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OSP has developed a short questionnaire (also called a survey), "Identifying Barriers to a High-Performance Work Environment", as a useful tool for identifying barriers to creating and/or maintaining a "high-performance work environment" in your organization or work unit. The characteristics found in this illustration are captured by individual examples.

Using a questionnaire has the advantage of collecting information of a quantitative nature and is relatively easy to interpret. A well-designed questionnaire is good in that it can provide information that can be used to take meaningful action on findings. On the other hand, an employee survey can cause damage if you fail to take action. Conducting an opinion survey raises employee expectations that some action will be taken based on the information that is collected.

Management is not always interested in conducting surveys for that very reason. Questionnaires do tend to raise employee expectations. In reality, regardless of whether or not you do a survey, employees already have expectations. Employees need to know that their opinions matter. Surveys offer a simple method for giving employees a voice.

It is essential that employee expectations and perceptions be effectively managed through active listening, evaluating the feedback and initiating change, when appropriate.

Failure to identify and address existing concerns will negatively impact productivity and retention. When employee expectations are addressed, the core issues that inhibit good employees from becoming high performers will surface. We also gain insight to determine if employees' opinions are aligned with the organizations' mission and strategic plan.

Friesen, Kaye and Associates developed a tool for identifying performance problems and solutions. The tool recommends a process that will help you analyze performance problems and think through possible solutions. This tool will also help you to identify the gaps between where the organization is now where it needs to be in order to meet business requirements. Identifying the existing gaps makes it possible to identify the best solution strategies. In addition, you will be able to test some solutions and create guidelines to prepare for performance feedback meetings. Finally, you will be able to implement the solutions and monitor the results against the performance standards.

For more information, please read "Identifying Performance Problems and Solutions".

If you are a manager or supervisor and find that you are facing performance improvement challenges, you may find the tool, "Identifying Obstacles and Barriers to Performance Management: A Self-Assessment for Managers" to be helpful. This tool can be used to identify barriers to performance within your organization or work unit. Using the flow chart will help to reveal areas for self-improvement. This tool will benefit new managers, as well as experienced managers who are facing specific management challenges.

For more information, please refer to "Identifying Obstacles and Barriers to Performance Management: A Self Assessment for Managers".