Critical incidents The Critical Incidents Technique is the most widely used method for obtaining behavioral performance data CIT uses observers who are familiar with the objectives of a given job and who frequently observe people performing their work. The observers are asked to log examples of effective and ineffective behavior that they see over a period of several weeks. Supervisors, peers, subordinates, clients, and the employees themselves may be asked to share observations about critical incidents occurring on the job. The key to using CIT is to ensure that the observed incidents are specific and are stated in behavioral terms. For example, a conscientious job analyst would not accept a statement that a supervisor's behavior showed sensitivity. The analyst would inquire further in order to determine what the supervisor specifically did.
The analyst might learn that what actually happened was that the super- visor met privately with the employee to discuss performance problems or that the supervisor criticized the employee's behavior rather than the employee personally. By refusing to settle for vague ac- counts, an analyst can generate a host of specific examples that can then be used for employee selection, orientation, training, and performance appraisal See the sidebar on this page, "Critical Incidents for Position Audits" for an example of such an analysis. It lists specific critical incidents that make up the task of developing position audits, a major responsibility of the position of personnel specialist, described in the first box.