HPI 633 week 8 final exam

Question 1

ValuMarketers.com has requested that you gather data to better define a conflict that exists between their Sales Executives and Marketing Executives, who are in conflict over the use of ValuMarketers.com’s websites as a source of information for their clients. One generic model of knowledge management is embodied in the diagram below. Using this diagram and your expertise in performance analysis and content analysis, identify four to six (4-6) content sources you will need to review and what questions you will need to have answered through the review of each.

The generic model of knowledge management contains create, identify, collect, organize, share, adapt, and use. This model does not have a hard start and finish point; each step is just as important as the next. ValuMarketers.com’s website will be review and questions will have to be answered to gather and define the conflict that the executives are having. On the home page we will identify the link ID, link name, the link itself, and the document types. We will have to ensure that the page source to guarantee use of key words. We will investigate and determine who is tasked with administering the sites. We will have to ensure the information is current, non-repeating, and that it is useful.

Reviewing each ink will identify key words and who is tasked with maintain the account. We will be able to determine the use of ValuMarketer connection for proper use and linkage. Each and every page of each and every link has to be reviewed. This will identify and provide time to correct dead ends and misdirection. The navigation labels must address the main topics and other subordinate labels. We have to ensure the content is linked to the proper areas, that the link allows the user to find the data they are looking for, and to ensure adequate information is provided to satisfy the customers’ needs and wants. The search option is just as important as the layout of the site. The information should be readily available and not hidden and has to be easy to access and use.

Question 2  

You have been loaned to a non-profit organization, World-Wide Webmasters’ Webbies (the W4). W4 members tend to be programmers with a smattering of graphic artists and performance practitioners among them. Their goal is rebranding their membership as HPT practitioners. Think about the way that the programmers and graphic artists that you know have learned their craft and think about what you know about professional organizations. What is the most likely cognitive approach of this organization and how will that impact your?

The cognitive approach of this organization would have to be a graphic learning style. The information has to be offered in a way that explains the information and will allow the user to practice it. By using an on-line teaching system, it will allow different groups of people to use it, the programmer can create the plan in different languages to meet the needs of the organization. The graphic artist will be instructed to use simple font, straight forward wording, and simple background graphics. As far as impact on analysis and reporting, there would be no great impact other than gathering the data would be easier, located within one system, and accurate to the current time. To rebrand themselves as HPT practitioners they would have review what information they already know and recommend that they attend formal training that would provide them with the required tools and information to become a true human performance technology expert.

Question 3

You have a completed a quick-and-dirty analysis that agrees with your sponsor on all but one key point. Your sponsor wants you act now – to design and build a specific solution identified by that sponsor’s boss. The data in that one key point shows that the preferred solution will not be accepted by those who must implement it. You have two choices: (a) get agreement for more analysis work before proceeding, or (b) proceed and build in additional analysis along the way hoping that feedback will change either the executive sponsor’s position or the implementers’ position. Choose a position and explain how you will move forward.

My option would be B. I have been trained to do as we are told, ask questions later. I would do as I am asked by the sponsor and my supervisor. By keeping an open mind while working on this task, understanding the plan will be met with resistance, I must show the team the benefits of making the change. They need to understand that if the boss is happy, they should reap the rewards. The solution would start to be prevalent while I am working on the plan. The plan would start with small changes at a time while fighting for feedback from the users. The plan would not be drug out over a long period of time, long enough to get it accomplished yet fast enough to keep the sponsor happy. If the solution does not work, I can present to the sponsor the need to perform a needs analysis to find the true issue.

Question 4

A co-worker has requested that you review her data analysis and resulting report. This person is new to the staff and the performance improvement field but has significant experience as subject matter expert for content creation projects such as learning or documentation of processes. Before reviewing the data and report, identify for yourself a checklist of five or six (5-6) items that you will want to see in the data and in the report. If the data and report do not meet these criteria, you will sit down with this co-worker and the review the checklist. So, for each element, plan a one or two sentence explanation of why it is important in a report that will be seen by executives.

What is the desires result? What is the mission? We have to start with what we want to achieve, are we headed in the right direction to successfully complete the mission? The mission must be reasonable, clearly identified, and obtainable.

What data will be used for analysis is critical if we want to achieve the best outcome feasible. The information generated have to be solid. This information gives executives proof that data is credible. Data preparation for analysis has to be reviewed and analyzed.

Data summarization and visualization is about putting the data into a perspective that will enable management the ability to grasp all of the information that is vital to keep the organization in the green.

Data analysis and modeling explains the statistical analysis techniques used are facts as well as ways to forecast outcomes based on evidence.

Discussion & recommendations: A detailed summary of the results with a plan of action will show the value of the research. The discussion and recommendations step will give the executives the bottom line information of what they need to know and suggestions for what they have to do to continue to be successful.

Question 5

Xavier and Yvette have been paired up to analyze the needs of ZZZ Sleepers mattress stuffers. ZZZ is experiencing a negative market impact from all the mattresses with air inside. They want to either improve their product or lay off half of their mattress stuffers. Xavier has experience analyzing the needs of project rollouts. Yvette has experience in analyzing the needs of employee development projects. This situation may be neither a rollout nor a development need. What kind of project is this? What strengths will each of these individuals bring to that type of project (besides experience doing other performance analyzes)? Where are they likely to be “in conflict” with each other’s methods? (Note: this question is really about defining the focus of an analysis, the stages of analysis and the probable differences in types of skills that someone specializing in one situation will have.)

This is definitely a performance improvement process project for the team. We have to understand that Xavier and Yvette have different strengths. We will want them to combine their strengths to complete a comprehensive analysis and then devise the most practical, genuine solution. The negative impact is coming from the mattresses with the air inside, hence our project; determine why the air filled mattresses are not providing a positive result as the stuffing filled mattresses. Our goal would be to improve the product to save jobs. The two individuals must work together to improve the quality; a quality improvement will increase the chances of the company keeping their employees and increased sales of the mattress. Laying off part of the team is only a short term fix, it does not actually dig deep into the root cause. Xavier’s experience with rollouts will be beneficial in several stages of the analysis and solution for this dark situation. Yvette’s experience is similarly beneficial and will be needed to address the employee training and development issues. The head butting begins as Xavier primarily focuses on getting new products out to the customers’ while Yvette focuses the attention on employee enhancement. They need to come together to determine what results they need and how they can get there. She needs to focus primarily on the training and development of the team and how to implement that into a solution that works with his plans on the rollout strategies for the mattress once the plan is agreed upon.

Working together to determine the processes, they can create easy to follow steps for training and team development. Step 1: Select the product improvement need and increase sales. Step 2: Recognize members to provide input. Step 3: Use flow chart to identify current process. Step 4: Make the process easier by removing unneeded steps. Step 5: Determine best plan to gather information on the air filled mattresses. Step 6: Identify root cause. Step 7: Develop plan for change. Step 8: Run test to determine outcome and record results. Step 9: Review results, return to step 7 if required, repeat until desired results are achieved.