Should it be called a Human Performance "Program," or something else?

If you haven't been to a Human Performance conference lately, you may not understand why this is a topic I wanted to weigh in on, and I can see your point. Please bear with the subject as I try to address something that people newer to Human Performance seem to be struggling with - the language of this field is very important for being consistent.  I hope you agree, that "yes," this subject matters. I really did not expect this to be a primary topic at this point in the life-cycle of bringing Human Performance Improvement to Utilities and beyond. I've been to three Human Performance Conferences this year, NATF, NERC, and WECC for anyone keeping track. This subject keeps coming up and it's disappointing that this seems to be such a distraction and concern. Should we call it a "program" or not? Let's review the upside and the downside.

The Upside

It IS a program. It needs a roll out starting point and thoughtful change management applied to strategically do properly. Stages have been developed, including initial training and upper management buy-in up front.

The Downside

The biggest concern seems to be the fear that if it is a program, that it is temporary and will be construed as "Flavor of the Week." Ever since it has been implemented in nuclear, the last stage of a human performance "Program" is to check and adjust and still being vigilant to moving forward. There is no end, and the research shows that.

Corrective Action "Programs"

To report conditions, whether they are significant or of low importance, many organizations with high-reliability have a Corrective Action PROGRAM. It's almost always called that using "Program" language. So what actually defines the basis for what makes up a program?

What does Google say about a "Program?"

pro·gram

ˈprōˌɡram/

noun

1. 1.

   a planned series of future events, items, or performances.

   "a weekly program of films"

Something to keep in mind that Corrective Action Programs are part of the Human Performance overall umbrella, even though some nuclear power plants put them in two houses under Organizational Effectiveness.

Final Suggestions

Some practitioners like calling this a:(Ranked in my order of preference)

1. Human Performance Program
2. Human Performance Initiative
3. Human Performance Methodology
4. Human Performance Process
5. Human Performance Approach
6. Human Performance Language
7. Human Performance Effort

If it matters

My job title at one of the Nuclear power plants I worked at was Human Performance and Work Observation PROGRAM Owner, and it even said on my pay check "Program Owner."

Yes. Call it a program and start thinking about indicators to establish a baseline, so you can eventually tell when your program is working. That's what you should be focusing on before changes start and you don't know where you started.

In case you were wondering:

flavor of the month

"Suddenly but temporarily popular": This rap artist is pop music's current flavor of the month.

Etymology: based on the custom of selling a different special flavor of ice cream (frozen sweetfood) every month