Purpose – The purpose of the article is to offer a brief introduction and description of the performance template approach to training, performance improvement, and employee and manager development. The approach has been empirically examined and has demonstrated effectiveness in learning and performance improvement. Design – The article is designed to explain what the performance template activity intends to achieve, offer the several steps in the performance improvement process, and to give some practical examples of the approach in the field. Findings – No specific empirical findings are presented in this article, however, the references provided do contain complete information on the creation and use of the performance template approach in the field. Practical implications – The performance template (P-T) approach gives managers and other organization members a means for creating new practices that can assist and inform participants in the areas of knowledge creation, skill building and performance improvement. The P-T processes do not require any special expertise; a manager can implement the processes on her/his own, although the process is somewhat labor intensive. Social implications – Social implications of this work are limited to the influence on the quality of life in the organization as the employees and managers have opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of their performance. Originality/value – Taken by individual segment, the P-T approach is not new; however, the segments in combination provide a set of processes that when executed skillfully may influence employee learning and performance as well as help managers develop important skills