Use Technology to Improve Performance Gaps

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

With all the conversation about increased performance and efficiency, I think it only makes sense to talk about what organizations can do when there are performance gaps. And no, I’m not talking about disciplinary action. Sometimes individual and/or team performance might need training or an intervention. 

The question becomes what’s the right intervention to close the performance gap. Start with finding out why the performance gap exists.

Let’s say the team (or a member of the team) isn’t doing a task to the company’s quality standard. It’s possible that the employee or team might need some refresher training. This could be done at a department meeting or in a one-on-one session. Not only should the proper process be explained but discuss why the process should not be deviated from. An employee might think they’re being more efficient by doing things a different way, when in fact … they’re not. Or, who knows, maybe they are! 

Another example would be if performance is declining because the team is overworked … then the answer isn’t necessarily training. The team knows what to do. They just don’t have enough time to do it. And the answer isn’t work more hours. The organization might be able to improve performance by changing deliverable dates. Or maybe bringing in a freelancer or contractor to help with the workload. 

Today, I wanted to focus on a solution that can improve performance gaps and that’s technology. Using the examples above, is it possible that employees don’t know how to use technology to its fullest capabilities? So a task that should take them 5 minutes is actually taking 15 because employees don’t know how to effectively use the technology. Organizations will want to ensure that employees have all the knowledge they need and if a training refresher is necessary … set one up. Depending on the topic, this could be a great lunch and learn opportunity. 

The same is true for situations where employees have an overwhelming workload. Especially where things like email are concerned. I know there are times when we look at our email inbox and say, “I will never get through all of this.” But the reality is that organizations often give employees totally unrealistic expectations when it comes to answering emails. 

I remember years ago doing a focus group for a client where we talked about email response times. One person said emails should be answered within 2 days. Another person said one day. And one person said 10 minutes. I’m not joking … that’s a really wide range. My point being that technology can help us prioritize our work. Provided that we understand the organization’s priorities. 

Technology is a great thing. It helps us keep our work organized, make us perform faster, and deliver a quality result. Now with artificial intelligence tools, technology might be able to help us search for information faster, edit documents better, and even create automation routines. All these things can help employees perform at a higher level if they are used properly. 

Using technology to improve performance does mean that organizations need to set performance expectations, provide employees with the proper training and tools, and coach employees along the way. Organizations want high performing employees and teams. Give people what they need to be successful. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas, NV

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