Analyzing Performance Problems

Yesterday's post presented a key question to consider when you have an employee performance problem. Are you facing an issue of skill and thus need to coach and train, or are you facing a question of will and thus need to counsel and discipline? You may want to read that post first.

I was first introduced to the skill versus will question in a wonderful book, "Analyzing Performance Problems," first edition, by Robert Mager and Peter Pipe. The book was a gift from Bill Ahearn, former Director of Human Resources for Newport Creamery Restaurants. Bill had originally purchased a copy for himself and was so impressed by the merits of the book that he purchased several additional copies to give to others including myself.

This is one of the finest management books I have ever read. I began recommending it as soon as I finished reading it for the first time, over 2o years ago. The current version of the book is the third edition which I purchased when it was issued in 1997. It continues to be a wonderful resource for managers who must deal with employee performance problems. Even better, unlike so many other management books, it's easy to read. And you can read it conventionally, chapter by chapter, beginning to end, and gain a tremendous amount of information.

But you can also use the book dynamically as it is organized as a decision tree. Indeed the third edition includes a copy of the complete decision tree as a fold-out in the back of the book. You use the book dynamically by having a particular situation involving an individual employee in mind. As you come to each question (decision point) in the book you answer the question based on the situation you have in mind. Then you jump to the topic in the book indicated by your answer to the question. In a dynamic fashion you are skipping over information not applicable to your current situation, and instead follow a path reflecting the current situation. You end up with a tightly focused concise set of information that recommends how to deal very specifically with the particular problem for the individual employee who has the performance problem.

Over the years I've always wanted to add a bookstore to my website at danpelley.com. The carrying cost of inventory and other logistical issues have prevented me from doing that. But I have added a recommended reading list to this blog and currently present the four management books that I favor most as valuable resources. "Analyzing Performance Problems" is of course one of these books. You'll find the recommended reading list in the right-hand column of the blog just above "The Icon Me" on the green bar. If you'd like to purchase the book from Amazon, you can click on the title in the recommended reading list and go directly to that book's listing at Amazon.

If you choose to purchase the book from Amazon or another bookstore or even decide to check it out at the library, I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on the book.

About me: Dan Pelley offers a series of five programs leading to a Certificate in Supervisory Management. The five programs are "Managing People,: "Leadership Skills," "Managing For Results," "Proactive Leadership," and "Participative Management." 137 companies in Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA) and New York have one or more people who earned this certificate.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
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