Executive and leadership coaching has become increasingly popular for companies interested in developing and keeping key organizational talent. While the number of coaches in the market has increased, we have noticed that few provide potential clients with a model for measuring success. This isn’t surprising because much of what a coach works with a client on are some of the more intangible aspects of work (e.g., leading others, team effectiveness, communication style, etc.). Though intangibles may be difficult to quantify, our background and experience as evaluation and assessment practitioners, led us to develop a model for measuring success based on 5 key factors:
1. Satisfaction - this is the reaction that the individual being coached has to the partnership. This is the most popular and often most cited “result” coaches use to quantify their success. Stated simply, was the client satisfied with the job the coach did.
2. Learning - what skills and competencies did the individual being coached gain as a result of participating. Key skills learned may include management skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, etc.
3. Behavior Change - how has the individual being coached changed their behavior since partnering with a coach
and would these changes have taken place without coaching. If the changes seen in the participant would have taken place anyway, the coach should not take credit for the change in behavior. Often the measure of behavior change is tied to a percentage (e.g., 50% of the behavior change is due to the coaching relationship).
4. Business Results - these are the tangible or intangible business results achieved since the individual began meeting with a coach. Results may include: increased productivity, higher quality, increased efficiency, increased company strength, improved customer service, improved relationships, improved team deliverables.
5. Return on Investment - this is the monetary value of the results compared to the cost of the coach. This ratio can be thought of in two ways: money saved or money earned.
- Money saved: reduced turnover, reduced cost of production, reduction in lost customers, etc.
- Money earned: increased productivity or efficiency, advancement/promotion, stronger department, stronger team, etc.
Related Articles: How Calibra Measures Success; Will Coaching Work in Your Organization; How to Select an Executive Coach
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, Executive Coaching, goals, Paul Dillenburg, success
