Training ROI and the Organization's Strategic Connection

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ROI Case Study

Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D. This case was prepared as a basis for discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective administrative and management practices. All names, dates, places, and organizations have been disguised at the request of the authors or organizations. This is an update of a case study originally published in ROI at Work: Best Practice Case Studies from the Real World, (Jack J. Phillips and Patti P. Phillips, American Society for Training and Development, Alexandria, VA, 2005).

P.O. Box 380637 Birmingham, AL 35238

Phone: 205‐678‐8101 • Fax: 205‐678‐8102 Email: [email protected]

MEASURING ROI IN BUSINESS COACHING

NATIONS HOTEL

ABSTRACT The learning and development team at the Nations Hotel Corporation was challenged to identify learning needs to help executives find ways to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth in the company. A key component of the program was the development of a formal, structured coaching program, Coaching for Business Impact. The corporate executives were interested in seeing the actual ROI for the coaching project. This case study provides critical insights into how coaching creates value in an organization including ROI.

BACKGROUND Nations Hotel Corporation (NHC) is a large U.S.‐based hotel firm with operations in 15 countries. The firm has maintained steady growth to include more than 300 hotels in cities all over the world. NHC enjoys one of the most recognized names in the global lodging industry, with 98% brand awareness worldwide and 72% overall guest satisfaction. The hospitality industry is very competitive, cyclical, and subject to swings with the economy. Room rentals are price sensitive, and customer satisfaction is extremely important for NHC. Profits are squeezed if operating costs get out of hand. NHC top executives constantly seek ways to improve operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, revenue growth, and retention of high‐performing employees. Executives‐‐particularly those in charge of individual properties‐‐are under constant pressure to show improvement in these key measures. The learning and development function, the Nations Hotel Learning Organization (NHLO), conducted a brief survey of executives to identify learning needs to help them meet some of their particular goals. NHLO was interested in developing customized learning processes including the possibility of individual coaching sessions. Most of the executives surveyed indicated that they would like to work with a qualified coach to assist them through a variety of challenges and issues. The executives believed that this would be an efficient way to learn, apply, and achieve results. Consequently, NHLO developed a formal, structured coaching program—Coaching for Business Impact (CBI)—and offered it to the executives at the vice president level and above. As the project was conceived, the senior executive team became interested in showing the value of the coaching project. Although they supported coaching as a method to improve executive performance, they wanted to see the actual ROI. The goal was to evaluate 25 executives, randomly selected (if possible) from the participants in CBI. The Program

Figure 1 shows the steps in the new coaching program from the beginning to the ultimate outcomes. This program involves 14 discrete elements and processes.

COACHING FOR BUSINESS IMPACT STEPS

Figure 1. Coaching for Business Impact Steps

1. Voluntary participation: Executives had to volunteer to be part of this project. Voluntary commitment

translates into a willing participant who is not only open to changing, improving, and applying what is being learned, but also is also willing to provide the necessary data for evaluating the coaching process. The voluntary nature of the coaching program, however, meant that not all executives who needed coaching would be involved. When compared to mandatory involvement, however, the volunteer effort appeared to be an important ingredient for success. It was envisioned that as improvements were realized and executives reflected on the positive perceptions of coaching that other executives would follow suit.

2. The need for coaching: An important part of the process was a dialog with the executive to determine if coaching was actually needed. In this step, NHLO staff used a checklist to review the issues, needs, and concerns about the coaching agreement. Along with establishing a need, the checklist revealed key areas where coaching could help. This step ensured that the assistance desired by the executive could actually be provided by the coach.

3. Self‐assessment: As part of the process, a self‐assessment was taken from the individual being coached,

his or her immediate manager, and direct reports. This was a typical 360‐degree assessment instrument that focused on areas of feedback, communication, openness, trust, and other competencies necessary for success in the competitive hospitality environment.

1. Voluntary participation

2. The need for coaching

3. Self assessment

4. Commitment for data

5. Roles and responsibility

6. The match

7. Orientation session

8. The engagement

9. Coaching sessions

10. Goal setting

11. Action planning

12. Active learning

13. Progress review

14. Reporting

4. Commitment for data: As a precondition, executives had to agree to provide data during coaching and at appropriate times following the engagement. This up‐front commitment ensured that data of sufficient quality and quantity could be obtained. The data made evaluation easier and helped executives see their progress and realize the value of coaching.

5. Roles and responsibility: For both the coach and the executive, roles and responsibilities were clearly

defined. It was important for the executive to understand that the coach was there to listen, provide feedback, and evaluate. The coach was not there to make decisions for the executive. This clear distinction was important for productive coaching sessions.

6. The match: Coaches were provided from a reputable business coaching firm where NHLO had developed

a productive relationship. Coach profiles were presented to executives and a tentative selection was made on a priority listing. The respective coach was provided background information on the executive and a match was made. After this match, the coaching process began.

7. Orientation session: The executive and coach formally met during an orientation session. Here, the NHLO

staff explained the process, requirements, timetable, and other administrative issues. This was a very brief session typically conducted in a group; however, it could also be conducted individually.

8. The engagement: One of the most important aspects of the process involved making sure that the

engagement was connected to a business need. Typical coaching engagements focused on behavioral issues (e.g., an executive’s inability to listen to employees). To connect to the business impact, the behavior change must link to a business consequence. In the initial engagement, the coach uncovered the business need by asking a series of questions to examine the consequences of behavior change. This process involved asking “so what?” and “what if?” as the desired behavior changes were described. As the business needs were identified, the measures must be in the categories of productivity, sales, efficiency, direct cost savings, employee retention, and customer satisfaction. The engagement should be connected to corresponding changes in at least three of those measures. Without elevating the engagement to a business need, it would have been difficult to evaluate coaching with this level of analysis.

9. Coaching sessions: Individual sessions were conducted at least once a month (usually more often) lasting

a minimum of 1 hour (sometimes more), depending on the need and issues at hand. The coach and executive met face to face, if possible. If not, coaching was conducted in a telephone conversation. Routine meetings were necessary to keep the process on track.

10. Goal setting: Although individuals could set goals in any area needing improvements, the senior

executives chose five priority areas for targeting: sales growth, productivity/operational efficiency, direct cost reduction, retention of key staff members, and customer satisfaction. The executives selected one measure in at least three of these areas. Essentially, they would have three specific goals that would require three action plans, described next.

11. Action planning: To drive the desired improvement, the action planning process was utilized. Common in

coaching engagements, this process provided an opportunity for the executive to detail specific action steps planned with the team. These steps were designed to drive a particular consequence that was a business impact measure. Figure 2 shows a typical action planning document used in this process. The executive was to complete the action plan during the first two to three coaching sessions, detailing step‐

by‐step what he or she would accomplish to drive a particular improvement. Under the analysis section, Part A, B, and C are completed in the initial development of the plan. The coaches distributed action plan packages that included instructions, blank forms, and completed examples. The coach explained the process in the second coaching session. The action plans could be revised as needed. At least three improvement measures were required out of the five areas targeted with the program. Consequently, at least three action plans had to be developed and implemented.

12. Active learning: After the executive developed the specific measures in question and the action plans,

several development strategies were discussed and implemented with the help of the coach. The coach actually facilitated the efforts, utilizing any number of typical learning processes, such as reading assignments, self‐assessment tools, skill practices, video feedback, journaling, and other techniques. Coaching is considered to be an active learning process where the executive experiments, applies, and reflects on the experience. The coach provides input, reaction, assessment, and evaluation.

13. Progress review: At monthly sessions, the coach and executive reviewed progress and revised the action

plan, if necessary. The important issue was to continue to make adjustments to sustain the process. 14. Reporting: After six months in the coaching engagement, the executive reported improvement by

completing other parts of the action plan. This includes Part D, E, F, and G and intangible benefits and comments. If the development efforts were quite involved and the measures driven were unlikely to change in the interim, a longer period of time was utilized. For most executives, six months was appropriate.

These elements reflected a results‐based project appropriate called “coaching for business impact.”

ROI ACTION PLAN

Action Plan: Coaching for Business Impact

Name: Coach: Date

Impact Objective: Evaluation Period: to

Improvement Measure: Current Performance: Target Performance: Action Steps Analysis 1. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 5. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 6. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 7. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 8. _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Intangible Benefits:

A. What is the unit of measure? __________________________ B. What is the value (cost) of one unit? $___________________ C. How did you arrive at this value?

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

D. How much did the measure change during the evaluation period? (monthly value) _____________________________

E. What other factors could have contributed to this improvement?

F. What percent of this change was actually caused by this program? ______________%

G. What level of confidence do you place on the above information? (100% = Certainty and 0% = No Confidence)____________%

Comments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 2. Action Plan Form

Objectives An effective ROI study flows from the objectives of the particular project being evaluated. For

coaching, it is important to clearly indicate the objectives at different levels. Figure 3 shows the detailed objectives associated with this project. The objectives reflect the four classic levels of evaluation plus a fifth level for ROI. Some of the levels, however, have been adjusted for the coaching environment. With these objectives in mind, it becomes a relatively easy task to measure progress on these objectives.

OBJECTIVES OF BUSINESS IMPACT COACHING

Figure 3. Objectives of Business Impact Coaching Planning for Evaluation Figure 4 shows the completed data collection plan for this project. The plan captures the following techniques and strategies used to collect data for this project:

Level 1. Reaction Objectives After participating in this coaching program, the executive will 1. perceive coaching to be relevant to the job 2. perceive coaching to be important to job

performance at the present time 3. perceive coaching to be value added in terms

of time and funds invested 4. rate the coach as effective 5. recommend this program to other executives.

Level 2. Learning Objectives After completing this coaching program, the executives should improve their understanding of or skills for each of the following: 1. uncovering individual strengths and

weaknesses 2. translating feedback into action plans 3. involving team members in projects and goals 4. communicating effectively 5. collaborating with colleagues 6. improving personal effectiveness 7. enhancing leadership skills.

Level 3. Application Objectives Six months after completing this coaching program, executives should 1. complete the action plan 2. adjust the plan accordingly as needed for

changes in the environment

Level 3. Application Objectives (continued) 3. Show improvements on the following items:

a. uncovering individual strengths and weaknesses

b. translating feedback into action plans c. involving team members in projects

and goals d. communicating effectively e. collaborating with colleagues f. improving personal effectiveness g. enhancing leadership skills.

4. Identify barriers and enablers

Level 4. Impact Objectives After completing this coaching program, executives should improve at least three specific measures in the following areas: 1. sales growth 2. productivity/operational efficiency 3. direct cost reduction 4. retention of key staff members 5. customer satisfaction.

Level 5. ROI Objective

The ROI value should be 25%.

1. Objectives: The objectives are listed as defined in Figure 3 and are repeated only in general terms. 2. Measures: Additional definition is sometimes needed beyond the specific objectives. The measures

used to gauge progress on the objective are defined. 3. Methods: This column indicates the specific method used for collecting data at different levels. In this

case, action plans and questionnaires are the primary methods. 4. Sources: For each data group, sources are identified. For coaches, sources are usually limited to the

executive, coach, manager of the executive, and the individual/team reporting to the executive. Although the actual data provided by executives will usually come from the records of the organization, the executive will include the data in the action plan document. Thus, the executive becomes a source of the data to NHLO.

5. Timing: The timing refers to the time for collecting specific data items from the beginning of the coaching engagement.

6. Responsibility: The responsibility refers to the individual(s) who will actually collect the data.

DATA INTEGRATION PLAN

Figure 4. Data Integration Plan for Evaluating the Program The data collection plan (Figure 5) shows how the various types of data are collected and integrated to provide an overall evaluation of the program.

Data Category Executive Questionnaire

Senior Executive Questionnaire Action Plan

Company Records

Reaction X

Learning X X

Application X X X

Impact X X

Costs X

DATA COLLECTION PLAN

Program: Coaching for Business Impact Responsibility: Jack Phillips Date:____________

Level Objective(s) Measures/Data

Data Collection Method Data Sources Timing Responsibilities

1 Reaction/Satisfaction • Relevance to job • Importance to job success • Value add • Coach’s effectiveness • Recommendation to others

• 4 out of 5 on a 1 to 5 rating scale

• Questionnaire • Executives • 6 months after engagement

• NHLO Staff

2 Learning • Uncovering strengths/

weaknesses • Translating feedback into action • Involving team members • Communicating effectively • Collaborating with colleagues • Improving personal

effectiveness • Enhancing leadership skills

• 4 out of 5 on a 1 to 5 rating scale

• Questionnaire • Executives • Coach

• 6 months after engagement

• NHLO Staff

3 Application/Implementation • Complete and adjust action plan • Identify barriers and enablers • Show improvements in skills

• Checklist for action plan

• 4 out of 5 on a 1 to 5 rating scale

• Action Plan • Questionnaire

• Executive • Coach

• 6 months after engagement

• NHLO Staff

4 Business Impact (3 of 5) 1. Sales growth 2. Productivity/efficiency 3. Direct cost reduction 4. Retention of key staff members 5. Customer satisfaction

1. Monthly revenue 2. Varies with location 3. Direct monetary savings

4. Voluntary turnover 5. Customer satisfaction index

• Action Plan • Executive • 6 months after engagement

• NHLO Staff

5 ROI • 25 percent Comments: Executives are committed to providing data.They fully understand all the data collection issues prior to engaging

into the coaching assignment.

Figure 5. Completed Data Collection Plan

Figure 6 shows the completed plan for data analysis. This document addresses the key issues needed for a credible analysis of the data and includes the following:

1. Data items: The plan shows when business measures will be collected from the one of the five priority areas.

2. Isolating the effects of coaching: The method of isolating the effects of coaching on the data is estimation, where the executives actually allocate the proportion of the improvement to the coaching process (more on the consequences of this later). Although there are more credible methods, such as control groups and trend analysis, they are not appropriate for this situation. Although the estimates are subjective, they are developed by those individuals who should know them best (the executives), and the results are adjusted for the error of the estimate.

3. Converting data to monetary values: Data is converted using a variety of methods. For most data items, standard values are available. When standard values are not available, the input of an in‐house expert is pursued. This expert is typically an individual who collects, assimilates, and reports the data. If neither of these approaches is feasible, the executive estimates the value.

4. Cost categories: The standard cost categories included are the typical costs for a coaching assignment. 5. Communication targets: Several audiences are included for coaching results, representing the key

stakeholder groups: the executive, the executive’s immediate manager, the sponsor of the program, and the NHLO staff. Other influences and issues are also detailed in this plan.

Evaluation Results

The careful data collection planning allowed the coaching program to be evaluated at all five levels.

ROI ANALYSIS PLAN

Program: Coaching for Business Success Responsibility: Jack Phillips___ Date:_____________

Data Items (Usually Level 4)

Methods for Isolating the Effects of the Program

Methods of Converting Data to Monetary Values Cost Categories

Intangible Benefits

Communication Targets for Final Report

Other Influences/ Issues During Application

Comments

• Sales growth

Estimates for executive

(Method is the same for all data items)

• Standard Value

• Expert input • Executive estimate (Method is the same for all data items)

• Needs assessment

• Coaching fees • Travel costs • Executive time • Administrative support

• Administrative overhead

• Communication expenses

• Facilities • Evaluation

• Increased commitme nt

• Reduced stress

• Increased job satisfactio n

• Improved customer service

• Enhanced recruiting image

• Improved teamwork

• Improved communic ation

• Executives • Senior executives

• Sponsors • NHLO staff • Learning & Development Council

• Prospective participants for CBI

A variety of other initiatives will influence the impact measure including our Six Sigma process, service excellence program, and our efforts to become a great place to work.

It is extremely important to secure commitment from executives to provide accurate data in a timely manner.

• Productivity/ operational efficiency

• Direct cost reduction

• Retention of key staff members

• Customer satisfaction

Figure 6. The ROI Analysis Plan for Coaching for Business Impact

Reaction Reaction to the coaching program exceeded expectations of the NHLO staff. Comments received for Level 1 evaluation included these:

• “This program was very timely and practical.” • “My coach was very professional.” On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = unacceptable and 5 = exceptional), the average rating of five items

was 4.1, exceeding the objective of 4.0. Table 1 shows the items listed.

Table 1. Executive Reaction to Coaching Learning As with any process, the executives indicated enhancement of skills and knowledge in certain areas:

• “I gained much insight into my problems with my team.” • “This is exactly what I needed to get on track. My coach pointed out things I hadn’t

thought of and we came up with some terrific actions.” Table 2 shows seven items with inputs from both the executives and their coaches. For this level, it was considered appropriate to collect the data from both groups, indicating the degree of improvement. The most accurate, and probably most credible, is the input directly from the executive. The coach may not be fully aware of the extent of learning.

EXECUTIVE REACTION TO COACHING

Level 1 Evaluation Rating* Relevance of Coaching 4.6 Importance of Coaching 4.1 Value of Coaching 3.9 Effectiveness of Coach 3.9 Recommendation to Others 4.2

*Scale 1‐5, where: 1 = Unacceptable 5 = Exceptional

Table 2. Learning from Coaching Application For coaching to be successful, the executive had to implement the items on the action plans. The most important measure of application was the completion of the action plan steps. Eighty‐ three percent of the executives reported completion of all three plans. Another 11 percent completed one or two action plans. Also, executives and the coach provided input on questions about changes in behavior from the use of skills. Here are some comments they offered on the questionnaires:

• “It was so helpful to get a fresh, unique point of view of my action plan. The coaching experience opened my eyes to significant things I was missing.”

• “After spending a great deal of time trying to get my coach to understand my dilemma, I felt that more effort went into to this than I expected.”

• “We got stuck in a rut on one issue and I couldn’t get out. My coach was somewhat distracted and I never felt we were on the same page.”

The response rates for questionnaires were 92 percent and 80 percent for executives and coaches respectively. Table 3 shows a listing of the skills and the rating, using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 was “no change in the skill” and 5 was “exceptional increase.”

Measures Executive Rating*

Coach Rating*

Understanding strengths and weaknesses 3.9 4.2 Translating feedback into action plans 3.7 3.9 Involving team members in projects and goals

4.2 3.7

Communicating effectively 4.1 4.2 Collaborating with colleagues 4.0 4.1 Improving personal effectiveness 4.1 4.4 Enhancing leadership skills 4.2 4.3

*Program value scale 1‐5.

Table 3. Application of Coaching Barriers and Enablers With any process, there are barriers and enablers to success. The executives were asked to indicate the specific barriers (obstacles) to the use of what was learned in the coaching sessions. Overall the barriers were weak, almost nonexistent. Also, they were asked to indicate what supported (enablers) the process. The enablers were very strong. Table 4 shows a list of the barriers and enablers.

Table 4. Barriers and Enablers of the Coaching Process Impact Specific business impact measures varied with the individual but, for the most part, were in the categories representing the five priority areas. Table 5 shows the listing of the actual data reported in the action plans for the first measure only. The table identifies the executive and the area of improvement, the monetary value, the basis of the improvement, the method of converting the monetary value, the contribution from coaching, the confidence estimate of the contribution, and the adjusted value. Since there are three measures, a total of all three tables are developed. The total for the three is $1,861,158.

Measures Executive Rating*

Coach Rating*

Translating feedback into action plans 4.2 3.9 Involving team members in projects and goals 4.1 4.2 Communicating more effectively with the team

4.3 4.1

Collaborating more with the group and others 4.2 4.2 Applying effective leadership skills 4.1 3.9

*Program value scale 1‐5, where: 1 = No change in skills 5 = Exceptional increase.

Barriers Enablers • Not enough time • Not relevant • Not effective when using

the skill • Manager didn’t support it

• Coach • Action plan • Structure of CBI • Support of

management

ACTUAL DATA REPORTED – BUSINESS IMPACT FROM COACHING

Table 5. Business Impact from Coaching

I ANALYSIS PLAN

Exec # Measurement Area Total Annual Value Basis

Method for Converting Data

Contribution Factor

Confidence Estimate Adjusted Value

1 Revenue growth $ 11,500 Profit margin Standard value 33% 70% $ 2,656 2 Retention 175,000 3 turnovers Standard value 40% 70% 49,000 3 Retention 190,000 2 turnovers Standard value 60% 80% 91,200 4 Direct cost savings 75,000 From cost statements Participant estimate 100% 100% 75,000 5 Direct cost savings 21,000 Contract services Standard value 75% 70% 11,025 6 Direct cost savings 65,000 Staffing costs Standard value 70% 60% 27,300 7 Retention 150,000 2 turnovers Standard value 50% 50% 37,500 8 Cost savings 70,000 Security Standard value 60% 90% 37,800 9 Direct cost savings 9,443 Supply costs N/A 70% 90% 5,949 10 Efficiency 39,000 Information technology

costs Participant estimate 70% 80% 21,840

11 Retention 215,000 4 turnovers Standard value 75% 90% 145,125 12 Productivity 13,590 Overtime Standard value 75% 80% 8,154 13 Retention 73,000 1 turnover Standard value 50% 80% 29,200 14 Retention 120,000 2 annual turnovers Standard value 60% 75% 54,000 15 Retention 182,000 4 turnovers Standard value 40% 85% 61,880 16 Cost savings 25,900 Travel Standard value 30% 90% 6,993 17 Cost savings 12,320 Administrative support Standard value 75% 90% 8,316 18 Direct cost savings 18,950 Labor savings Participant estimate 55% 60% 6,253 19 Revenue growth 103,100 Profit margin Participant estimate 75% 90% 69,592 20 Revenue 19,500 Profit Standard value 85% 75% 12,431 21 Revenue 21,230 Profit % Standard value 80% 70% 18,889 22 Revenue growth 105,780 Profit margin Standard value 70% 50% 37,023 TOTAL $1,716,313 TOTAL $817,126

2nd Measure Total $649,320 3rd Measure Total $394,712

TOTAL Benefits $1,861,158

Figure 7 shows a completed action plan from one participant, Caroline Dobson (executive #11). In this example, Caroline reduced annual turnover to 17% from 28% ‐ an improvement of 11%. This represented four turnovers on an annual basis. Using a standard value of 1.3 times base salaries for the cost of one turnover and adding the total base salaries yields a total cost savings of $215,000. As mentioned earlier, the estimates were used to isolate the benefits of coaching. After the estimates were obtained, the value was adjusted for the confidence of the estimate. Essentially, the executives were asked to list other factors that could have contributed to the improvement and allocate the amount (on a percentage basis) that was directly attributable to coaching. Then, using a scale of 0% (no confidence) to 100% (total certainty), executives provided the confidence levels for their estimates. ROI The costs were fully loaded and included both the direct and indirect costs of coaching. Estimates were used in some cases. Table 6 shows the costs of coaching for all 25 executives in the study.

Table 6. Costs of Coaching 25 Executives Only a small amount of initial assessment cost was involved and the development cost was minor, as well, because the coaching firm had developed a similar coaching arrangement previously. The costs for sessions conducted on the phone were estimated, and sometimes a conference room was used instead of the executive offices.

Item Cost Needs Assessment/Development $ 10,000 Coaching Fees 480,000 Travel Costs 53,000 Executive Time 9,200 Administrative Support 14,000 Administrative Overhead 2,000 Telecommunication Expenses 1,500 Facilities (Conference Room) 2,100 Evaluation 8,000

Total $ 579,800

COMPLETED ACTION PLAN Name: Caroline Dobson Coach: Pamela Mills Follow‐Up Date 1 September Objective: Improve retention for staff Evaluation Period: January to July Improvement Measure: Voluntary turnover Current Performance 28% Annual Target Performance 15% Annual

Action Steps Analysis

1. Meet with team to discuss reasons for turnover – using problem‐solving skills.

31 Jan

A. What is the unit of measure? One voluntary turnover B. What is the value (cost) of one unit? Salary × 1.3 C. How did you arrive at this value?

Standard Value

D. How much did the measure change during the evaluation period? 11% (annual %) (4 turnovers annually)

E. What other factors could have contributed to this improvement? Growth opportunities, changes in job market

F. What percent of this change was actually caused by this program? 75%

G. What level of confidence do you place on the above information? (100% = Certainty and 0% = No Confidence) 90%

2. Review exit interview data with HR – look for trends and patterns.

15 Feb

3. Counsel with “at‐risk” employees to correct problems and explore opportunities for improvement.

1 Mar

4. Develop individual development plan for high‐potential employees.

5 Mar

5. Provide recognition to employees with long tenure. Routinely

6. Schedule appreciation dinner for entire team. 31 May

7. Encourage team leaders to delegate more responsibilities. 31 May

8. Follow‐up with each discussion and discuss improvement or lack of improvement and plan other action..

Routinely

9. Monitor improvement and provide recognition when appropriate.

11 May

Intangible Benefits: Less stress on team, greater job satisfaction

Comments: Great Coach – He kept me on track with this issue.

Figure 7. An Example of an Executive’s Completed Action Plan

Using the total monetary benefits and total cost of the program, two ROI calculations can be developed. The first is the benefit‐cost ratio (BCR), which is the ratio of the monetary benefits divided by the costs: This value suggests that for every dollar invested, $3.21 was returned. The ROI formula for investments in training, coaching, or any human performance intervention is calculated in the same way as for other types of investments: earnings divided by investment. For this coaching solution, the ROI was calculated thus:

In other words, for every dollar invested in the coaching program, the invested dollar was returned and another $2.21 was generated. In this case, the ROI exceeded the 25% target. Intangibles As with any project, there were many intangibles revealed by this analysis. Intangibles were collected on both the follow‐up questionnaire and the action plan. Two questions were included on the questionnaire; one involved other benefits from this process and the other asked for comments about the program. Some individuals indicated intangibles when they listed the comments. Also, the action plan contained a place for comments and intangibles. The intangible benefits identified through these data sources included:

• increased commitment • improved teamwork • increased job satisfaction • improved customer service • improved communication.

Note that this list includes only measures that were identified as being an intangible benefit by at least four of the 25 executives. In keeping with the conservative nature of the ROI Methodology, it was decided that intangibles identified by only a couple of executives would be considered extreme data items and not credible enough to list as an actual benefit of the program. Credibility of the ROI Analysis The critical issue in this study is the credibility of the data. The data were perceived to be very credible by the executives, their immediate managers, and the coaches. Credibility rests on eight major issues:

BCR = $1,861,158

= 3.21 $579,800

ROI (%) = $1,861,158 – $579,800

× 100 = 221% $579,800

1. The information for the analysis was provided directly by the executives. They had no reason to be biased in their input.

2. The data was taken directly from the records and could be audited. 3. The data collection process was conservative, with the assumption that an unresponsive

individual had realized no improvement. This concept‐‐no data, no improvement‐‐is ultraconservative in regard to data collection. Three executives did not return the completed action plans.

4. The executives did not assign complete credit to this program. Executives isolated only a portion of the data that should be credited directly to this program.

5. The data was adjusted for the potential error of the above estimate. 6. Only the first year’s benefits were used in the analysis. Most of the improvements

should result in second and third‐year benefits. 7. The costs of the program were fully loaded. All direct and indirect costs were included,

including the time away from work for the executives. 8. The data revealed a balanced profile of success. Very favorable reaction, learning, and

application data were presented along with business impact, ROI, and intangibles. Collectively, these issues made a convincing case for the CBI program.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

To communicate appropriately with the target audiences outlined in the ROI analysis plan, three specific documents were produced. The first report was a detailed impact study showing the approach, assumptions, methodology, and results using all the data categories. In addition, barriers and enablers were included, along with conclusions and recommendations. The second report was an eight‐page executive summary of the key points, including a one‐page overview of the methodology. The third report was a brief, five‐page summary of the process and results. These documents were presented to the different groups according to the plan in Figure 8.

Figure 8. NHLO’s Plan for Communicating Evaluation Results Because this was the first ROI study conducted in this organization, face‐to‐face meetings were conducted with the sponsor and other interested senior executives. The purpose was to ensure that executive sponsors had a clear understanding of the methodology, the conservative

Audience Document Executives Brief summary Managers of executive (senior executives)

Brief summary

Sponsor Complete study, executive summary

NHLO staff Complete study Learning and development council Complete study, executive

summary Prospective participants Brief summary

assumptions, and each level of data. The barriers, enablers, conclusions, and recommendations were an important part of the meeting. In the future, after two or three studies have been conducted, this group will receive only a one‐page summary of key data items. A similar meeting was conducted with the learning and development council. The council consisted of advisors to NHLO—usually middle‐level executives and managers. Finally, a face‐ to‐face meeting was held with the NHLO staff at which the complete impact study was described and used as a learning tool. As a result of this communication, the senior executive decided to make only a few minor adjustments in the program and continued to offer CBI to others on a volunteer basis. They were very pleased with the progress and were delighted to have data connecting coaching to the business impact.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. How did the decision to conduct an ROI study influence the design of the coaching program?

2. Critique the evaluation design and method of data collection. 3. Discuss the importance of getting participants committed to provide quality

data. 4. What other strategies for isolating the impact of the coaching program could

have been employed here? 5. Discuss the importance of credibility of data in an ROI study. 6. How can the outcomes of coaching be linked to your organization’s business

objectives?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR As a world‐renowned expert on measurement and evaluation, Jack J. Phillips is chairman of the ROI Institute. Through the Institute, Phillips provides consulting services for Fortune 500 companies and workshops for major conference providers throughout the world. Phillips is also the author or editor of more than 30 books—at least 10 about measurement and evaluation—and more than 100 articles. Books most recently authored by Jack Phillips include Show Me the Money: How to Determine ROI in People, Projects, and Programs (Berrett‐Koehler, 2007); Proving the Value of Meetings & Events: How and Why to Measure ROI (ROI Institute, MPI, 2007); Building a Successful Consulting Practice (McGraw‐Hill, 2006); Investing in Your Company’s Human Capital: Strategies to Avoid Spending Too Much or Too Little (Amacom, 2005); Proving the Value of HR: How and Why to Measure ROI (SHRM, 2005); The Leadership Scorecard (Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann, 2004); Managing Employee Retention (Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann, 2003); Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs, 2nd ed. (Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann, 2003); The Project Management Scorecard, (Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann, 2002); and How to Measure Training Results (McGraw‐Hill, 2002). Dr. Phillips served as series editor for ASTD’s In Action casebook series, an ambitious publishing project featuring 30 titles. He currently serves as series editor for Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann’s Improving Human Performance series, and for Pfeiffer’s new series on Measurement and Evaluation. He can be reached at [email protected].