking.

The S&OP is an alignment document and is the first cut at an articulation of our Societal Goals, each with sub-goals further defining our intent. Activities (“Objectives” in years past) are then listed, prioritized, and put into a time frame of next 1-2 years, then 3-4 years out, and finally, 5+ years out. Some things are important, but come after other groundwork has been laid. Our hope is to get this out to appointed leadership to begin discussions about alignment, organization, and resources. Most of that will occur after the Tampa Conference on Don Tosti’s watch.

Our next BoD meeting is in January in Tampa. The Board will review the outcomes of the Presidential Initiative Task Force’s Think Tank that just took place in November. I will update readers on this meeting in the January issue of PerformanceXpress! For more information on the initiative, click here.

New dates are now available for the International Society for Performance Improvement’s premier learning event—Principles & Practices (P&P) of Performance Improvement. The program is for individuals ready to acquire the performance consulting mindset so critical in today’s business climate. P&P demonstrates proven tools and techniques that are used in the performance improvement arena.

Participants will apply the skills of performance consulting and the techniques introduced in this workshop to diagnose performance improvement opportunities and prescribe strategies and tactics to address them. Takeaways include models, best practices, resources, and a network of colleagues with a broad array of expertise.

The Principles & Practices Institute will take place “On the Internet” February 2-20, July 12-30, and October 11-29, 2004. It will be held on-site in conjunction with ISPI’s 2004 Annual Conference on April 18-20 in Tampa, Florida. In addition, Making the Transition to Performance Improvement will be in Tampa on April 18-20, also in conjunction with the conference. For the most current dates and information about ISPI’s HPT Institutes, visit www.ispi.org.

Host an On-Site or Online Institute

ISPI will bring an On-site or Online Institute to your employees and will work with your organization to tailor the contents to your needs. For more information, contact institute@ispi.org.

ISPI is looking for Human Performance Technology (HPT) articles (approximately 500 words and not previously published) for PerformanceXpress that bridge the gap from research to practice (please, no product or service promotion is permitted). Below are a few examples of the article formats that can be used:

• Short “I wish I had thought of that” Articles
• Practical Application Articles
• The Application of HPT
• Success Stories

In addition to the article, please include a short bio (2-3 lines) and a contact email address. All submissions should be sent to april@ispi.org. Each article will be reviewed by one of ISPI’s on-staff HPT experts, and the author will be contacted if it is accepted for publication. If you have any further questions, please contact april@ispi.org.

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Feel free to forward ISPI’s PerformanceXpress newsletter to your colleagues or anyone you think may benefit from the information. If you are reading someone else’s PerformanceXpress, send your complete contact information to april@ispi.org, and you will be added to the PerformanceXpress emailing list.

PerformanceXpress is an ISPI member benefit designed to build community, stimulate discussion, and keep you informed of the Society’s activities and events. This newsletter is published monthly and will be emailed to you at the beginning of each month.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact April Davis, ISPI’s Senior Director of Publications, at april@ispi.org.

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