Is the HPT Practitioner the Fourth Dimension to the HPT Model?

Is the HPT Practitioner the Fourth Dimension to the HPT Model?

There are many angles and parts to  Human Performance Improvement, which is probably why there are so many models and so many iterations of models. The exiting models never seem to quite capture the entirety of what is happening and the “search” for a better model, or a possible single model is not specific to HPI (Wilmoth, Prigmore, & Bray, (2009), p. 20).

I’m reminded of the medieval study of alchemy – searching for the method of turning lead into gold – seeking a way to get from the actual state to the desired state.

Similarly, Einstein died still searching for the Theory of Everything. But he began by attempting to bridge a gap with his Theory of Relativity. In fact, Einstein and Picasso were both independently playing with ideas of the 4th dimension (time) in their work to bridge a perceived gap. Einstein was on a train passing a barn when he realized that with enough speed, he could see all 3 sides of the barn (front and 2 sides) at the same time. Picasso did the same with his subjects, which is why in Cubism the angles of the face are all visible at the same time. They sought to jump the gap from seeing only what is visible in a moment to what actually exists simultaneously in that same moment, even when not visible. Interestingly, military camouflage was the reverse application of this concept and came from the work of both Einstein and Picasso – with camouflage, we do NOT see in a moment what actually exists.

Likewise, Watkins and Leigh (2009) describe how “the improvement of performance is an interdisciplinary field that draws on the scientific theories and research of many fields. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of the performance improvement professionals to use these as the foundation of their decisions” (p. 81). In this same search to close a gap, engineering, psychology, and human performance technologists were all working on the problem of improvement – how to close the gap between actual and desired states of performance.  

Wilmouth, Prigmore, and Bray (2009) explain that modeling is “an integral part of the instructional design process” and explain this is “because many of the early practitioners of HPT came from the field of instructional technology” (p. 5). Models help practitioners to visualize the “causal relationships and chart them in some manner that can be communicated to others” (p. 6). Like Einstein and Picasso, who brought to light what existed even when out of frame, this approach helps us to “see” the many issues that exist simultaneously within a performance problem.

The alchemists sought the philosopher’s stone, the physicists sought the Theory of Everything, and some HPI practitioners have sought to find the single model. It is a seductive search. As we learn more about change, we’ve realized we’re no longer seeking one true model, but rather to be forever improving the models. Chyung and Berg (2009) emphasize that “the study of human performance technology (HPT) is an applied science” and that our “professional knowledge should also be grounded in the eclectic foundations of the field, including theories and research findings” (p. 27).

So, we built on the theories and research and concluded that the study of HPI is not about following a linear model. In fact, the Human Performance Technology Landscape model is three-dimensional (just like Einstein’s barn) (Addison, 2004, as cited in Addison, et al., 2009, p. 3). In their introduction, Watkins & Leigh (2009) emphasize the importance of the HPT practitioner’s ability to “put the pieces of the puzzle together for yourself each and every time you work to improve performance” (p. 1).

Therefore, perhaps the fourth dimension in HPT theory is the behavior of the HPI professional and the systemic results of the HPI professional’s decision-making when approaching the performance problem. Surely the HPT practitioner’s decision to apply a framework to a performance problem affects the issue systemically. In the way time (a moment) forces our eye to focus on one view of a three-dimensional object, so too does applying a model to a performance problem force us to focus on one view of a three-dimensional system.

References

Addison, R., Haig, C., & Kearn, L. (2009). Performance architecture: The art and scient of improving organizations. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. https://boisestate.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=510101

Chyung, S. Y., & Berg, S. A. (2009). Linking practice and theory. In R. Watkins & D. Leigh (Eds.) Handbook of improving performance in the workplace: The handbook of selecting and implementing performance interventions. (pp. 27-50). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. https://boisestate.eblib.com/atron/FullRecord.aspx?p=468975

Miller, A. I., (2001). Einstein, Picasso: Space, time, and the beauty that causes havoc. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Watkins, R., & Leigh, D. (Edsd.). (2009). Handbook of improving performance in the workplace: The handbook of selecting and implementing performance interventions. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. https://boisestate.eblib.com/atron/FullRecord.aspx?p=468975.

Wilmoth, F. S., Prigmore, C., & Bray, M. (2009). HPT models: An overview of the major models in the field. In R. Watkins & D. Leigh (Eds.) Handbook of improving performance in the workplace: The handbook of selecting and implementing performance interventions. (pp. 5-26). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. https://boisestate.eblib.com/atron/FullRecord.aspx?p=468975