1     As many of you in the field of HPI already know, Performance improvement is an explosive industry today and a must for any organization to take this approach if they want to be competitive and operate an organization that is both effective and efficient. Platinum was very aware of this back in 2003!

2     For many, many years, it was common knowledge (at least among those in the HPI industry) , that Dr. Joe Harless had one of the most complete and the ONLY job aided set of tools for the analysis of human performance commonly being used for performance improvement..  His tools were called Front End Analysis or FEA.  The folks at Platinum were trained and certified to train others on this suite of tools.

3     These FEA tools have been around for 20 years or more, and little has changed in them since 1992, They were dated in many peoples eyes and limiting in some cases because they followed a linear process and were a bit tough to use in today’s rapidly changing marketplace because it took a considerable amount time and effort to use these tools.  Platinum saw this needed to change.

4     If you were focused on job performance (and task analysis) and if you were an engineer or behavioral psychologist you would probably admire them the FEA tools and process for their purpose and intent.  They were not for everyone, and Platinum was very aware of this.

5     The tools and processes that were out in the market place in 2002 and 2003 didn’t always answer the dynamic needs of organizations and the changing shape of the workplace; some didn’t even address technology as an influence on performance!  Platinum was keenly aware of this and knew it was time for a change!

6     That has NOW changed, ASTD in partnership with Platinum Performance Group has created today’s cutting edge, job-aided, tools for the analysis of human performance and they ARE designed for everyone from analysts, to trainers, supervisors and managers.  Anyone interested in improving the performance of others.

7     Platinum designed the tools and templates to meet today’s dynamic business environment, easy to use and geared to handle performance improvement opportunities in everything from manufacturing to high-tech knowledge workers

How did you go about creating Performance DNA?  What were the models or sources used?

8     We first developed a team of experts to research what was out there, what was working, what was not, where were the gaps, etc.

9     There have been, and continue to be, strong leaders in the world of HPI including Dr. Harless, Gearry Rummler (a former board member of ASTD) Bob Mager and most importantly Dr. Gilbert, as well as others that have influenced and shaped the final Performance DNA Analysis’s tools.  Their work was been instrumental in the development of these new Performance DNA tools and is reflected in all parts of the thinking and design of the tools.

10     The ASTD/Platinum Performance Group Performance DNA tools were designed by HPI practioners for HPI practioners.  They were developed by an experienced team of HPI practioners dedicated to the practice of HPI and they include the foundation of the Masters coupled with the common sense needs of today’s HPI analysts and meeting the needs of a dynamic and heavily technology based work environment of many organizations today.

11     The primary authors included Mason Holloway, Dennis Mankin and Dr. Karen McGraw, with input and editing from others in the field of HPI and HPT.

 What exactly is Performance DNA?

12     Performance DNA is a practical set of analysis tools that are designed for both the seasoned HPI analyst who needs a high quality set of tools to document their analysis work or the newly introduced person to the world of HPI.

13     Performance DNA includes ?cut-to-the-chase? job aids for the seasoned professional and flagged guidance sessions for the new analyst diagnosing performance issues in any workplace and we don’t have to compromise on the process of performance improvement for either the seasoned pro or the newly indoctrinated analyst.

14     Performance DNA Analysis tools are today’s standard for many HPI practioners, with over 1,200 people purchasing the tools and training in the first year in which the tools were launched and today with over 6,500 people trained on the tools and processes  in over 18 countries.