Lately, as a typical struggling adult, it’s been overwhelming. I’ve been doing academics, searching for other opportunities, and managing responsibilities at home with my pets. I felt like I was spinning my wheels without getting anywhere.
While working through the readings in IDT 102, I came across the concept of Human Performance Improvement (HPI), also known as Human Performance Technology (HPT). For this reflection, I’ll refer to it as Human Performance (HP). The idea caught my attention. I didn’t expect something academic to feel this relevant, but it helped me pinpoint the friction in my routines and mindset. As someone stepping into new roles, this concept gave me a practical way to assess what was going wrong and what I could do about it.
Identifying Performance Gaps
I recalled a time at a teaching job when I was tasked with multiple creative outputs for the English Month—social media content and tarpaulins—all while attending back-to-back meetings and monitoring program flow. No matter how many hours I worked, I couldn’t catch up. The pressure built, and doubts followed.
Reading about performance gaps helped me put things into perspective. A performance gap is the space between where you are and where you want to be. I realized I kept pushing through without addressing the actual causes. The overload, the lack of support, and the absence of overtime pay chipped away at my motivation. My environment pulled me in too many directions, which made real progress feel unreachable.
Selecting, Developing, and Implementing Interventions
Once I understood the nature of the gap, I stopped forcing productivity and started identifying what would make a difference. I lacked performance support. I didn’t have the structure or guidance I needed. So, I began setting priorities and creating systems to support my workflow.
I blocked off time for focused work, organized tasks by urgency, and made sure I had what I needed before diving into any project. These small adjustments allowed me to manage tasks more clearly. They weren’t grand solutions, but they worked because they addressed the right issues.
Intervention Implementation and Maintenance
I implemented tools that helped me stay consistent. Google Calendar and Asana helped me schedule and track my tasks. For creative outputs, I shifted from Adobe software to Canva, which gave me access to templates that saved time. I also improved how I communicated with my team about deadlines and workload.
I kept the new systems running by checking in regularly and making tweaks along the way. I made small but deliberate adjustments whenever something didn’t align. Communication and consistency became non-negotiable. These habits kept me from falling back into the same stress cycle.
evaluation
To evaluate whether my interventions worked, I tracked how well I met deadlines and managed stress. I also asked for feedback about my output, especially during high-pressure periods. I paid attention to whether the quality stayed consistent even with tighter schedules.
If something didn’t work, I adjusted. Sometimes, I needed to carve out more time for a task or clarify expectations early. These changes were effective because I made space to reassess and respond.
Reflection
As a future instructional designer, I plan to carry this mindset into my work. In education, HP helps shape teaching strategies around what learners actually need. In corporate settings, it supports training programs that fill real skill gaps. This framework helps in diagnosing problems and building systems that keep people moving forward with less friction and more direction.
Human Performance gave me the tools to rethink how I work, solve problems, and grow in ways that feel sustainable. It taught me how to move from stress to strategy—and that shift made all the difference.
references:
International Society for Performance Improvement. (2002). ISPI Performance Standards.
https://www.puentes.biz/greenworks/hpt/hpt_standards.pdf
Prime II. (2004). Performance Improvement: Stages, Steps, and Tools.
http://www.prime2.org/sst/intro.html
Stefaniak , J. E. (2018). Performance Technology. In R. E. West. (Ed.). Foundations of
Learning and Instructional Design Technology: Historical Roots and Current Trends.
https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/performance_technology
Surry, D. W. & Stanfield. A. K. (2017). Performance Technology. In R. E. West (Ed.).
Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. Pressbooks
