Work the Problem: How Experts Tackle Workplace Challenges

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Commentary by Joe Willmore

A leader in the field of human performance, Joe Willmore is a consultant for a range of organizations and the author of numerous publications on performance improvement.

 

Thomas Gilbert, one of the giants of performance improvement, talked about the “cult of knowledge,” in which organizations treat knowledge as if it is an end in itself. But just because you have smart, knowledgeable people in your organization doesn’t mean you get good performance, and that certainly applies in this case. Of course, I’d rather have an organization full of bright, talented, and highly skilled people than one of dumb, underskilled performers. But there is a tendency to assume that if only we had “good people” then we’d get good ...