Psychological Considerations in Human Performance Consulting

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Psychological Considerations in Human Performance
Consulting

• Rita S. Rone
• Naval Education and Training Command (NETC)
  Headquarters

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A New Organizational Reality

• Doing more with less
• Constant learning curve
• Competitive environment
• Rapidity of change
• Need to adapt and excel

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A Change in Role

• Plan for performance improvement
• Day to day performance issues
• Real performance solutions
• Old vs. New Approach
• Training not always the answer
• Vacuum view of performance
• Input/Output View
• Systems and behavioral view needed...

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The Human Performance Solution

• Aim gt Source and solution of problem
• Organizational structure
• Communication
• Resource availability
• Job design
• Incentive program
• Training

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The Human Performance Consultant

• Not really new as profession
• As early as 1960s and 1970s
• Not just trainers, or
• ...business consultants, or
• ...organizational psychologists
• The answer True generalist

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A New Skill Set

• Technical skills
• Business competencies
• Interpersonal competencies
• Intellectual competencies
• Questioning skills

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HP Roles

• Researcher
• Organizational Change Agent
• Needs Analyst
• Evaluator

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A New Mindset

• New way of thinking
• People
• Processes
• Consideration of human behavior
• How it is shaped by consequences
• Performance gaps and root causes
• Ones own motivations

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Dynamics of Change

• Psychological impact of change
• Increased stress
• Middle managers a special problem
• The psychological contract

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Systems Thinking

• Seeing the big picture, plus
• Systematic understanding of framework
• Looking at problem within larger context
• How does a change in one place affect others?
• Considers people not as helpless reactors, but
  as active participants

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General Orientation

• Proactive and reactive
• Constant searching, investigating
• Tact and diplomacy
• Active in forming partnerships

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Self-Awareness

• Personal values, needs, interests
• How one affects others in organizational settings
• Knowing how ones own experiences might affect
  ones perspective

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Continuous Learning

• Important to be current
• Rummler, Robinson, Gaines
• Coursework
• Organizational Change
• Basic sampling, statistical techniques
• Marketing
• Networking
• People
• Electronic sources

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The New HP ConsultantWhat Now?

• Feeling overwhelmed? What to do?
• Enactive attainment
• Vicarious experience
• Verbal persuasion
• Physiological state

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Enactive Attainment

• Entering a situation and acting
• The just do it solution
• Creates confidence
• Reinforces
• Move from less to more complex

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Vicarious Experience

• Initial and continuous learning
• Effective mentoring

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Reduction of Stress Levels

• Stress or physical problems vulnerability
• Improving physical state affects mental state in
  a positive way

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Summary

• The past a machine metaphor
• Now and the future a human focus
• Scientific understanding of human behavior
• Know change impact
• Systems thinking
• Proactive and reactive
• Self-aware
• Committed to learning
• Self-efficacy

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Questions?
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Rita S. RoneNETC HQ/N01CPPensacola, FL
32508-5220 U.S.A.rita.rone_at_navy.mil(850)
452-8925