Performance Analysis and Leadership

                                                                        by LCDR Tim Haws

When I was taking classes on leadership all those many years ago, I remember this almost over-the-top saying “READY, AIM, FIRE”.  As I have matured and been given more responsibility, it has struck me as a good one for leaders to revisit from time to time.  It certainly follows the Keep it simple stupid (KISS) method with regards to basic steps to follow. If you feel like it is too basic, well just give it a chance and see how it relates to performance analysis.

Analysis was not one of my favorite words growing up.  To this day, it conjures up a Math class I could barely pass in High School and after all--it has the word “anal” in it.  For other reasons, “analysis” may often have negative connotations at the deck plate level, but in essence it is preparation. It is taking aim before firing or better yet choosing the right weapon to fire or better still not firing at all and taking another approach.  It is using that unique power to reason that humans have been blessed with to make better decisions.  We analyze and prepare all the time, but let this essay be a reminder to do it in leadership arenas as well.

“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend five hours sharpening my axe.”
Abraham Lincoln

Our 16th president, with this quick and clever analogy, is actually endorsing a common-sense approach to performance analysis.  If you think about it, analyzing performance/behavior is a huge part of what leaders do everyday.  It generally sets up like this:
   1. There is a task (Chopping down a tree/Getting a boat u/w)
   2. There are specific conditions, like a time frame attached (6 hours/15min to meet SAR response minimums)
   3. There are potential tools available (An axe, a sharpener, etc./a boat, a boat crew, etc.)
   4. Then there is analysis where options are weighed and an implementation plan formulated (Sharpening enhances chopping/crew briefs enhance safe performance.)
On the most basic of levels, just considering those steps allows for more efficient task execution.  

So you might say “that’s all well and good for Training, but what about Leadership?” ---Isn’t Training part of good Leadership? Isn’t the goal of leadership to influence/train favorable behaviors?  (Insert Rhetorical “Yes” here).  In performance analysis, the leader/analyst is objective and looks at the actuals (the behavior) and the optimals (the desired behavior), comparing the two provides the gap in performance and what needs to be addressed.  The key is not jumping to a quick conclusion and Firing without Aiming, but rather taking the time to aim and look at things like environment, incentives, motivation, and skills & knowledge.  The following explanations will hopefully clarify:
   1. Environmentals - Is the behavior deficient due to something in the environment? (lack of a tool, heat stress mistaken for laziness, etc.)
   2. Incentives - Is favorable behavior being appropriately rewarded?  (Early Libo, awarding good performance with more work is generally a counter incentive)
   3. Motivation - Different from incentives because it further breaks down to value and confidence (People must believe there is value in an action and feel like they can do it)
    4. Skills & knowledge - They honestly don’t know how to do the behavior, have forgotten it or are too overwhelmed with information.

“Poor Planning Leads to Poor Performance”

I still experience leadership situations where a relatively simple problem with one of my people gets misinterpreted or confused due to a lack of forethought on my part.  I think we’ve all Monday Morning Quarterbacked conversations and thought in hindsight what I should have said was…  I had one recently where the simple question of “Why did you choose this battle to fight?” would have likely avoided a long and mutually frustrating discussion.  I just didn’t take the time-out to stop the conversation and reflect (mentally analyze) it.  Amazing sometimes what taking 5 minutes to prep or re-direct can do to promote efficient communications.   

“An Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Ben Franklin

Just getting new perspectives is a key form of analysis.  I’d advocate that more performance analysis is done in the Chief’s mess than anyone would expect.  Sharing the details of a performer not performing and asking for ideas/past experiences etc. is at the heart of solid preparation and analysis.  A Performance Analyst would call it “surveying accomplished performers and subject matter experts”, while a Chief might call it “running it by the mess over a cup”.  

This analysis thing certainly isn’t anything new.  I’m may be putting new labels and categories on a few things, but the bottom line is as a leader, remember to take the time (when you have the time) and make the time (when you don’t) to do the analysis.  The time put in will very likely save grief in the long run.  

Author:  LCDR Tim Haws, Analysis Branch Chief at the Performance Technology Center on board TRACEN Yorktown.

Performance Analysis theory taken from Allison Rossett’s book First Things Fast, Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer Publisher 1999.