The Difficulty:

• Knowing precisely what is necessary to achieve superior performance for a particular job.
• Knowledge a person needs
• Personal attributes required to drive success
• Rewards for superior performance
• Hard skills vital for the job
• Behaviors necessary to perform at peak levels
• Intrinsic motivators

Subject matter experts (SMEs) can be part of the solution. However these experts must remove their natural bias. Bias is an unfair preference or dislike of something. Bias can create a blind spot – blocking out a single thing – or act like a set of blinders – making only one thing visible.

Unfortunately, biases get in the way of truly understanding job requirements. Over the years, we have learned that it is difficult – if not impossible – for SMEs to completely ignore their own bias. We also know that once subject matter experts do slice through their bias, they are able to hear the job talk. Once that happens, they can identify the key accountabilities or competencies for the job.

Only after they remove these natural biases can they deliver a true definition of superior performance for the given job.

The Solution: Removing bias can be the most formidable challenge in defining superior performance. In fact, we know that it is impossible to strip away the bias without an impartial facilitator. An expert can spur a group into unbiased, fair discussion and act as a catalyst for developing a clear understanding of what superior performance looks like. In short, an expert facilitator will help subject matter experts hear a job talking.

The Results: The process leads to an understanding of the knowledge, intrinsic motivators, personal attributes, behaviors and hard skills required of each key accountability for the job in question. After the process, businesses can compare all current and new staff members to the results and provide a developmental plan for each. Development plans that are job related are much better than those based on one person’s opinion.

The Follow-up: In order to maintain the most current understanding of each job, SMEs should conduct benchmarking every two to three years for each key accountability for each job. Training, job aides, and continuous learning should be provided for each employee in order to maintain peak performance. Let us help you to help your employees provide continuous, quality performance.