Our Performance Improvement process begins with an understanding of the Business Drivers facing the industry and the organisation. They often include well known challenges such as globalisation, increasing competition, mergers and acquisitions, lower product pricing and so on. These Business Drivers of course, ultimately impact the business strategy.

The Business Strategy you then adopt, based on your Business Drivers, will be executed through the Work Processes of your business and the job requirements of every person within it.

Understanding this contextual flow of business drivers to business strategy is essential to position the necessity for change and investment in performance improvement at every level and every stage of the initiative - it answers the question of "Why?" (Why this change? Why now? Why me?)

Information encompasses the assessment and data gathering necessary to plan, launch, reinforce and evaluate any Performance Improvement initiative. As a business strategy changes, so does the need for information about the current and future state of the organisation, its people and processes.

Likewise as a performance initiative progresses the need for critical impact information is critical to the sustainability of the programme.

Integration of training activities with other performance improvement supports like workplace tools and technologies, efficient work processes, performance measures and management coaching is essential to the success of this approach.

When integration of these efforts isn't proactively managed, and the individual tools are applied in isolation, a human performance improvement initiative loses cohesiveness and power. It is comparable to an otherwise sturdy table with one wobbly leg - one weak link endangers the entire supporting structure.

Development involves making informed decisions about the best methods for delivering the content for maximum impact and efficiency. Development also means ensuring that developmental tools are tied to strategic imperatives, integrated with day-to-day work processes and reinforced by management.

Alignment means getting all key stakeholders on the same page in support of a Human Performance Improvement approach.

When executives, managers, key influencers and frontline employees are all "rowing the boat in the same direction," it propels the initiative forward.

Conversely, sustained resistance or indifference in the ranks can stop such initiatives dead in their tracks.

With a focus on balancing the right solutions in each of the critical areas; Information, Development, Integration and Aligment, there is usually specific work in each of the areas depicted in the four arrows on the model:

• Identify, assess and develop the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) that are required to implement the strategy and performance change;
• Build and integrate the Tools and Processes required to support and reinforce the day to day application of the new knowledge, skills, and abilities;
• Measure and provide Feedback about performance, at both an individual and organisational level;
• Align Management and Coaching activities that continually support the performance improvement.