Do You and Your Coach Measure Results of Executive Coaching?
How do you know if you’re achieving results from your work with an executive coach and whether people who matter see positive gains? It’s important, and not complicated, to measure results of executive coaching. Sam’s case study illustrates how.
- Measuring progress of executive coaching
Step 1 – Define Your Goals
Sam’s coaching engagement included two 360 degree assessments – the Emotional and Social Competence Inventory and confidential interviews. After a careful analysis and synthesis of the feedback, Sam and I spent many hours, over the course of two days, in deep discussions of how others view him. (This is often one of the more powerful phases of coaching) Does the picture fit? Was it consistent with what Sam heard and knew about himself in his professional and personal life? Was Sam surprised by anything? What was most meaningful? How could we use his strengths as levers for his development? Sam’s strengths and areas for growth formed the basis of his development goals and our work.
Step 2 – Gain Support
Next, we engaged Heather, Sam’s manager, in a rich conversation to refine Sam’s goals and to ensure Heather was aligned with, and would provide needed support for, Sam’s development. This step also sets a signal that calls Heather’s attention, and gets her to notice, when Sam demonstrates progress. If you’ve shopped for a home appliance recently, you probably noticed, and felt lucky, that so many sales are being advertised. In fact, sales were advertised long before you were in the market and will continue after you’ve made your purchase. Your brain has simply been called to attention and now you’re noticing what’s been there all along. Calling the manager’s attention to progress is an important step to help measure results of executive coaching.
Step 3 – Do the Work
Becoming a more inspirational leader was Sam’s most important goal. People respected Sam for his business acumen, his strategic thinking and his ability to connect with customers. But they didn’t sense he listened to, connected with and understood direct reports in the same way that he did with customers. It was clear that Sam had the capacity to connect and to be a more inspirational leader, and this served as a lever for our work and his progress.
Sam’s first assignment was to ask what inspired each of his direct reports and how they defined inspirational leadership. After all, they’re the people Sam needs to inspire. Further down the road, Sam found it helpful to work with the image of “walking across an empathic bridge” to connect with people and understand what they find most meaningful.
After you’ve done your work, measure results of executive coaching.
4. Evaluate Progress
Nine months into our one year coaching engagement, I developed and administered a customized survey that focused on Sam’s original development goals, then followed up with confidential interviews. People who participated in Sam’s initial 360, and had the opportunity to observe progress, were included in the survey and the interviews.
Important Note: Research indicates that leaders who pursue more frequent feedback following a 360 assessment, are more likely to be perceived, and rated, as making gains.
Sam’s results? People “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that Sam has demonstrated gains. He is a more “inspirational leader” and a more “active listener” (“Listens attentively. Asks relevant questions. I know he heard and understood me.”). He “recognizes and rewards people for their contributions and accomplishments”. “He has a better understanding who I am, what’s important to me and what motivates me.” Finally, “He’s seeking more input from the team for solving problems and making decisions.”
Sam, his manager, and I reviewed these results along with recommendations for continued progress and next steps in his career.
A global survey by Price Waterhouse Coopers indicates that the mean ROI for companies investing in coaching was 7 times the initial investment, with over a quarter reporting an ROI of 10 to 49 times.
Great leaders don’t hesitate to act when they know a thing is right.
Do the one right thing to enable all the other right things.
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