This is going to look like one of my strangest Blogs yet, but wait. For most of you, I am sure you never heard of a "Performance Specification". To make this easier to follow, look at the following example. Let's say that we are writing the specifications for a "car". We give all the items that the car must have, like, four wheels, a steering wheel, brakes, lights, get 40 mpg and seat belts. To most people, these specification seem perfectly normal. What's the problem? Now we are getting to reason for this Blog.
With the above specifications, we would not be able to build a car that had three axles and thus six wheels. We would not be able to build a car with three wheels. If the car ran on electricity, or was man powered, how many miles per gallon would it get. The point is that specifications that define what the item is greatly restricts the development of that item. What do you think would have happened with airplanes if they were restricted to propellers? Simple minded people tend to think in terms of specifications that define what the items is rather than what it is supposed to do.
Another example that I am very familiar with are building codes. Historically, all of these codes were in the form of "here is how you do it". The code specified the size of lumber that could be used for the floor and roof and used this type of definition all thru the code. It was easy for the simple minded inspector to check out the building project because all he had to do was measure the sizes of the lumber used for each function. Good idea? I don't think so. What this did was to kill any new ideas about how to build a home. These kinds of codes using "here is how you do it" specification are all over the place, not just in construction. They are every where and in every case they limit new ideas and technical progress. Are you now too bored to follow me? Fortunately many building codes have been changed to codes that are based on "performance". These types of codes define what the floor is supposed to be able to support. Now engineers and builders can consider multiple ways of building a floor that will support the specified amount. If you look at the construction of a new home, you will see that in many areas they are quite different from the one that your parents lived in. Now let's get to a more interesting area.
You know that I am very concerned about the quality of education in the USA. If you look close, you will find that they do "not" use "performance" specifications. They use the, "this is how it is done" type of specifications. Just like in building, this has lead to a dead end where there is very little innovation. Take math, the teacher has to use a specified book for each grade. More of, "this is how you do it". Unions were born and raised on a diet of, "this is how you do it" so they do not see any problem with the concept. Performance is one of the missing words in the vocabulary of most unionized school teachers. They want to be paid based on, "I did it like the code or this is how you do it" code. I have to tell you that with, "this is how you do it" codes, life can be real simple for the teacher and the principle, but it short changes our kids. More and more, if you look at teaching specifications you will see that they are not only based on, "this is how your do it" they are based on, "how we have always done it". A common thread thru the "how you do it" specifications is that they are always "looking backwards" when we need to be looking ahead. Tell me I'm wrong? Performance specifications, by their very nature are asking us to "look ahead". You may have to reread this Blog a couple of times to get the full meaning.
Just remember that our schools have to be, "looking ahead" not "looking backwards". How long did our schools have to teach Latin before someone "looked ahead" and saw that there was no need for Latin in the future? It is happening every day right under our collective noses.
Try to use the word "performance" at least once a day for the next few weeks and see if you are not able to see the future a little more clearly too.
