Measuring the impact of coaching

Citation

Gaskell, C. (2008), "Measuring the impact of coaching", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 22 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2008.08122dad.001

Measuring the impact of coaching

Article Type: Abstracts From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 22, Issue 4

Gaskell C.Personnel Today, 13 November 2007, Start page: 26, No. of pages: 2

Purpose - To consider how to measure the return on investment (ROI) of coaching. Design/methodology/approach - noting that few companies measure the ROI of their coaching initiatives, sets out why measurement should take place, how to measure effectively, and how and why to communicate the measurable benefits to all staff. Provides a very brief profile of one organization that uses coaching effectively (Portman Building Society) and lists six steps for measuring the ROI on coaching. Findings - reports that research suggests that only 20 percent of organisations consistently measure their coaching activities, and that ROI is often measured in a hit or miss fashion. Recommends, inter alia, that ROI measurement should comprise several steps: agreeing the business objectives and key behaviours, calculating the likely impact of coaching, and calculating the cost benefit ratio of coaching by multiplying the percentage impact of coaching by the year-on-year gain in turnover. Advises that a structured, 12-month communications programme would be helpful to highlight how coaching has changed the way staff work. Originality/value - insists that taking the time and effort to measure the real value that coaching adds to an organization will identify quantifiable benefits in terms of motivation, retention, teamworking and performance. ISSN: 0959-5848 Reference: 37AF001

Keywords: Coaching, Employee development, Measurement, Return on investment