What comes to mind when you hear the word “technology”?
My immediate picture is my computer, then my phone and then my Apple watch. (Perhaps this reflects the order of my exposure over a time-line…and my generation.)
No matter your picture, most folks have a general understanding and popular association with this word. However, this word has a much broader definition. As a side note, I find it quite intestine that typically a word has multiple meanings;
Here is one for technology: a scientific or industrial process, invention, method, or the like.
This is a great definition in that it can be applied to many things. One, in particular, is in the work I do with human behavior.
Though not very well known, there is something called human performance technology (HPT). I also call it human behavior technology since performance is about behavior. It is a field of study focused on improving human performance at the societal, organizational, process, and individual performer levels through systematic approaches.
And, it’s something many of us practice in it’s simplest form. For example, consider the process of intentionally creating a habit.
A habit is a scientific result of how the brain works. Habits are neural pathways and are a part of the brain’s circuitry. To create them, people employ a variety of methods or (according to the definition) “technologies”, one of which is a repeated action conducted for a period of time, until the action or reaction becomes an automatic behavior.
We unconsciously develop habits of thoughts, habits of behaviors and habits of emotional reactions known as triggers.
Another simple example of HPT is parents employing certain techniques or methods to discipline their children in an attempt to create long term desired behaviors.
Why Does This Matter
For those business leaders, managers and HR professionals who work everyday attempting to achieve needed results through their “human resource”, it’s good to know this.
In fact, it’s a lack of this knowledge that causes faulty decisions wasting time and money regarding how to more effectively grow and run a business. It’s reflected in something as common as wanting a difficult employee to change and thinking that sending he/she to a one-day seminar will fix them, and magically change their behavior.
Managing employee performance, developing talent are common desires for most business leaders, so knowing how to do it effectively and successfully resides in understanding and strategically utilizing human performance technology — that is knowing how to work with human behavior. The ability to this we call The Human Quotient of a leader.
Ultimately human behavior drives your business – it’s makes or breaks its success. Wouldn’t it make sense then to know how to profitably work with it? But most business leaders and even their HR counterparts do not.
For those who don’t, we fill the gap with “technologies” that successfully, consistently achieve results. We’re happy to help you do the same.