The Power of a Well-Timed Bit of Information
Performance support materials provide workers quick access to data they need on the job. These materials are especially critical for highly technical procedures or procedures that aren’t used very often. Let’s face it: some job tasks require access to a volume of technical specs that no one can or should have to remember at all times.
A performance support product can take many forms.
Job aids. Pocket guides. Cheat sheets. Flowcharts. Checklists. Spec charts. These all fit into the category of performance support. Each is a handy reference that brings to mind detailed, authoritative information that can answer a crucial question and keeps a process moving.
So here are a few things to consider before commissioning a performance support product.
A performance support product can be internal or customer-facing.
Performance support materials can be designed for deployment to different audiences.
- On-the-job, just-in-time reference. Workers behind a desk, behind a counter, or in the field can all benefit from support materials.
- Customer-facing support. Showing a customer can be more helpful or persuasive than telling.
Simple, well-timed reminders carry a lot of value.
The ultimate goal of training is to improve people’s workplace performance. If workers know how to do a task but aren’t performing up to standards, a performance support piece may be what they need. These tools, in turn, are high value. Not just because they can help tighten the slack in a given process, but also because they can be deployed one at a time and don’t need to be accompanied by a big-budget training program.
Mobile unlocks a world of performance support possibilities.
Smartphones have made performance support an even more powerful tool. Print materials get outdated, crumpled, lost. But an online reference source on a mobile device is easily accessed and easily updated. Web apps make it simple for complex data sets to be sorted and filtered as the user needs.
We can help.
Want to build a suite of custom performance support products for your organization? We’ve been in the training and development space for over three decades. So, whatever your timeline or budget, we can help you make the most with what you’ve got.
