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HPT and the High Technology Industry
by Michael Peters and Erica Groschler

Regardless of the specific products or services that many companies produce, they all face a similar problem - how to maintain the knowledge, skill and performance levels of their people in the face of rapidly changing technology and products. The problem is further complicated by the short lead time for creating information and instruction, widely distributed audiences with varying needs for the information/instruction (infostruction) and little time to spend acquiring and mastering the new knowledge and skills.

In the dreams of the futurists, the human performance needs of the high technology industry will be solved with technology. These dreams might look something like this:

A system designer completes final de-bugging on an inter-planetary network system. Using optic activation technology, she selects the "Distribution" icon floating in her cranially embedded design software. Instantaneously, the design data is re-constructed for distribution. Embedded needs analysis algorithms direct content extraction programs to create data pods for manufacturing, marketing, sales and support personnel. Infostruct algorithms automatically configure infostruction modules for each targeted biological recipient group. Distribution programs re-construct the infostruction modules for delivery. Manufacturing’s automated purchasing and production software is updated to produce the new system and components begin rolling off the Lunar Manufacturing line. Module packet signals are sent to the cranial implants of system and support engineers, deleting old system information and replacing it with the new design. Marketing and sales receive the new infostruction in pill form, as the cranial implant technology is not yet sophisticated enough for these biological units. A short de-bugging curve is played out as the biological units resist parting with their old cranial code. Finally, production, sales and implementation goals are achieved within a 36 hour time frame. However, executive management notes that this turn around time is still 30 minutes behind their primary competitors and sends a scathing intercranial memo to the human performance team.

While this scenario is science fiction, it does reflect the following principles that can be applied using today’s "archaic" technology: ·

• Develop systems and relationships that minimize the distance (in time and space) between the source of new information, the human performance "translators" and the target audience.
  
  
• Streamline the ISD process by analyzing and designing those elements that do not change (audience, tasks, context) only once and modify them as needed.
  
  
• Establish development and delivery tools and templates for "automating" the design and development process.
  

To varying degrees, we have applied these principles with numerous high technology clients including Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and others. However, they also apply to other industries where the content (technology, products, markets) changes frequently, but the audience, performance requirements and learning context are fairly stable.

Developing systems and relationships that connect the source of change with the recipient of change, means never (or rarely) being surprised when change occurs. Specifically, high tech performance technologists need to:

• Get into the "information loop". Build relationships with the organizations and individuals who generate change. Identify who generates information change, understand their processes and assess the opportunities and obstacles (usually lack of time and inability to communicate) to rapid information transfer. Develop plans for gathering in-process information and then sell these change sources on the benefits of working with you.
  
  
• Help SMEs organize information. Many organizations and individuals who generate new technology or products are not skilled in organizing their message. They tend to overwhelm audiences with transfer of information presentations or documentation that are excessively technical and poorly organized. In our own work, we have provided SMEs with generic content outlines that help organize information into Marketing, User, Architectural and Internals levels. Coaching and editing services to SMEs can also be a big help, both for the SME and the HPTer.
  
  
• Become a SME. If you are working primarily with one industry or technology area, it behooves you to acquire as much subject matter expertise as you can. This will increase your perceived value and greatly facilitate communication and the creation of information or instruction. One caution - do not let knowledge of the subject, circumvent your dedication to lean and effective instruction.
  
  
• Keep the staffing consistent. It is difficult enough to keep up with information changes. Altering the project team members means adding more time to the development process because of learning curves. Although it can sometimes be difficult to retain the same team members, the more consistency within a team, the better chances of meeting the deadlines.
  
  
• Conduct Front-end Analysis. Sort out what training can cure from other required interventions. Propose feasible baskets of solutions that make sense to the client.
  
  
• Separate training from information. It is very important to create a clear distinction between training (transformation) and information (transmission). Distinguish this at the very beginning of your process (during the task analysis) and, as information changes and new information creeps in, determine (with your SMEs and stakeholders) what is required to fill a skill/knowledge gap and what is required as supporting documentation.
  
  
• Streamline the ISD process. This is one way of ensuring that we can keep up with the demands of our high tech clients. Use an accordion style approach with the instructional design model. Flesh out only those steps that require more detail and take advantage of steps that have already been performed for other training initiatives. For example, if the audience and context are the same, perform one learner analysis and one context analysis and re-use the information for any new projects within that client group.
  
  
• Develop templates that can be used and re-used. If the audience, performance, tasks and context do not change, then it stands to reason that the instructional design and delivery mechanism will not have to change either. Whether paper-based instructor guides or interactive Web pages, create templates for your delivery materials and drop in the new content. Some detailed design enhancement will be needed, but it will still be far more efficient than redesigning from scratch for every project.
  
  
• Use technology. Wherever and whenever the opportunity arises, use technology to build your solution. This is what your customers are used to and it will also help you build your solution more efficiently.

While these techniques will improve the efficiency of performance improvement initiatives, its important to keep in mind a few customer relationship principles.

• Set realistic expectations. Promise what you can deliver and deliver what you promise. When asked to do the impossible, describe the value of the possible. Clients often make requests or change the project scope and will require a clear explanation of their direct (and indirect) impact on timelines, deliverables and other concurrent initiatives.
  
  
• Obtain management (and/or champion) support. To deliver a successful product, especially in the high tech industry, management support is critical. There are far too many elements to keep track of and too many individuals who possess different pieces of information. With clear management support or a champion, the potential for a successful intervention increases significantly.
  
  
• Educate the clients. The high tech industry is young, but expanding at a very rapid pace. Experience with developing and delivering sustained, quality training is still limited. As consultants, it is our job to educate our clients about performance improvement, the instructional design process and the building of systemic solutions. This education process is lengthy and can take several iterations before the message is clear to the client organization.

Conclusion

Technoland of tomorrow may bring us miracles for enhancing performance, in ways we can not yet imagine. However, as we speed towards our wondrous future, let us improve our efficiencies today.

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