1. Running Head: HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FUNCTIONAL STEP
Human Performance Improvement Functional Step
Carrie Poteat, Sarah Murrary, Elizabeth Helton, Anna Ward, Devan Carter
Tusculum College

2. HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FUNCTIONAL STEP
Analysis is figuring out the problems that can hinder human performance and/or figures
out how human performance can be increased or made better. An analysts must be competent in
six areas: performance analysis skills, needs analysis survey design and development skills,
competency identification skill, questioning skill, analytical skill, and work environment
analytical skill (Rothwell, 2000) (p45-53). An analyst would use performance analysis skills to
identify the issues of a workplace using data, observations of the habits in the workplace, and
other issues keeping the workplace from being successful. An analyst would use the needs
analysis survey design and development skills find out what is going on within the workplace
from a grassroots level. This skill would also be used to evaluate the administration’s plans for
the future. Competency identification skills would be used to hiring, firing, job evaluations and
the maximizing of employee’s skills. This skill is important when you are trying to make and
communicate role specific jobs. The questioning skill is used by analysts to find the cause of
poor performance. Often when we test someone’s knowledge or tendencies, you can start to see
why they may struggle in certain areas. The right questions when hiring or analyzing can save a
workplace a ton of work, money, and consequences. Analytical skills are needed when data is
collected. An analyst can look at the data and point out the common themes that have caused
poor performance. Work environment analytical skills are needed when the workplace setting
may be the cause of performance issues. Sometimes the layout, design, or building may be the
thing that is impacting performance, in a positive or negative way. With the use of one of these
six skills, an analyst is able to identify, pin point, and isolate an issue before it becomes a larger
one. (Rothwell, 2000) (p45-53,82-83).
The most significant activities in this step are. You first must look at all of the aspects of
human performance figure out what the problem is and then you have to explore all of the things

3. HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FUNCTIONAL STEP
that will improve the performance. Once you figure out the solution you need to look at the
remaining steps and think about how they are going to affect performance. It is like “STAR”
Stop, Think, Act, Review, so when doing a review you have to stop, think, act, and review over
and over with each step to make sure the outcome is what you are expecting and that it is the
outcome that will actually improve human performance. “Because the analysis phrase defines,
frames, and directs the remaining steps, it is considered the most critical”(Swanson, 1994) (p.44).
With this quote it shows that the most significant activities in this step are “STAR” Stop, Think,
Act, and Review.
The major theorists and/or model developers who support analysis are the following:
Thomas Gilbert and Swanson. Thomas Gilbert (1982) viewed analysis’s main purpose in
Human Performance Improvement as seeking “to delineate our problems before rushing into a
solution” (p. 44). In other words, the point in analysis is describing the problem before conflict
happens. Rummler and Brache said that Human Performance Improvement practitioners must
“diagnose situations before implementing solutions” (p.44). The main reason why all of these
theorists/authors believe that analysis is the most important step in improvement is because it is
like a GPS. Once the destination is entered, then it helps direct you the remaining steps/turns.
Being able to to directly get to your destination is important, because one does not have time for
bunny trails and getting off the path.
What does analysis actually bring to of HPI? One of the main outputs of analysis is data.
The HRD or employee in general needs to be driven to constantly keep up with data of each
employee. Whether it be current personnel records to trainings. “With performance analysis
skills (front-end analysis), analysts may identify the best sources of data to identify existing gaps
or expected gaps due to anticipated changes in the work processes or environment.” (pg. 50). By

4. HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FUNCTIONAL STEP
obtaining these skills, an organization can be prepared and be preventative for gaps to come and
can be equipped to handle current performance gaps within their company. Data keeps up with
both the good performance skills and the bad and unwanted circumstances within the workplace.
Data and analysis also give the employer a way to design, develop, identify, question, utilize,
interpret, study, investigate, and determine new processes that best benefit their organization.
The role of the analyst is made up of six key competencies. They consist of performance
analysis skills, analysis survey design and development skills, competency identification skills,
questioning skills, analytical skills, and work environment analytical skills. The performance
analysis skills involve observing the performance of an individual and comparing it to the ideal
performance that an individual is capable of to measure performance gaps. The need of analysis
survey design and development skills are crucial for preparing question for employees to
determine where they are in need of assistance in human performance. Competency
identification skills are used for identifying the abilities and knowledge of groups. Questioning
skills are used to determine an individual’s abilities just simply through an interview. Analytical
skills are used to identifying individual components of a group to put together the components in
a way to where human performance can be improved. Work environment skills are useful for
examining work overall to determine if there are any improvements that can be made that are
affecting human performance.