CHAPTER 3
Enablers: The Bridge to Success

In the Work Performance Framework (WPF), the human resources described in Chapter 2—mental abilities, physical abilities, and socioeconomic conditions—become work inputs through the development process presented in this chapter. The key factors in the process are what the WPF terms enablers, which convert potential abilities to applied abilities.

This chapter presents a theoretical overview of employee training and development that goes beyond traditional thinking to include the process of fully enabling the worker and reveals the value of enablers and how to use them strategically. It begins with a discussion of enablers in the context of the WPF, enabling opportunities, and a selected literature review, and it follows with specific enabling programs and several key performance measures to evaluate their efficiency and effectiveness. The chapter concludes with a look into the future of employee-enabling activities and research opportunities.