Intro In the previous post about testing we discussed the importance of testing the output rather than the process wherever possible. And the importance of understanding the real performance you want to test, rather than simply counting something that is easy to count or track. This post will provide a model that can be used […]

I have a friend who has done some temping in the past. Apparently, temp and staffing companies like to use commercially available computer-based tests to assess the capability of new applicants. If I understand it correctly, the tests are set up to give you a task to complete. For example, Create a 4 cell x4 row […]

We have been using a tool we call a “capability model” to display in a “one-pager” format, the key tasks and supporting knowledge, skills, and characteristics needed to perform the tasks…in other words, what the employee needs to be able to do a job or job. Since it is on one page, it is distilled […]

Trying to get home after the ASTD Conference in Orlando. (Apparently, the airline had planes in St Louis that got hailed on and needed to be inspected…the ripple effect for me was a very short extra night in Orlando.) It is weird that all the peripheral stuff consumes so much time and energy that the […]

You may have heard the expression “the problem is, you don’t know what you don’t know” used to describe how unknowns create risk in decisions. (You may also have heard the expression “too bad stupid doesn’t hurt”…but that’s just funny). In general though, when we hear someone speak “with authority” we assume they know what […]

On Wednesday, March 03, 2010, the ABC station in New York ran a report about a New York City police officer who went public about quotas. Apparently, the police are given specific targets to meet for arrests and summons. The complaint was that the quotas were being enforced blindly…so officers had no choice but to […]

One of the biggest complaints in schools is that the “No Child Left Behind” act has set up standard test hurdles to be cleared by all schools and students. The idea seems sound — set a standard and then expect everyone to meet it. It allows teachers the freedom to vary their methods but, ultimately, […]

What is a performance test? A performance test is esssentially a checklist of key performance characteristics that define the criteria for successful performance. The checklist is used during observation of performance (or to review the result or output of performance) to assess whether the performance is acceptable. Performance tests can be used as a “gate” […]