There are critical first steps to take when designing a Performance Support solution that fits both the needs and culture of your organization. We examine valuable lessons for anyone launching their first performance support solution, and study lessons from other first-time performance support efforts that reinforce the importance of a client champion, and the consequences of not clearly explaining what you're doing and why. This is based on my experience as a PM and conversations with other PMs on things they will definitely repeat, and things they don’t want to do ever again. Whether you're lucky enough to be the first to run a performance support project, or just engaged in grassroots guerrilla performance support, this presentation introduces some of the basic skills and approaches anyone can use to get started with a performance support project.

1. Climbing the Learning Curve for
Performance Support Project Rookies
Session W105
14 January 2015
Chris King

2. Performance Support…
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 2
…is embedded in the work
process such that the
learning is accessed in the
context of the work flow
and helps solve a very
specific business problem.
Elliot Masie
…provides employees
with a way to learn and
improve skills while doing
real tasks on the job.
Carla Torgerson and Phillip Neal
…is an orchestrated set of technology-
enabled services that provide
on-demand access to integrated
information, guidance, advice,
assistance, training and tools to enable
high-level job performance with a
minimum of support from other people.
Gloria Gery
…ensures people can
perform effectively when
they are called upon to act.
Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher

3. Performance Support is…
2. Contextual 3. Just Enough
Knows who
you are,
and what
you’re
doing
In the
workflow
Only enough
information
to complete
the action
1. Embedded
14 January 2015 3

4. The Performance Support Pyramid
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 4
IncreasingLevelsofSupport

5. The Five Moments of Learning Need
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 5
3.
Apply
1. New
2.
More
4.
Solve
5.
Change

6. The Five Moments of Learning Need
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 6
3.
Apply
1. New
2.
More
4.
Solve
5.
Change
Acquisition of
Knowledge
aka Formal Instruction
Application and
Maintenance of Knowledge
aka Performance Support

7. 14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 7
Proficiency/Competence
Time
1
2
3
4
What we
imagine
happens
What
actually
happens
Without
support
With
support
Training Post-Training
Source: Mark Rosenberg, At the Moment of Need: The Case for Performance Support, eLearning Guild White Paper, 2013
The magic
proficiency line
Are learners truly competent after training?

8. Example: moving from Knowledge-Based to Performance-Based Learning
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 8
Source: Conrad Gottfredson, A.G.I.L.E. Instructional Design Workshop, Apply Synergies, 2013

9. Case Study
Very large
federal
agency; widely
dispersed
audience;
•Office of Resolution
Management, responsible
for handling EEO
complaints (estimated to
cost the organization
$75K per complaint)
Three Week
Hybrid
Conference
• 21 hours of both ILT
and virtual learning
• Virtual keynote
• Integrated Informal
Learning activities
Integrated
Performance
Support Tool
• Focus on the process to
settling EEO complaints
before they become
formal
• 3 roles, 3 complaint
types

10. Step 1: Get your team on board
Your team Your Executive Champion
Support your biggest
supporter
They may need the right words for
their key audiences
The right words explain the business
value and map to the key indicators
for your organization
Help them say the right things and
set expectations
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 10
Help your
ISDs/Developers
They might feel threatened
But this approach only increases
their scope
So provide them with training and
their own performance support

11. Step 2: Polish your pitch
Have on hand
Road Show
Slide Deck
Quick Guide
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 11
You will be surprised at how often you have to
explain what you are doing
Valuable Resource: Selling Performance
Support: Building Stakeholder Buy-in by
Marc Rosenberg (eLearning Guild White
Paper, 2014)

12. Create a formal Communications Plan
Step 3: Communications and Marketing
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 12
Engage front line managers in
your communications
Don’t forget to keep the rest
of your team informed as well
Change is hard; help it
happen

13. Step 4: Leverage your Support Desk
They talk to your target audience
every day
Increase visibility of the tool by
having them referencing the tool
on a regular basis with their callers
They also have metrics that can
show how your solution is making
an impact
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 13

14. Step 5: Integrate PS into Training
Show your
audiences
how to use it
in the context
of the content
Integrate the
tool into
exercises and
actvities
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 14
How we can reduce
or change what we
cover in training
when there is a
robust PS solution in
place?

15. Summary
Get your team (internal and external) on board.
Polish your pitch.
Communicate early and often.
Leverage your Support Desk.
Integrate PS into your training.
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 15

16. THANK YOU!
Chris King
Chris@crklearning.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
Your feedback is encouraged and
welcomed! Please take a moment
to complete the Session Evaluation
for this session: W105, Climbing the
Learning Curve for Performance
Support Project Rookies

17. References
• Brian Dusablon. “Responsive Performance Support With WordPress.” TD Magazine
Online, October 8, 2014. https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-
Archive/2014/10/Responsive-Performance-Support-with-Wordpress
• Gloria Gery. “Why Don’t We Weigh Them?.” CBT Solutions Magazine, May/June 1997.
Acessed through the Internet Archive WaybackMachine:
http://web.archive.org/web/19971011044357/http://www.cbtsolutions.com/html/gery-
9705.htm
• Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher. Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and
Practices for Learning in the Workflow. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011.
• Mark Rosenberg. At the Moment of Need: The Case for Performance Support. eLearning
Guild White Paper, 2013.
• Rosenberg. Selling Performance Support: Building Stakeholder Buy-in. eLearning Guild
White Paper, 2014.
Join the Performance Support Community of Practice at http://performersupport.ning.com
This is a dynamic, vibrant and invitation-only site comprised of 4,000+ practitioners. For an
invitation to join, send me a note at chris@crklearning.com
14 January 2015 2014 Chris King • 17