Performance Diagnosis Matrix of Enabling Questions
Table 7.2 shows Dr. Swanson’s Performance Diagnosis Matrix.
| Performance Variables | Performance Levels | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization Level | Process Level | Individual Level | |
| Mission/Goal | Does the organization mission/goal fit the reality of the economic, political, and cultural forces? | Do the process goals enable the organization to meet the organization and individual mission/goals? | Are the professional and personal mission/goals of individuals congruent with the organization? |
| System Design | Does the organization system provide structure and policies supporting the desired performance? | Are processes designed in such a way to work as a system? | Does the individual face obstacles that impede job performance? |
| Capacity | Does the organization have the leadership, capital, and infrastructure to achieve its mission/goals? | Does the process have the capacity to perform (quantity, quality and timeliness)? | Does the individual have the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to perform? |
| Motivation | Do the policies, culture, and reward systems support the desired performance? | Does the process provide the information and human factors required to maintain it? | Does the individual want to perform no matter what? |
| Expertise | Does the organization establish and maintain selection and training policies and resources? | Does the process of developing expertise meet the changing demands of changing processes? | Does the individual have the knowledge, skills, and experience to perform? |
Swanson’s four Principles of Practice are also very helpful when establishing metrics:
Start with defining the primary performance outputs of the organization.
Identify the core organization process(es).
Position HR as a major organization process designed to maintain or improve core organization process performance.
Work with a well-defined performance improvement process, work with internal partners, and call upon an eclectic set of interventions.
When striving to integrate and meet individual, departmental, and company-wide human capital benchmarks, according to Ramstead, “Value is determined by measuring which talent pools are critical to a company’s success.” Having specific criteria for measuring core organizational processes and essential positions along with an eye for customer care and a focus on retention strategy helps to minimize hiring mistakes, create a more streamlined process and a more organized, positive, working environment.
Because it’s virtually impossible to measure strategy or practices, focusing on performance metrics that have measurable results yields more effective, more accurate data with which to evaluate human capital. Metrics used to measure human capital should be developed within the context of the mission and objectives laid out for the individuals being measured and are always considered in that context. This also permits more accurate analysis of the correlation between individual performance and overall corporate performance. When all crew members, from the deck hands to the captain, are regularly checking off their lists to meet objectives related to achieving the mission, the ship is better able to avoid obstacles, conserve resources, and ride out inevitable storms.