I am an OD Director with budget approval to put 10 entry level VP's through a coaching program. I've been reading your point of view in your column about setting up metrics-based coaching programs that use assessments and action planning uniquely.   I wondering if you could share any other metrics I should consider building into my program to assure it continues to be funded and is viewed as best in class?

I appreciate your question because I believe it is the strategic imperative of HR and OD Directors to deliver coaching programs that are metrics based. The only way to continue to get funding for coaching and be viewed as a strategic partner to the business is to measure business results.

At Break Through Consulting our approach is to agree to the results we seek at the start and then regroup at major touch-points throughout the coaching process to be sure the coachee, sponsors of coaching and other key constituents agree on top action items and are seeing results. The trick is taking something that is as "soft as coaching and giving it an ROI. 

In this space we have already talked about feedback and action planning (see my series of blogs starting on 2/11/06) which is the groundwork of successful results-based coaching. It is also important to measure coaching results in the following two ways. 

1)      Results Debrief - In our model, the Results Debrief measures coaching results against the agreed upon action plan from the early phases pf coaching. The coaching debrief occurs 1-month prior to the completion of the coaching engagement so that there is still time left to address any outstanding issues.

a.       The executive being coached leads a meeting with their immediate boss, matrix manager and coach.  In this meeting the coachee reviews the original objectives of coaching and discusses what they feel the specific results were - both to them personally and to the business. 

b.      The coachee also asks for their boss's feedback on the results of coaching and next steps for ongoing development.  This is important because most HR Directors and coachees are clear about the value of coaching to the organization, but often those paying for the coaching - the coachee's boss - aren't clear about what results were produced. 

2)      Monitor & Promote the Program: It is your responsibility as director of this coaching program to then gather the results from the Debrief Meetings and monitor the success of the program overall. Keep looking at the results and make adjustments along the way so that you have a program that is responding to your exact and current needs. In addition, be sure to promote and publish the ROI stories from coaching in whatever ways are appropriate in your organization. This will help assure that decision makers are aware of the business impact of coaching and will continue to fund these programs.

By documenting the results you are seeking to achieve at the start of coaching through an action plan and then documenting results against that plan in the Results Debrief, you will assure the best possible ROI for coaching and create a best in class program that strategically aligns you with business results.