Paul Elliott of Exemplary Performance, LLC
Topic
When we encounter true talent – the musical prodigy, the athletic wunderkind, the business genius – we are awed. How do they do it? We think – “If I were born with those gifts, I would be a star too.”
We assume there is a limited supply of talent and that only a few have what it takes to be stars in their professions. While this may be true for superstar entertainers and Olympic athletes, the flaws of applying such a generalized assumption to the workplace are easy to identify.
For example, most of us still buy into the assumption that success (the organization’s and our own) is dependent on how many high performing “stars” we are able to hire and retain. We search frantically for these extraordinary individuals and rely on the “star” performers to carry along (perhaps even make up for) all the average performers.
What if we test out a new assumption, that an organization’s “talent curve” does not predetermine their “performance curve”? What if we told you that it is possible to “clone” the results of your star performers without “cloning” or replicating their innate talent and ability profile?
You can likely call out a few people in your organization who consistently produce higher results. They are easy to spot and are usually the ones who tackle each day’s opportunities and challenges with consistent energy and engagement. In your role as a leader, you appreciate these star performers because they not only make your job easier but they provide significant returns to your organization.
In sales organizations it is common for performers in the top 10 percent to generate 30-50 percent or more of the revenue. In software engineering, the top programmers often write 10 times the amount of code as do average performers. How large is the gap between the results of your star performers and the results of solid but average performers? If you measured it, the difference is likely astounding. What if you were able to move even a small percentage of these average performers to star status? Don’t you think the results for your company could be game changing!
This presentation will present a model, tools and examples to support you in shifting the performance curve within your organization.
Speaker
Paul H. Elliott is the President and Founder of Exemplary Performance, LLC (EP) based in Annapolis, MD. Dr.Elliott's expertise is in the analysis of human performance, the design of interventions that optimize human performance in support of business goals, and strategies for transitioning from tactical to strategic approaches. Dr. Elliott assists organizations in performance analysis, instructional design, product and process launch support, design of advanced training systems, and the design and implementation of integrated performance interventions.
Prior to starting EP in 2004, Paul was a Fellow with Saba Software of Redwood Shores, CA.There he provided thought leadership in both the services and product strategy of the company. From 1995 through 2001, Dr. Elliott was President of Human Performance Technologies, LLC (HPT), a leading provider of methodologies and training for performance consultants.
From 1988 through 1995, Paul was Vice President of RWD Technologies. He consulted on approaches to improve human performance across diverse industries, which included telecommunications, financial services, automotive manufacturing, petroleum refining, and consumer products. Throughout the course of Paul’s consulting career he has worked with organizations such as P&G, Microsoft, FedEx, BellSouth, Ford Motor, Boeing ,BP Exploration & Production, Agilent, Valero, and other Fortune 500 organizations.
Paul served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Training and Development (1993 - 1995). Dr. Elliott received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois (1975). His M.S. is in Instructional Technology from Syracuse University (1972) and his B.A. is from Rutgers University (1970). Publications include a chapter inThe ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals (2008) entitled “Identifying Performance and Learning Gaps” and an article in the June 2005 issue or ASTD’s journal, T&D, entitled “Making the Exemplary Normal”. Dr.Elliott also wrote the chapter on "Assessment" in Moving from Training to Performance, edited by Dana Gaines Robinson & James C.Robinson (ASTD & Berrett Koehler, May 1998) and "Job Aids" in the Handbook of Human Performance Technology, edited by Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps (ISPI & Jossey-Bass, March 1999).
