PROPOSAL: Building a Baseline for High Performance

 A Pilot Study for Your Organization

 OBJECTIVE:                     

·         To determine the critical traits that distinguish a sample of high performing employees, from a sample of low performing employees. 

  ·         To lay the groundwork for assessing quickly and accurately the key competencies responsible for success in the organization’s environment, for the purpose of both selection and development of high performers.

  ·         To provide a risk- and cost-free way to assess the power of a cutting edge methodology that makes “soft skill” measurement accurate and objective.

 PROCESS:

1.       20 individuals judged to be high performers and 20 individuals judged to be low performers receive a Password and go online to take the axiometric profile.  These 40 individuals will have similar positions.  A paper and pencil option is also available for those who do not have online capability.

2.       A report is generated for each individual, which will be sent immediately to the email address agreed upon, either that of the individual who completed the profile or that of a single individual designated to collect all the reports. 

      a.       If the report is sent right to the individual, it will allow the person completing the profile to benefit immediately from the information in the report.  (These reports can subsequently be made available to their superiors at no charge if that is appropriate.  It is also recommended that the individual be encouraged to share their report themselves.)

        b.       The report identifies the general decision-making strengths of the person and will offer coaching suggestions for building on strengths and minimizing those traits that can interfere with high performance.

3.       The data from the two groups is analyzed to determine more specifically what talent, skill, and attitude exists between the two groups as well as what factors might keep the groups from accessing their talent and skill.  This data is shared with the appropriate designees of the company.

OUTPUT TO BE SHARED:

1.       A list of the strengths and problem areas of the high performing group and of the lower performing group.

2.       A list of the strengths that distinguish the high performing group from the lower performing group.

3.       A list of the problems that distinguish the low performing group from the higher performing group.

4.       Preliminary suggestions for development tactics to enable the low performing group to raise their level of performance.

5.       Discussion of implications for selection and development going forward.

RATIONALE:

For the Assessment Methodology—

Only until we can identify the critical success factors within the individual can we complete the good manager-good employee team.  Some feel that precision in measuring these “soft factors” is impossible.  We disagree.

This study will directly address the human factors operative in a group of high and low performers.  It employs a process that is characterized by low bias and high accuracy because it tracks the actual decision-making and judgment capacities of the individual, two factors critical to performance competence.  Moreover it is simple and quick, and based on hard science, not soft science; mathematical accuracy, not psychological inference.

The methodology employed has been validated for construct validity, criterion validity, and freedom from age, race, and sex bias.  It has also been reviewed and approved by the legal and psychometric departments of such organizations as Arthur Andersen, Drake Beam Morin, Sara Lee, GTE, AT&T, USPS, and Hospital Corporation of America.  It has been subjected to review by psychometricians from Princeton, Yale, Georgetown, and Harvard.  It has been used successfully by such organizations as Rich Products Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Merrill Lynch, Army Corps of Engineers and NASA. 

For the Pilot—

Investment of both time and money is minimal, yet the output can be a valuable aid to learning more about success at your organization.  For the group responding, the individual reports can be a source of increased self-knowledge and suggestions for building their competence.  For leadership, the results will give an initial indication of what distinguishes their high performers and how to select and assist others to achieve that level of performance.  Finally, factors affecting lack of success and hence turnover will be more apparent, contributing to better hiring.  Even if the turnover rate is good, an even lower one is better—and more cost effective.   

INVESTMENT:

Time:       15-20 minutes per respondent     

Budget:    $0.00